The fashion of the Sun King period

Introduction and overview of the chapters
The early baroque period and a birth of fashion of the Sun King
The charming noblemen of the Royal Court

The charming noblemen of the Royal Court

The duty of the courtiers of Louis XIV, there was not only to hold their office well but also to wear a well-fitted and becoming suit. Marshal or admiral, at certain moments everyone had to transform himself into an adornment of the court celebrations and salons.


The Count de Peyrac in diamond clothes
When she turned round, the Comte de Peyrc was fastening his sword to a diamond-studded belt. (...) The Comte was clothed entirely in black and silver. His cloak of black watered silk was veiled with silver lace fastened with diamond studs. Underneath the cloak could be seen a silver brocade doublet trimmed with black lace of a very intricate needle-point. The same lace fell in three frills from his knees below the dark velvet petticoat breeches. The shoes had diamond buckles. The cravat, which did not take the form of a band but of a large bow, has also embroidered with very small diamonds. His fingers wore a multitude of diamonds and one very large ruby. The Comte put on a hat with white plumes (...). (Angélique, the Marquise of the Angels, Pan Major, 1961, p. 250 - 251)

Joffrey de Peyrac in a black vest
He was no longer wearing his red costume, but was dressed in breeches and a very short black velvet doublet. (Angélique, the Marquise of the Angels, Pan Major, 1961, p. 156)

Philippe like a peacock in Tuileries
He, who was always dressed in pale colours, was sporting an extraordinary peacock-blue coat with buttonholes thick with gold embroideries and with no interstices. Ever in the vanguard of fashion, he had already adopted the new fashion of full skirting, which the sword pushed up at the black. His cuffs were beautiful, but the 'canons' were practically non-existent, and his trunk-hose tightly fitted his knees. Those who still wore a rhinegrave blushed on meeting him. Handsome scarlet stockings with gold corners matched the red heels of his diamond-buckled leather shoes. Under his arm Philippe carried a small beaver hat, so fine-haired that it looked like old polished silver. His plumes were sky-blue. With his blond wig cascading over his shoulders, Philippe du Plessis-Belliere was like a beautiful bird rearing up on his spurs (Angélique, the Road to Versailles, Pan Books, 1966, p. 300 - 301)

The bloody laces of Philippe du Plessis-Bellière
Philippe du Plessis-Bellière descended the staircase to meet them. In his hand was the wand with the stag's hoof. He had had time to change into a dazzling hunting suit, red also, but trimmed with forty golden buttons across, and twenty up and down, its two pockets. His yellow leather boots had red heels with silver-gilt spurs. "His leg is as shapely as the King's," remarked someone near Angélique. (…) The gorgeous embroidery and laces of his silk coat were immediately drenched in blood. (Angélique and the King, Pan Books, 1968, p. 43)

Philippe’s pink suit on theater play in Versailles
The voice was so pleasant that Angélique thought she was dreaming when she turned to see Philippe standing near her. He was a vision in a suit of pink satin trimmed with silver braid. Only his high color and his blond mustache kept him from appearing ridiculous in it. (Angélique and the King, Pan Books, 1968, p. 83)

Philippe in a white leather doublet
A silver-trimmed white buckskin jacket girdled his body, and the fur at its neck and cuffs was the color of his own blond hair. Steadily his silver-spurred white leather boots moved forward. His hands were bare, for he had stripped off his gauntlets before dismounting. In his grip was the silver haft of a long slim hunting knife. (Angélique and the King, Pan Books, 1968, p. 91)

Philippe’s grey hounting doublet
He was still wearing his silver gray hunting coat trimmed with black fur, a black hat with a single white plume, and black boots covered with mud and slush. In his black-gloved hands was his long dog-whip. (Angélique and the King, Pan Books, 1968, p. 129)

A white-and-gold satin suit of Philippe du Plessis
"By all means the handsomest," thought Angélique as she surveyed his lean, dashing form in its white, gold-embroidered costume. His sword had a gold pommel, and his soft white leather shoes had gold heels. (Angélique and the King, Pan Books, 1968, p. 177)

Joffrey de Peyrac scaring the community in Tadoussac
On this occasion it was his mask that caught attention, and, as far as his accoutrement was concerned, a diamond star of incomplarable beauty that hung round his neck on a broad white silk ribbon, and sparkled on his midnight-blue taffeta doublet with its delicate silver filigree embroidery. An equally large diamond adorned the handle of his sword. With these exceptions, there was a simplicity in his attire that was more in line with the English fashion, a fact that did not fail to arouse vague feelings of disquiet among the local people who, a generation earlier, had experienced several years of enemy occupation when the English held Tadoussac. On the other hand, he could hardly have been mistaken for a French nobleman, bedizened with plumes and lace, buckled shoes and embroidered waistcoats. (Angélique and the Ghosts, William Heinemann, 1977, p. 126)

