Fashion Victims
Dress at the Court of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette
Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Yale University Press
Publishing:23rd Sep '25
£30.00
This title is due to be published on 23rd September, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A thoughtful, lavishly illustrated, and highly readable account of the fabulous French fashion world in the pre-Revolutionary period
This award-winning book, now available in paperback, chronicles one of the most exciting, controversial, and extravagant periods in the history of fashion: the reign of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette in eighteenth-century France. Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell offers a carefully researched glimpse into the turbulent era’s sophisticated and largely female-dominated fashion industry, which produced courtly finery as well as promoted a thriving secondhand clothing market outside the royal circle. She discusses in depth the exceptionally imaginative and uninhibited styles of the period immediately before the French Revolution, and explores fashion’s surprising influence on the course of the Revolution itself. The absorbing narrative demonstrates fashion’s crucial role as a visible and versatile medium for social commentary, and shows the glittering surface of eighteenth-century high society as well as its seedy underbelly.
Fashion Victims presents a compelling anthology of trends, manners, and personalities from the era, accompanied by gorgeous fashion plates, portraits, and photographs of rare surviving garments. Drawing upon documentary evidence, previously unpublished archival sources, and new information about aristocrats, politicians, and celebrities, this book is an unmatched study of French fashion in the late eighteenth century, providing astonishing insight, a gripping story, and stylish inspiration.
“Anyone interested in social and political history, in art and in dress, will learn much from this book. It is lively and well-written, with the high-quality design and attention to detail of Yale University Press: the illustrations, including paintings, fashion plates, extant garments and some beautiful textiles, are sumptuous.”—Aileen Ribeiro, Art Newspaper
“As a pithy dissection of fashion’s history—a history that undeniably informs the luxury industry today—it makes compelling reading.”—Alexander Fury, The Independent
“Illustrated with beautiful images of fashion plates, portraits, and photographs of rare surviving garments, this thoroughly researched book is highly recommended for readers who are interested in the social and costume history of the 18th century.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Scholars from different disciplines and the general public are likely to enjoy this book, as it is both an enjoyable read and one that delves deeply into a topic that can all too easily be trivialised and ridiculed. . . . While the gowns Chrisman-Campbell describes are said to privilege ‘surface over substance,’ the same criticism does not apply to her book, which has immense worth and depth."—Anne Bissonnette, Burlington
“Eighteenth-century France just before the Revolution was a world of unbridled extravagance and stark contrasts. . . . This incisive book gives us a glimpse into the sophisticated fashion industry of the time, as well as insights into the role of fashion in social commentary and during the Revolution itself.”—Juanita Coulson, The Lady
Winner of the 2016 Millia Davenport Publication Award sponsored by the Costume Society of America
ISBN: 9780300286700
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
364 pages