Le Messager des Modistes et des Salons,Modes de Paris, Journal Aglaja, septembre 1864, No. 35 1864

This print, from September 1864, titled ‘Le Messager des Modistes et des Salons’ and published in the Journal Aglaja, offers a window into the fashion world of Paris. The image promotes a culture of style, dictating the silhouettes, patterns, and colors that would define elite womanhood. It's crucial to recognize how such imagery operated within a burgeoning fashion industry and an expanding print culture. Publications such as Journal Aglaja served as vehicles for disseminating the latest trends, reinforcing social hierarchies, and driving consumerism. These images not only reflected but also shaped the tastes and aspirations of their readership. Further research into the fashion industry of the time, as well as archival research on Journal Aglaja would help to provide an understanding of the social and economic forces at play in the creation and consumption of fashion.