Elegantia, of tijdschrift van mode, luxe en smaak voor dames, Juli 1807, No. 17: Chapeau de Paille... 1807

This fashion plate was made in July 1807 by an anonymous artist, using engraving and hand-coloring on paper. Fashion plates like this one often had descriptive captions, identifying materials like cotton, silk and taffeta. These informed potential consumers, driving demand in the textile industry. The clothing depicted, with its emphasis on light, flowing fabrics, reflects a shift towards simpler styles inspired by classical Greece, a departure from the more elaborate fashions of the preceding decades. This aesthetic change had social and cultural significance. The rise of cotton, facilitated by industrialization and global trade, made fashionable clothing more accessible to a wider range of people. Yet, this accessibility came at a cost, as the production of cotton was deeply intertwined with the exploitation of enslaved labor. So, when we look at this elegant image, we should think not only about aesthetics but also about the complex networks of labor, production, and consumption that underpinned the fashion industry of the time. It reminds us that clothing is never just clothing; it's always a product of its time, reflecting the social and economic realities of its creation.