Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, December 1807, No. 31 : Toque de Velours... 1807

Editor: This print, titled "Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames", from December 1807, seems to be a fashion plate, showing off this elegant outfit from behind. It has a melancholy feel, doesn’t it? What story do you think it's trying to tell? Curator: Ah, stories whispered in cloth! Consider the gaze averted, the figure receding. Is it a longing glance backward, a hesitation at a doorway, a woman burdened by fashion or circumstance? I see it reflecting on the societal expectations of women in that era, where appearances were powerful, shaping how they were perceived. Do you get that sense too, perhaps even trapped by those very garments, Editor? Editor: That makes sense, though the flowers in the toque give me a mixed message. A little bit of optimism against that somber draping? Curator: Exactly! A flicker of hope, a sign of individuality against a sea of conformity! I find this contrast quite poignant. How clever, these hints that subvert total sartorial subjugation! Perhaps there's also a wry humor embedded in it, this over-the-top seriousness regarding *fashion* of all things. Editor: It almost feels like a precursor to modern fashion commentary! So much conveyed, so little shown directly. I hadn't thought about the weight of those expectations until now. Curator: The genius, I think, is in what the artist leaves *unsaid*, nudging us to spin our own tales of whispered desires, rebellion, or, quite possibly, the sheer unbearable itchiness of wool! Now, what story are *you* going to write? Editor: I love that…the challenge to see beyond the surface. I'll definitely carry that with me!