“Rococo”- What? When? Why?

Before we jump into the exciting world of historical fashion, I’d first like to explain exactly what “Rococo” means, because until now, I expect some of you may have been thinking it had something to do with a chocolaty dessert. But no, “Rococo” was a time period in France from around 1690-1760 that occurred during the later supremacy of King Louis XIV and early reign of King Louis XV; it arose from the changing styles of the Baroque era (Rococo is sometimes also referred to as “Late Baroque”). Baroque was an Italian-influenced movement throughout Europe which greatly contrasted the unpretentious, simple, and dark style of the Renaissance and encompassed the ideas of reform and advanced knowledge of the Age of Enlightenment. Baroque was characterized by exaggerated movement and an abundance of details to create opulence and grandeur, not only in the Roman Catholic influenced artwork and paintings, but also in architecture, dance, and of course, fashion. At the time of the Sun King’s death, when Louis XV took the throne at the tender age of five, his uncle, Philippe-Duke of Orléans served as his reagent. A regent is an individual who is selected to govern and rule the land in the event that the original leader-the King in this instance- is a minor. Now, Philippe was one extravagant guy who definitely adored lavish styles. It was the Regent Philippe who favored styles that were “were lighter and less grave than those of Louis XIV’s era” and a new fashion began to emerge for the wealthiest of Parisians. This style was evolved to be comparable to the new interior designs of Chateaux-very light, with elegant rounded edges and splashes of gold that were inspired by exotic and foreign tastes (like Arabic and Chinese). The gowns of Louis XIV’s Court at Versailles were fashioned under strict guidelines and, while very similar to the formal wear of Rococo, had a heavier and more serious feeling. The lighter and more graceful changes made to fashion were a reaction to the period of Baroque, and the women of the Rococo era comprise all of the indulgent ideas we have about fashion of the entire 18th century.