Romantic Attire and Troubadour Fashions, 1804-1848

While the enthusiasm for ancient times in the first half of the 19th century is well known in the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, and decorative arts, it is less so in fashion. This book reveals how, drawing on the literature and iconography of an idealized and fantasized past, artisans revisited the way people dressed in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the 17th century to create new fashions. Volume, materials, cuts, colors, ornaments, headdresses, finery, and accessories of the past were brought up to date in the wardrobes of women, men, and children. By exploring the origins and attributes of these composite garments, this book reflects the enthusiasm that gripped society at the time for the picturesque world of the troubadours.