Fashion Gallery: Suits (Yellow & Orange)

Yellow

Velvet suit, 1785

1774-80

Spanish, 1785-1800

Orange

Velvet suit, 1770-90

Satin suit, 1770's

Missing the breeches but too fabulous not to include, 1750's

Spanish, 1780

French, 1765

Unknown origin, 1760's

The Controlling Prince de Conti

François Louis de Bourbon had been married to Marie Thérèse de Bourbon on 22 January 1688. Although the bride was immensely fond of - even in love with - her new husband, she would soon find their marriage to be very trying.

In contrast, François Louis was not the least bit interested in his new wife. The Prince de Conti was bi-sexual; he was well known to have a liaison with Louise Françoise de Bourbon but was also involved in several homosexual affairs. 

The odd thing about François Louis was that - despite his own lack of interest in her - he was immensely jealous of his wife. Perhaps his own infidelities made him suspicious but according to Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, there was "no cause" for his suspicions. However, there appears to have been doubts as to the full extent of the Princesse de Conti's faithfulness. Andrew Haggard claimed that she had affairs with both the Marquis de La Fare and Monsieur de Clermont - still, no other source backs this claim up.

Marie Thérèse

On occasion, François' behaviour went further than mere suspicion. Madame noted that poor Marie Thérèse "never knew where she was to pass the night". Once his wife had settled somewhere, he would constantly send her from one place to another - and he had plenty of places to choose from. Besides their apartment at Versailles, the couple owned the Château de Chantilly and a hôtel in Paris. In itself should demands might not seem odd but he would insist on her travelling even if it was in the middle of the night. Legally, he was fully entitled to treat his wife as he pleased, so there was little to do by way of the law.

Apparently, François offered to duel the Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon because the Chevalier de Lorraine (lover of the king's brother) told him that Roche-sur-Yon was in love with the Princesse de Conti.

François Louis

In 1709, François died but Marie Thérèse does not appear to have enjoyed her new freedom. Instead, her old love of her husband (unrequited as it was) still lingered and she was often seen weeping for him. Few people could understand this mourning for a husband who had never cared much for her. One good thing did come out of the demise of the Prince de Conti. His widow had become estranged from her own children but was finally reconciled with them once their father was gone.

Pink: the Colour of Youth

From the middle of the 18th century, pastel colours took over in fashion from the previously favoured bright ones. Pink was amongst the new trending hues. One of the main reasons for why pink did not make its entrance onto the fashion stage earlier, is the dying process. Before chemicals were the primary source for colours in fashion, dyers had to use whatever nature had to offer. Few things are naturally pink and those that are rarely give off a colour if processed in the traditional way. However, as the 18th century wore on, techniques advanced and it became possible to achieve far greater variance in shades. It meant that whereas only the very pinnacle of society could afford pink clothing before, it became more affordable.

The very terminology of the colour pink was ambiguous. The colour "pink" did not exist until the latter half of the 18th century - at the earliest. Prior to that it was named everything from "carnation"

Madame de Pompadour appears to have had a liking for the colour; in portraits of her she is often wearing the shade and the Sèvres-porcelain she ordered had pink in it as well. Until Madame de Pompadour made the colour fashionable it was used rather as a secondary choice; it is not for nothing that the pink glaze of Sèvres was known as "Pompadour pink". She would often combine pink with another signature colour: pale blue.

Madame du Barry also had a thing for pink - however, her fascination lay more in her jewellery. In particular, she often wore a necklace of pink pearls.

Unlike today, pink was not associated with femininity - both men and women wore the colour. Likewise, both young boys and girls were dressed in it. The very symbolism of the colour was up to debate. At the time of Madame de Pompadour it was considered to be somewhat of a sensual colour which made it very appropriate for a royal mistress. However, just twenty years later it was connected with the exact opposite: innocence. 

Typically, brighter pink was worn by the younger generations. Once Marie Antoinette had reached her 30th birthday, she announced that her days of wearing pink were over. Indeed, she had been fond of the colour in her youth.

As seen in portraits - women:

The Marquise de Caumont La Force

Marie Suzanne Giroust, artist

Marie Antoinette while Archduchess of Austria

The Comtesse d'Artois

Mary, Countess Howe

Madame de Pompadour

Marie Adélaide of France

As seen in portraits - men:

Comte d'Angiviller

Comte de Provence

Unknown gentleman

Jean-Marie Vien

Infante Gabriel

Fashion Gallery: Suits (Green & Blue)

Green

British, 1770's

Italian (possibly from Venice), 1785-90

Lime suit, 1780's

German, 1780's

French, 1760-80

French, 1760

Blue

French silk suit, 1760

Italian taffeta suit, possibly from Parma

French, pastel blue silk, 1765

Spanish

French velvet suit, 1740's

English, 1760

Possibly Norwegian, 1780

1750's

English (very similar to the Norwegian one), 1780

English, 1760's

Hungarian, 1770-80