Dressing a` la Turque: Ottoman Influence on French Fashion, 1670-1800

Dressing a` la Turque:  Ottoman Influence on French Fashion, 1670-1800

By Kendra Van Cleave

While French fashion has historically set the bar across the Western world, the cultural influences that inspired it are often obscured. Dressing à la Turque:  Ottoman Influence on French Fashion, 1670-1800 examines the theatrical depictions of Ottoman costumes, or Turkish dress, and demonstrates the French fascination for this foreign culture and its clothing. The impact, however, went far beyond costumes worn for art and theater, as Ottoman-inspired fashions became the most prominent and popular themes in French women’s fashion throughout the 18th century.

The newly invented fashion press used Ottoman-inspired styles to reconcile fashion consumption with Enlightenment dress reforms. At the same time, Turkish-inspired fashions were increasingly associated with long-criticized ideas about luxury, stereotypes about the connection between a woman’s interest in fashion and “lascivious” behavior, and French perceptions of the Ottoman Empire. This backlash is epitomized by the public criticism of Queen Marie-Antoinette, who popularized Turkish-inspired fashion, embraced a lifestyle of excess, and is still remembered for her singular sense of style.

Dressing a` la Turque:  Ottoman Influence on French Fashion, 1670-1800 includes numerous detailed images and dress patterns, enhancing a rich discussion of French styles during this important era.

Dressing a` la Turque:  Ottoman Influence on French Fashion, 1670-1800 is Hardcover, 250 pages