Paris vs. London

Many of the fashions depicted in the Journal des dames et des modes from 1797-1804 are strikingly radical and uniquely Parisian. Comparing JDM plates to fashions from British journals printed in London reinforces these claims, but also shows commonalities between the two warring countries. The infographic below (click to enlarge) draws comparisons between JDM and two British journals:

  • Gallery of Fashion: Published from 1794 to 1803 by Nicholas Heideloff. Two plates featuring 1-3 figures each appeared monthly with accompanying descriptions.
  • The Fashions of London and Paris: Published monthly from 1798 to 1806 with 2-3 plates of London fashions. Almost every month also included a plate titled "Parisian Fashions" that directly copied fashions from the JDM with minor changes.

It is notable that fashion plates from these two British journals only depicted women's fashions during this period, never men, and the female figures rarely appeared alone. Even when The Fashions of London and Paris copied JDM plates, they arranged two or more figures on the page - it would be highly improper for a woman to be out and about on her own!

Paris vs. London

All images of the Gallery of Fashion are from the collection of the Kunstbibliothek, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin.

All images of the The Fashions of London and Paris: are the author's own taken at the Yale Center for British Art.