Kabinet van mode en smaak 1791, pl. II: De Zuidbevelandsche Boerin 1791

This print, from the Kabinet van Mode en Smaak of 1791, shows a woman identified as a "Boerin," or female farmer, from Zuid-Beveland, Netherlands. The image is made with etching and hand-coloring, techniques that allowed for the relatively quick production of images for a fashion-conscious audience. What's fascinating is the emphasis on local distinction. The clothes, including a wide-brimmed hat and plaid skirt, are carefully rendered to convey the specificities of regional dress. These details are tied to the labor involved in producing textiles – everything from cultivating flax for linen to raising sheep for wool, spinning yarn, dyeing fabric, and weaving the cloth. In this period, fashion was increasingly shaped by industrial production and global trade. Yet, the print also gestures toward a world of handmade, locally sourced materials, and the skills of the women who transformed them into garments. It reminds us that clothing can be a powerful expression of identity, rooted in both place and the labor of its creation.