A Study on the Incroyables and Merveilleuses Costume after the French Revolution

프랑스혁명 이후의 Incroyables와 Merveilleuses 복식에 대한 연구

The age after the French Revolution was the period of experiment and change in dress for both men and women. Directly after the close of the Reign of Terror, Directoire(1795-1799) became the extreme fashion known as incroyables and merveilleuses which mean 'impossible' or 'unimaginable'. This study aimed to investigate the sociocultural phenomena which affect to clothing change through the French Revolution period and clothing analysis of incroyables and merveillues. Furthermore, this study will contribute to establishing the theory of clothing culture and help predicting clothing change in accordance with social circumstances. Incroyables and merveilleuses represent extreme opposites in sleekness of attire and grooming. Incroyables required an unkempt, wrinkled appearance and a contrived carelessness. Merveilleuseses show the exaggerated transparency and simplicity in the fashions of female. Also, they devoted to the worship of the antique and the masculine fashions. This fashion madness appeared as the result of revolutionary social change. Their costume showed characteristics of the transition period between French Revolution and Classic period. However, they simply carried existing tendencies to the point of caricature by an enthusiastic overstatement.