Showing a bit of Ankle - 1780's French Fashions

While searching through my vintage French fashion plates I came across a nice selection that displayed shorter skirts and the showing of a ladies ankle.  I discovered that for a period of time starting in 1778 and extending into the 1780's "showing a bit of ankle" was quite fashionable, especially in dresses of the "Polonaise" style.  The Polonaise style involved the swagging or ruching back of the over-skirt using a variety of methods such as hidden tapes or loops to achieve the desired effect.  This trend toward "shorter under-skirts" could also be found in other styles through the 1780's.

c 1778 French Polonaise Style with shorter skirts and showing the ankle

Pre-Revolutionary France was quite daring with their fashion trends.  

This post is all about the raising of the hem while my previous post Naughty French Fashions concentrated on the lowering of the bodice and extreme décolletage.  

Yes, you will see a combination of both extremes by looking at that prior post since several of the low bodice creations also sport the shorter hemline.

Here is an assortment of ankle exposing fashions 

from 1778-1787

in the Polonaise Style

Shorter skirt with a more "flounce" inspired look

This one has more of a "robe a l'anglaise" style with the shorter underskirt

Polonaise Style with a very low bodice

Polonaise Style

Shorter skirt with a bit of the "robe a la francaise" feel due to the draped back

Polonaise Style

Polonaise Style

Polonaise Style

Polonaise Style

Polonaise Style

possibly French Casaquin in style

Polonaise Style

Polonaise Style?

possibly French Casaquin in style

Polonaise Style with a "robe a l'anglaise" feel

I love altering fashion plate colors digitally just because it's fun but at the same time if calls to mind that back when these fashions were created a lady did not usually have a dress made to look exactly as shown in a fashion plate.  Instead she might alter any number of things to make a gown suit her or the occasion it would be worn.  Colors and fabric choices were just one of many alterations that would be decided in making an ensemble to please that patron.  

It's fun to see how a dress changes as you alter just the colors alone and since I'm not fond of the original color pallet used I thought this would be a fun one to play around with.  

Here are the variations I came up with.

(I can't decide between the first and the last one as to my favorite color combo)

Next time I've got an interesting "leggy" fashion plate to share 

and a bit about stockings during this period of time.

Thanks for joining me on my continuing journey into fashion plates 

from the time of Marie Antoinette.

till next time...