Can We Bring Back 18th Century Hairstyles?

Can we bring back 18th century hairstyles?

Rococo Era paintings by Elizabeth Vigée Lebrun, François Boucher, Jakob Björck, Antoine-Jean Gros and François-Hubert Drouais.

THE GREAT (2020- ) ↳ 1.01 | 2.02

I’ve played with so many Rococo paintings and done so many Rococo Belles over the year, but it’s actually the first time I’m putting her in the most famous Rococo portrait of them all. Maybe because it’s been done and redone ! But I wanted to do my own version after all. Complete with her very own pooch of course 🐶

Catherine’s costumes in The Great season 2 (1/3)

Catherine the Great costume appreciation

Which was more seen at court? A Court Mantua or a robe de cour?

It’d depends on what court we’re talking about. Let’s remember that court attire was very detailed on what should be worn. So, in English court a mantua would be worn, and in France and the rest of Europe, a robe de cour would be the one.

Even though a court mantua and a robe de cour are practically the same thing, I’d like to point at  the main difference between both. Here we go:

The sleeves. The mantua sleeves changes with the fashion (we see cuffs or ruffles of the same fabric of the bodice), while on a robe de cour the sleeves are of many lace ruffles.

English mantua, 1755-1760 // Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s coronation robe from 1751

Closure. The mantua is a front-opening gown, while the robe de cour is back opening.

Court mantua, 1740-45 // Robe de cour of Sofia Magdalena of Sweden, 1766

The train. The court mantua’s train was an evolution of the carefully folded one from the late 17th century mantua. On the other side, the robe de cour’s train was long and simply gathered at the waist, it could also be visible only from the back, or could seem like an overskirt at the front.

Court mantua, 1750s // Wedding gown of Princess Sophia Magdalena of Denmark for her marriage to Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden in 1766

The front. The mantua has a clear square neckline, while the robe de cour has a deep round neckline, sometimes decorated by lace.

English court mantua, 1755-60 // Robe de cour coronation dress of Queen Lovisa Ulrika of Sweden, 1751