A scarlet suit of the Count de Peyrac in the New World
Then Count Peyrac came in, magnificently dressed in scarlet. (...) Slowly he drew on his leather gloves with their silver-tooled gauntlets, and almost seemed to be smiling. (The Countess Angélique, Pan Books, 1968, p. 224)

Colin’s suit
He wore a chestnut-brown cloth doublet with gold-brown cloth doublet with gold-braided revers, fetched for him from his wardrobe on board the Heard of Mary. (The Temptation of Angélique, book two, Pan Books, 1971, p. 176)

Joffrey in a saffron suit
Joffrey de Peyrac appeared almost immediately behind him, dressed in saffron-yellow satin in the French fashion, with an open jerkin over a long embroidered jacket which was a marvel. (The Temptation of Angélique, book two, Pan Books, 1971, p. 176)

Cloaked Nicholas de Bardagne in Tadoussac
He was waring a high-collared cloak similary embroidered over and fastened by toggles of gold thread, casually thrown black over his shoulders. The buckles on his very high-heeled fine leather shoes sparkled too. In a sweeping gesture he raised his hand to his plumed hat and made a low bow after the fashion on the Court. (Angélique and the Ghosts, William Heinemann, 1977, p. 196)

Admiral's clothes
The Admiral moved forward slowly strutting to show off his well-turned calves encased in red silk stockings with golden clocks, and taking care how he set his fine shoes with their scarlet heels on the slimy planks. His suit was of blue brocade, with wide red lapels, and a broad white sash fringed with gold encircled his waist. His jabot and cuffs were of precious lace; his hat so bedecked with ostrich plumes that in the wind it looked like a nest full of birds ready to take flight. (Angélique and the Sultan, Pan Books, 1963, p. 86)

The fashion designers, tailors and seamstresses

• At the beginning women designers dominate to fashion industry, it helps to create dresses which highlight a woman’s body and are comfortable at the same time.

• The most important salons: Mme Villeneuve at the Place des Victoires, Mme Rémond salon and Mme Charpentier salon in the rue Montorgueil.

• By the legal regulation from 1675 there was founded a guild of female tailoress which can sew only for women and children but cannot design the festive evening dresses. The festive party dresses are designed only by male tailors since this time.


The men's fashion is dominated by the red coats: The arrival of Louis XIV to Arras (July 30, 1667).


The parts of clothing

Basics of men’s clothing are consists of pants, vest, shirt with cravat, jacket and shoes. In the Baroque clothing there are meeting all parts of today men’s suit at the first time although in a somewhat different form. Everything is very lofty, ornate and delicate.


Dress of the winter 1677 season (pic. 1 and 2) and of the summer 1678 season (pic. 3 and 4), including the description of the particular components.

• The pants are quite tight in a length to the knees or under the knees.

• On the doublet/jacket with wide sleeves and a plenty of buttons will appear the pockets and slit at the back, at the first time, originally motivated by comfort during the horse riding. Both elements will be maintained until our time.

• A vest is in different color than the coat, often is flowered.

• The sleeves of shirt sticking out from beneath the jacket. The cuffs are decorated with rich lace.

• The collar is covered by a cravat which is decorated with lace frill - called smocking, the forerunner of today’s tie or bow tie. It was mostly a kind of lacy scarf around the man’s neck which had a countless of forms.

• The stockings are made from silk in a pastel colors.


The cravats


Messieurs Le Nôtre, Mansart and Le Tellier in the doublets with collar and cravat which are decorated with sprouting lace decoration; the cuffs are decorated with lace and sticking out from beneath the jacket (pic. 1-3).
Le Vau in a doublet with a simple collar (pic. 4) and Colbert in a lace collar (pic. 5); Philippe d'Orléans in a lace cravat and bow tie (pic. 6); Louis XIV in a lace cravat (pic. 7).


Fashion of the men's low-waisted doublets



The second row: Prince de Condé in flowered doublet (pic. 1), Monsieur de Brandenbourg (pic. 2) and Monsieur Lully (pic. 3). Stylized hunting doublet of Louis XIV (pic. 4) based from the same pattern.


Fashion of the French Marshals


The Duke de Lorges, the Duke de Berwick, the Marquis de Chamilly, the Duke de Villeroy, and the Duke de Noailles. As a component of the official clothing (on the official portrait) there is a piece of armor and then just the indispensable sashes and ribbons that soften whole outfit. Marquis de Chamilly (pic. 3) even added the stockings and shoes. Also interesting there is a doublet of the Duke de Noailles with the lining with tiger pattern fur which is also on the fringes.