During the reign of Louis the XIV in the 1700`s, France became the

During the reign of Louis the XIV in the 1700’s, France became the world’s
fashion leader. The royal court at Versailles set the style. Lace became an
important decoration on men’s garments. Breeches were trimmed with lace at
the hem.
The place at Versailles was now ruled by an ageing king and the general effect
was a move to rigidity, dignity and seriousness. For men, the full-bottomed wig
was an extreme affair and very expensive – it was a mass of curls framing the
face and falling below the shoulders. The wigs were powdered and in the early
years of the 18th century and continued until the French Revolution.
Around 1718, women’s clothing of this period returned to hoops. Instead of
height women now seemed to aim at width and the skirt was expanding
sideways- sometimes as much as 15 feet – using whalebone or rods. The
extreme width of women’s dressed at this period was cause for inconvenience –
two women could not fit in a doorway at the same time.
For most of he 18th century – there was no real change in the dress of men. It
consisted of a coat, waistcoat and breeches. The neckwear was a cravat - a
scarf or band of fabric worn around the neck as a tie. The three-cornered hat
was almost universal throughout the century.
By the 1760’s there are the tentative beginnings of a new style, the move to
adopt the English “country style". By 1770’s there is a marked change in the
general outline of women’s dress – a transformation from hoops to a kind of
bustle. The bodice also began to be puffed out giving a pouter-pigeon effect.
The fashion plate sprang into existence at this period, with immense
consequences in the distribution of fashion. The first true fashion plates were
not French but English- The lady’s Magazine was publishing them from 1770
onwards. As hard as it is to believe before fashion illustrations- fashion plates-
information concerning the latest fashion was so hard to come by that MarieAntoinette’s dressmaker found it worth while to travel the Continent every year.
The fashion changes drastically after the French Revolution- it was a great
social disorder and had a profound effect on the clothes of both men and
women. Suddenly there were no more embroidered coats or brocaded gowns,
no more wigs or powdered hair, no more elaborate headdresses. “Return to
Nature” was the cry.
The men’s clothes were English country clothes. They took all the embroidery
off their coats; the lace and ruffle from the wrist and throat; and no more silk
stocking they wanted leather boots. In France there was an enthusiasm for all
thing English.
Women’s dress was less extravagant. Paniers, bustles and corsets were all
abandoned as were the rich fabric. Instead women wore a robe en chemise,
which looked like an undergarment, for it consisted of a white, high-waisted
muslin cambric or calico garment falling to the feet and sometimes so
transparent that it was necessary to wear white or pink tights underneath.
Heelless slippers contributed to this effect. There were no pockets in the dress
so little handbags were carried.
By the end of the 18th century, the general lines of clothes were laid down for the
beginning of the next century. For women, the “Empire” gown and for men the
“John Bull” style of clothing became popular.
http://dept.kent.edu/museum/costume/bonc/3timesearch/tseighteenth/17001799.html
http://www.englishcountrydancing.org/frenchfashion.html
http://www.sensibility.com/vintageimages/1800s/