Queen of Fashion
Book description
A Washington Post Book World Best Book of the Year
When her carriage first crossed over from her native Austria into France, fourteen-year-old Marie Antoinette was taken out, stripped naked before an entourage, and dressed in French attire to please the court of her new king. For a short while,…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Queen of Fashion as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
This was one of the first studies of Marie Antoinette that aimed to take seriously her style as a critical political tool, one that worked both for the ill-fated French queen and against her. The study of bodily adornment, clothing, and fashion choices are now a key part of how we understand gender politics and the politics of the body both in history and in our own lives.
Importantly, Weber situates Marie Antoinette’s understanding of the importance of her fashion in the wider context of the culture of display at Versailles, where close examination of bodies in ceremonial, sartorial, and…
From Susan's list on women and power in history.
This book makes a bold argument: that Queen Marie Antoinette’s clothing choices played a part in determining both her own fate during the French Revolution as well as that of the Old Regime itself. The gripping narrative of the young Austrian princess from the time of her marriage to Louis XVI until her death on the guillotine takes place against the backdrop of her highly political role as a fashion icon. Traditionally, royal mistresses had been trendsetters in France; Weber makes the case that it was highly unusual and dangerous for the queen to show such an interest in dress.…
From Christine's list on the beauty and the politics of fashion.
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