In the Cabinet des Estampes (Bibliothèque Nationale), 1897

This plate depicts a scene in the Cabinet des Estampes or the section of the national library which houses the iconographic collections. The women wear feathers in their round and elaborate hats. Their dresses both feature long 'semi-gigot' sleeves or sleeves that billow slightly above the elbow and around the shoulder. Both women wear dresses with very high collars, adorned with lace. Their waists are tightly corseted and their dresses fairly narrow. The dress of the woman on the left has a low, belted waist. Abstract sources: Boucher, François. 20,000 Years of Fashion. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc, 1967. Ruppert, Jacques. Le Costume Français. Paris: Flammarion, 1996.