The Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris explores dress code boundaries in fashion

It is all about the rules – always has been.  Dress code regulations and clothing etiquette rules have always been a part of polite society.  Depending on the time period, in occasions private or social, rank and function has determined dress codes of civilizations since the beginning of fashion history.  Naturally, small liberties have been taken, but for the most part the sense of being a member of the social order has been consistent with the uniform adopted by all members of the occasion.

  
Middle : Jean Paul Gaultier, 2012 / Right : Dries Van Noten, 2013 / Pictures Guy Marineau

The current display at the The Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris perfectly illustrates several splendid historical costumes as well as modern examples of how dress code has evolved throughout fashion history. Cleverly organized into small sections, the exhibition includes insightful examples of outfits that might seem easily understandable to the viewer today, but were considered a great taboo in their time.  Did you know that in France, trousers were actually forbidden for women, and could only be worn by special approval up until the year 2013 ? Before then women were breaking the law by wearing any type of trouser, even though they have been wearing them since they became an essential piece of every woman’s wardrobe in the 1970’s. 

  Thierry Mugler, 1997 / Walter Van Beirendonck, 1996 / Pictures Guy Marineau

Reconsidering the dress code has been part of France’s fashion history for centuries. Marie Antoinette’s light muslin dresses, which she chose to wear to show her interest in a more natural and easy-going life style, fueled great scandal among her society.  After painting her wearing just such an ensemble, the artist Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun had to replace the picture with one more modest because the delicate negligee of her costume was considered much too daring for the queen of France to be wearing. The matter was of course morally and politically of great importance to the court at that time. Visitors to the museum’s exhibition can easily compare the queen’s simple muslin dress to the opulent, elaborate costumes of the 18th century and understand the shock to the senses for polite society to be viewing their monarch in what they considered to be such a state of “undress”.

 
Retired man sets young women in miniskirts, july, 13th, 1969, Nice. STAFF, AFP, Getty Images / Marlene Dietrich on the movie Morocco, 1930

Enriched with films and historical documents, in both English and French, the show also addresses historical gender issues in fashion. An excellent example is the “Smoking Suit” for women, which was derived from a man’s tuxedo.  When first worn by Marlene Deitrich in 1930’s film “Morocco” it was considered a scandalous example of sartorial attire.  Later in the 20th century, Yves Saint-Laurent added Le Smoking to his 1966 runway show and it has since become a staple of his and several other designers’ collections through the years. Not an eyebrow is raised today when a young starlet strolls down the red carpet in such an ensemble or when it replaces our little black dress at a glamorous dinner.

Whether you are a rule-follower or a rule-breaker and if you have a chance to be in Paris, this exhibit is not to be missed for any fan of culture, fashion or society through the ages.