Lauren P., who runs the fantastically readable and fun 18th century site, Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide to the 18th Century, has stopped by to tell us about some of the fashion trends Marie Antoinette herself started– most notably that of the pouf, the most famous (or infamous) hairstyle of the entire Georgian era. Satirized and mimicked in books, comics and movies for centuries, the pouf blazed the way for big hair. Before the bouffant, before the beehive, there was Marie Antoinette and her two-foot-high coiffures.

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One of the most tragic figures of the 18th century was the young French queen Marie Antoinette, who only lived to be 37 years old. The beginning of her career as queen was also the beginning of her career as a fashion icon in Europe. Marie Antoinette was making major fashion decisions as early as the coronation of her husband, Louis Auguste in 1775. At just nineteen years old, Marie Antoinette had an important decision to make: what to wear!

The coronation ceremony for the new king and queen was traditional. The ceremony was ages old, even the official uniforms of the attendants were decades out of style but they were required. Keeping frugality in mind, the young Louis decided to cut some corners and keep things low budget. He cut out the double coronation part of the ceremony, and just had a single coronation for himself. A special seating area was built for Marie Antoinette to view the ceremony. In a way, this choice would keep Marie out of the spotlight at the actual ceremony, but it would also free her to wear something more contemporary as a spectator and guest of honor. This may not have been the top concern for the young dauphine at the time, but it certainly was an important choice and did not go unnoticed.

For her husband’s coronation the young queen, with tears of joy, arrived in a dazzling gown in the modern style. The contrast between the old ceremonial costumes and her contemporary ensemble instantly set her apart. Her gown was created by her favorite dressmaker, Rose Bertin, and was covered in sapphires and gemstones. Although her gown shimmered from every angle, it was her hair that everyone was talking about.

That day she wore her tresses piled high and set with feathers. The tall pouf would become Marie’s trademark hairstyle. She would constantly pioneer new styles of poufs, each magnificent structure would hold various objects and scenes. The thought, time and craftsmanship (yes we are still talking about hair) that went into the poufs made them true works of art. The popular pouf aux sentiments was created with the hair piled up high and displayed objects that held great personal meaning to the lady. Trinkets, portrait miniatures, jewels, anything! Because every lady would select different objects, each pouf was unique. Marie Antoinette also made famous the pouf à l’inoculation, after her husband and his brothers received small pox vaccinations. This famous pouf included a serpent in an olive tree to symbolize the god of medicine and healing and a bright sun, representing enlightenment.

The poufs allowed ladies to be creative and in a way they were able to speak opinions and make statements through…hair! Just as the clothes we wear can let people make statements, during the 18th century and thanks to pioneers of fashion such as Marie Antoinette, hair did as well.

What about the Georgians? Didn’t Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire do this first? While hair was being piled high years before Georgiana and Marie were out, no one was wearing it quite as creatively. Georgiana pioneered all hair that was tall. Tall feathers, tall coiffures. A letter she received from Lady Clermont a few months after Louis’ coronation which discussed the differences between the French hairstyles from the English read, “the heads are not so high nor as many feathers…”

For lack of feathers the French ladies filled their hair with other ornaments. Not everyone may have said good things about how the new queen wore her hair on coronation day, but they were talking, and people took notice. Ladies adapted the queen’s taste for hair piled high, and mimicked her various ‘styles.’ For Marie Antoinette, her debut couldn’t have been more successful.

Image Sources:

From “Marie Antoinette” (film) 2006, Marie Antoinette in Coronation Gown. Screenshot.

From Album of the Coronation of Louis XVI, The King led to the Throne. Detail of Marie Antoinette and her ladies. French School of the eighteenth century. Via “Majesty”

Anonymous, The Coronation of Louis XVI. Detail of Marie Antoinette with her ladies in the grandstand. Illumination, gouache, 18th century. Musée du Louvre.

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Lauren P. is an art historian who created and is the author of the history based website, Marie Antoinette’s Gossip Guide to the 18th Century. This contemporary, tell-all site, explores the absorbing age of Louis XVI. It focuses on art, architecture, fashion, music, scandals, and our favourite débutantes of the period. A history lesson wrapped up in a modern gossip column and tied with satin ribbon, it is easy to get lost in the Gossip Guide’s presentation of the fascinating past.

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