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Robe à la française Back of robe à la française

The Museum at FIT

The Museum at FIT
New York City, United States

A fashionable robe à la française might be made from yards of expensive silk brocade draped over wide hoops, trimmed with handmade lace, and elaborately accessorized. Often dismissed as wasteful, aristocratic luxury supported a host of artisans. According to the great French writer Montesquieu (1748), there was "an absolute necessity for luxury. Were the rich not so lavish, the poor would starve."

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  • Title: Robe à la française Back of robe à la française
  • Date Created: c. 1735
  • Location Created: France or Italy
  • Type: Robe a la francaise
  • Rights: Copyright The Museum at FIT
  • Medium: Multicolor silk taffeta brocade
  • Credit: Museum purchase
The Museum at FIT

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