Journal des Dames et des Modes, Costumes Parisiens, 1914, No. 147 : Costumes du matin 1914

This fashion plate, created in 1914, offers a glimpse into the sartorial tastes of the Parisian elite. Rendered through a combination of engraving and delicate hand-coloring on paper, it presents three children in their morning attire. Notice how the fashions depicted owe a debt to the textile industry, from the woven plaid of the central figure’s coat, to the simple broadcloth used for the boy’s suit on the left. The artistry here lies less in the originality of the design, and more in the skilled labor required to produce both the garments themselves and the print that advertises them. These images were tools of aspiration, offering templates for consumption. Consider the social context of this image: luxury goods like these costumes relied on extensive global networks of production, often exploiting labor. By attending to the materials and the making processes, we recognize how fashion plates like this one reflect broader issues of labor, class, and consumption, challenging any strict separation between art, craft, and commerce.