The French Have Always Had Style!

Ma Chere Amie,

I know how you love, love, love anything about fashions and fabrics, so of course I thought of you the day I visited the "History of Dresses" exhibit here in Provence.

Imagine going into the cellars of an old chateau in the South of France; stone hallways with low ceilings and small rooms tucked under stairways.  


 Now imagine walking into one of those little rooms and finding dozens of fabulous French silk dresses from the 18th and 19th centuries!! That is where I was yesterday with my niece, Makenna. 

 The dresses are part of a summer exhibition called “Histoire de Robes; Histoire de Mode” (History of Dresses; History of Style) at the museum of the Chateau in La Tour d’Aigues.  Imagine-a mere four miles from my home! I wish you were here to see it with me.

 
The dresses are simply gorgeous, each and every one. They are made of silks, brocades, cottons, or taffetas and each is displayed on a tiny-waist mannequin, of course. Some of the cutest are for little girls. Some have exquisite hats and handbags made to match. 

The museum offers a guide sheet to explain each dress: the date, the style period, the town or region where it was worn. Then it offers a wonderful description of each piece: the fabrics, the origin of the fabrics, the designs, the embellishments, and, in some cases, the construction process. Amazing.  

One of the oldest is a stylish dress from Avignon, 1810-1815. Here is how it is described in the program (the French version is so pretty that I am sending it along, but I have also translated it into English for you.)

Robe en taffetas vert et manches ballon (attaches dans le dos par coulisses au col et a la taille). Echarpe de mode en soie brochee de Spitalfields. Caleche en taffetas vert et armature en carton.  Reticule en taffetas creme brode et passementerie. Mitaines en fil de soie.

Green taffeta dress with balloon sleeves (ties in the back at the neck and waist). The stylish scarf is of silk brocade from Spitalfields.  The hat is of green taffeta over a cardboard frame. The drawstring handbag is of cream taffeta with embroidery and trimmings. The gloves are made of silk thread.

Let me know if you are coming to visit Provence this summer—the dresses will be here through September 29. We can go together!