La Mode Illustrée, Journal de la Famille, 1882 1882

In 1882, Firmin-Didot & Cie created this print for *La Mode Illustrée, Journal de la Famille,* a French fashion magazine. This image encapsulates the aspirations and constraints of bourgeois womanhood in late 19th-century France. The magazine itself was an institution that both reflected and shaped social norms, dictating the styles and behaviors deemed appropriate for women of a certain class. The emphasis on family in the journal's title highlights the central role women were expected to play within the domestic sphere. The elaborate and restrictive clothing worn by the figures embodies the physical and social constraints placed upon women. The clothing denotes status, but it also limits mobility and freedom. To understand this image fully, we can examine fashion plates and advice columns from the period. These sources offer insights into the values, anxieties, and power dynamics that shaped women's lives in 1880s France.