George Sand and fashion
To mark the 150th anniversary of George Sand 's death , the Museum of Shirtmaking and Men's Elegance presents a unique exhibition dedicated to fashion and clothing between 1830 and 1880. A fascinating dive into the world of 19th-century clothing, at the crossroads of literature, social history, and textile heritage.
Two worlds
The exhibition highlights two realities of clothing:
- Parisian bourgeois fashion, the one that George Sand could wear during her stays in the capital and at social events.
-
Popular fashion berrichonne, embodied by the characters in his novels and visible around Nohant on festive days.
While fashion originates in Paris, its influence extends far beyond the capital. Around Nohant , the costumes reflect this influence while maintaining a strong regional identity. The pieces displayed at the Shirtmaking Museum illustrate this encounter between national trends and local traditions.
George Sand and fashion
©Jules Dupré, 19th century, Museum of Romantic Life George Sand rarely followed fashion trends due to personal taste. However, she accepted the codes when the context required it, particularly in Parisian social circles.
Clothing interests him above all else, as social fact :
– from a point of view sociological, a reflection of social classes
– ethnological, a witness to rural traditions,
– history, a marker of a changing era.
Her famous choice to wear men's clothing is not a simple provocation: it reflects a thought on freedom, the status of women and the social constraints of her time.
Illustration by J. DUPRE (19th century) choused at the Museum of Romantic Life in Paris: George Sand in costume Berrichonne, wearing a blue dress with an apron and a traditional headdress.
The drawings of Maurice Sand
©Portrait of Maurice Sand by Nadar – MLC 2008.0.8 – © George Sand and Black Valley Museum – La Châtre We find this same interest in fashion in the drawings of his son Maurice Sand devoted to the history of costume, from Antiquity to the 19th century.
A selection of these items concludes this exhibition, which blends historical objects and costumes with excerpts from novels.
Visit the Museum of Shirtmaking and Men's Elegance
A great opportunity to discover or rediscover the museum, housed in a former factory.
An exhibition not to be missed!
Practical information :
Museum of Shirtmaking and Men's Elegance
Rue Charles Brillaud
36200 ARGENTON-SUR-CREUSE
Tel: 02 54 24 34 69
Mail: contact@museedelachemiserie.fr
Exhibition dates: from February 11 to December 23
Opening From mid-February to June and from September to December: every day from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 18:00 p.m., except Monday.
In July/August: 10:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 18:30, except on Mondays.
Prices Single ticket for the Shirtmaking Museum / Argentomagus Archaeological Museum: €8,00