In the eighteenth century, French fashion shone throughout Europe. It was a reflection of success and social progress. The bourgeoisie copied the aristocracy in France, which had a tradition of luxury clothing manufacturing.
The French style would continue to evolve over the centuries. The creations made in Nîmes followed these trends with rapid developments.
Dating back to the end of the eighteenth century, this dress "à la française" was made of brocaded silk with stripes and bouquets.
Robe by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
Although it originated from China, the silk produced in the Cévennes from the thirteenth century on was used to create textiles in Nîmes.
This dress consists of a skirt worn on a petticoat supported by a hoop, covered by a long coat open towards the front.
The bust and the corset, which allows it to be highlighted, are hidden by a piece of fabric called a "stomach piece". The sleeves of the dress end in lace facings called "engageantes".
At the end of the eighteenth century, the hoop and the whalebone corset disappeared in favor of a more natural silhouette inspired by antiquity.
Robe en toile peinte bleue bordures décorées, taille haute, modèle empire, motifs aux manches et dans le bas de la robe by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
The Empire-style dress was longer and the waist was marked under the bust. A light and transparent chiffon was generally used.
The hem of the dress and sleeves were hand painted.
The originality of this empire dress lies in the use of a thick cotton fabric dyed blue, and in having a triangular collar rather than a square one.
From the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, the Rue de l'Agau was home to the Nîmes dyers, who successively exploited the pastel blue plant dye and then the indigofera tinctoria that came from Tropical Asia in huge vats.
In 1820, the fashion turned to Pre-Romanticism. For 20 years, dresses were made in cotton fabrics in light tones with subtle patterns printed by a roller.
Corsage et jupon en coton blanc fleurs violettes et dentelles blanches by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
In Nîmes, this material was imported from the French West Indies from the second half of the eighteenth century onwards. Cotton would find its place alongside wool, linen and silk production.
The waist of this dress is less high and marked by a laced inner corset. The long sleeves gained volume at the shoulders. A pleated and crossed bodice was also sometimes used on the bust.
After this, the fashion for crinolines prevailed from 1845 to 1869. This framework of flexible metal hoops worn under the skirt made it possible to free the woman's body, which had previously been hindered by many petticoats.
Robe by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
This mauve silk dress, embroidered with white flowers and with round buttoning on the neck, was worn on a corset with a marked waist.
In keeping with nineteenth century fashion and to protect against the cold, this outfit was embellished with a shawl called cashmere, worn on the shoulders. A display of luxury for wealthy women, the shawl was also a sign of social advancement for bourgeois women.
Along with Paris and Lyon, Nîmes would be the third city to produce this accessory. Reinventing their production techniques throughout the various fashions and centuries, manufacturers from Nîmes made up to 350,000 shawls in 1846!
At the end of the nineteenth century, the silhouette was emphasized by an hourglass corset.
Robe by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
This blue velvet dress is embellished with silk satin and lace typical of the upholstery style inspired by interior decoration.
This fashion was characterized by rich fabrics, draped details and heavy embellishments. The whalebone bodice of the high-necked dress is very fitted and pointed at the front. At the back is an overskirt raised by cords and a draped detail accentuating the feminine shapes.
Paire de souliers by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
Well-dressed but also well-shod!
The women's long skirts hid a pair of mules or slippers. These shoes with heels measuring from 10 to 12 cm did not have a right or left foot.
Gaining height was not only the prerogative of women. The male nobility also wore heels!
Paire de souliers by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
Heels rose during the reign of Louis XIV. Shoes were adorned with embroidery or lace. Around 1780, Chinese shoes with a pointed toe became fashionable.
It was not until the end of the eighteenth century that the height of women's heels fell, and this only lasted for about 30 years. The heel then slowly reappeared in 1829.
Collection de bas : un bas brodé orient by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
Just like the shoes, stockings completed the feminine outfit
After being knitted by hand for a long time, stockings were made on a loom invented in the seventeenth century by William Lee in England. Jean Hindret brought the secret of this invention to France around the same time.
Elegant women wore white silk stockings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, sometimes embroidered with gold thread and pearls to match their outfit.
Ensuring financial prosperity for the city from the seventeenth century, stockings from Nîmes had the specific quality of being finer, and were intended for export to Latin America.
Eventail Necker "vive le roi " by AnonymeMusée du Vieux Nîmes
Adorned with a beautiful accessory!
The ivory, silk and embroidered sequins of this fan recall the precious nature of certain accessories. Often used in games of seduction between men and women of the nobility, it was used to discreetly observe admirers and suitors.
A Japanese invention, the folded fan has the advantage of being easy to transport. First reserved for the nobility, it was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that the fan was popularized in a cheap version.
Creation: City of Nîmes - Musée du Vieux Nîmes
Images: © City of Nîmes - Musée du Vieux Nîmes: © Gilles Lefrancq
