Tea at Trianon: History, as Told by a Dress

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Monday, February 20, 2023

History, as Told by a Dress

In earlier times, pink was for boys and blue was for girls. That changed in the nineteenth century. From Laura Crockett at The History Desk:

Nudity leaves one too vulnerable in the face of power. Indeed, if a tyrant wants to break down an individual, the tyrant strips them. From the Inquisition, to the strip searches of the drug wars, it is a method that works quite well. Those who conduct such searches think of themselves as the god of Eden.

To those that believe Genesis is a true story, that it is, actual history, the meanings remain the same. The orthodox and conservative of the monotheistic religions, Jews, Christians and Muslims, do not parade around in skimpy clothing. All are well covered. Only husbands and wives may play Adam and Eve. Liberals, who are the descendants of the Early Modern Age, that period beginning with the Renaissance (late 14th century) to the end of the Enlightenment, get to wear skimpy clothing. However, the naked ladies in the paintings of those years, were usually models with a side gig as someone’s mistress.

When the Adam and Eve story was written, clothing was still a rather primitive production. There was no tailoring, no scissors, no metal needles. The tools and machines they had to make clothing were carders, spindles and looms. Hand made clothing it was, woven by the hands of women. Clothing was not made to fit, but was draped on the body, and then was tied, belted or pinned to the contours of the person wearing the garment. Wool, hemp and linen were the first fibers used. Later on, cotton was added, and then silk.

During the Middle Ages, cloth fairs were held in various locations around Europe. At these fairs, the idea of fashion took hold. Anyone who could afford it, wanted the latest styles. Men and women still dressed somewhat the same, but the gown for men began to lose favor as new ideas in clothing took hold. The church was outraged at some fashions, but nonetheless, the clinging hose, and tight doublets became a thing for men, no matter how much the church frowned. (Read more.)