Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 24 septembre 1882, 11e année, No. 560: Toilettes de Mme Marcad (...) 1882

This fashion plate was printed in Paris in September 1882, as part of the Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille. It represents the cutting-edge of womenswear at that time, though today, it also speaks volumes about the social conditions of its making. The printmaking process itself, likely a form of lithography, was by then highly industrialized. It allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images like this one, feeding a growing consumer appetite for fashion news. But, of course, the dresses shown here also point to other kinds of labor. All that intricate seaming, gathering and trim would have been done by skilled dressmakers, most of them women working long hours. The final result is beautiful, but it’s important to remember the full picture: this image is a window into a whole world of making, consumption, and class relations. By considering the means of production, as well as the artistic outcome, we gain a deeper appreciation of this artifact.