preview

Essay about Marie Antoinette

Decent Essays

Marie Antoinette
FMM 1200

Marie Antoinette
Maria Theresa of Austria thought she was sealing “a favorable alliance between France and Austria” (New World Encyclopedia) by having her daughter, Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, marry Louis XVI, but she was actually unknowingly giving her a chance to make fashion history.
Life History
When Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna wed Louis XVI, she was told to leave everything behind; her Austrian clothes, possessions, servants, her animal and even her name was changed to Marie Antoinette. She was then dressed in French clothing and presented with jewels including “an elaborate diamond necklace which had belonged to Anne of Austria and pieces which had also belonged to Mary Queen of Scots and …show more content…

She wore the newest looks from Rose Bertin, “among them the provocative "robe a la polonaise," with its bosom-enhancing bodice and its billowy, ankle-baring skirts, the whole crowned by a pouf, a 3-foot mountain of powdered hair decked with plumes, veils, and other objects”(Hollander, 2006).
Another dress of style she came to wear after becoming a mother is known as “chemise a la reine.” She stopped wearing all the glitz and glam that she had been known for and opting for a simpler look in her outfits. She “began wearing a light, shapeless dress called a gaulle. It was made of layers of simple muslin, loose-fitting and shaped by a sash tied around the waist. It also didn't have the usual panniers under the skirt, which were often so extreme that door frames had to be widened to accommodate dresses. It meant the material could mold around the legs, also shocking at the time”(Winterman, 2012). Critics of this type of dress said she looked as though she were wearing just undergarments.
In conclusion, Marie Antoinette was not only a prominent figure in history, but she could also be noted as an important mention in fashion history as well. She paved the way for a new type of look and style that others during the time would not have ever thought of doing.
References
Contributors. (2008, September 2). HowStuffWorks "Marie Antoinette Fashion".

Get Access