Revue de la Mode, Gazette de la Famille, dimanche 30 décembre 1883, 12e annee, No. 626: Toilettes de la M.on Duboys (...) 1883

Printed in 1883 by E. Cheffer, this fashion plate from the "Revue de la Mode" presents an intricate tableau of late 19th-century Parisian style. Observe the high necklines and constricted waists, echoing a rigid social structure that demanded women’s bodies conform to an ideal. The dresses, elaborate and ornamented, speak volumes about the era's cultural values, yet we have seen such constrictions before. Consider the Minoan snake goddess, whose exposed breasts contrast with the wasp waists achieved by corsetry. This seemingly divergent image shares an emphasis on certain aspects of the female form, reflecting cultural anxieties about fertility and power. Across time, these symbols resurface, charged with new yet familiar meanings. The cinched waist, a motif that reappears in various forms, symbolizes a desire for control. It highlights our complex relationship with the body as both a site of personal expression and a canvas for societal imprints.