Marie Antoinette: The Queen of Fashion: Marie Antoinette Visiting Mme Bellegarde
French queens were expected to set an example in the realm of fashion. As the wife of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette threw herself into this task with enthusiasm. Together with her marchande de modes Rose Bertin and her hairdresser Léonard, she launched many a new fashion. Court etiquette dictated robes de cour – lavishly embellished gowns with wide skirts. When receiving visitors, Marie Antoinette wore a robe à la polonaise 1 2, but preferred an informal, loose-fitting gown when at her own pavilion in Versailles. This chemise de la reine 3 was quickly adopted by other women of the elite.