The female outfit during the First Empire
Paris was the fashion capital during the Consulate and Empire. While it is true that a “good taste” in clothing was founded on the preferences of those in power, fashion was also a movement that belonged to a certain elite that was trying to forget the dark days of the Revolution and the Terror. Life was easier, calmer, and fashion, freed of the constraints of the previous years, reflected this new sense of freedom.
If we take a close look at the engravings that date from the Empire, we find that the female figure has left its mark on the period: the lady is 'draped' rather than dressed. The dress, often in immaculate chiffon, is light and unrestrictive, loosely fastened with a ribbon that sits below a now uncorseted bust; on the shoulders sits a cashmere shawl, which is often white, or even a small bolero hat. The hairstyle is covered by a bonnet or a silk hood, often pink or white, enlivened by a large feather or indeed a bow. The hair can also be tied up, similar to the fashion in antiquity. Every little detail plays its part in a outfit that is intended to please or indeed dazzle its audience.