Fashion Plate: Three Ladies c. 19th century

Editor: This is "Fashion Plate: Three Ladies" by Célestin Deshays. It's hard to pin down the exact date, but the dresses really give it a sense of period. What symbols or hidden meanings do you find in their attire? Curator: Look at how their bonnets frame their faces, almost like halos. The elaborate layering of fabric speaks of status, but also, perhaps, of constraint. Do you see a tension between display and confinement in the image? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way, but now I do. It's like the clothing is saying one thing, but the women themselves might be feeling something else. Curator: Exactly. Consider how clothing acts as a form of social encoding, silently broadcasting messages about identity and belonging. What stories do you think these women are telling through their fashion? Editor: This makes me look at fashion plates in a totally different light. Thank you! Curator: It is wonderful how we can see history through the language of clothes.