THE COSTUME OF COURT LADIES
differed from that of the rich gentry only in the extravagance of its decoration
and materials. The ostentation of court dress was something to which all
wealthy Frenchwomen aspired, as can be seen from the increasing number
and specificity of laws passed to control excesses. When Henri II came
to the throne, in 1547, a number of laws were passed banning superfluites
inwomen's dress. The only ladies exempt from these regulations were the
royal princesses and the ladies of Catherine de Medici's retinue. Most
of the latter came from Italy, from whence they had brought rich materials
and new styles.
Soon, Italian styles had completely
eclipsed the native fashions of France, though
the French ladies fought back hard, as can be seen in figs. 5-8.
In doing so, they tended to ignore Henri
II's laws, which had to be extended and re-enacted
frequently. The Wars of Religion, however, made them hard to impose - indeed,
they were only ever effectively imposed during the reign of Charles IX.
He made it illegal for French citizens to use imported perfumes, and for
widows to wear silk. Charles particularly wanted to outlaw the farthingale,
whose vast proportions were especially wasteful of cloth. But this restriction
was never enforced, after a petition to Charles by the women of Toulouse,
whom it seems were un usually fond of the farthingale.
Order of figures:
1 2 3 4
5 6 7
8 9 10
11
Figs. 1,2,6 and 7 Drummers and
fifers of the bourgeois militia. 3,4 and 5 School children from the beg.
of 17th Century. 8 Mme de Limeuil, a maid of honour (attached to
the Queen of Catherine of Medici). 9 Louise de Lorraine Vaudemont (1553-1601)
married to Henri III, king of France, in 1574. 10 Marie Stuart,
queen of France (1542-1587), married to Francois II in 1558. 11 Marguerite
de Lorraine Vaudemont, the sister of Louise de Lorraine. She is wearing
a ball dress during the celebrations of the marriage of Luis and Anne,
Duchess of Joyeuse in 1581.
