Loading

Robe à la française Detail of front 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."

Show lessRead more
  • Title: Robe à la française Detail of front 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

Additional Items

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites