lowed, in order to keep a fine line between the classes, with the new equality given to the people through the revolution, nothing was able to stop it. In many cases, like with the “Dcolletages” (Cassin-Scott, 74), “Demi-redingote” (Ribeiro, 36), etc, a compromise between classes began and the noble and rich began to dress in more “common” fashions and the common and lower class people began to dress in fancier and upper class clothes. It became harder to distinguish between the two classes as everyone began to care less about the differences. For a long time wigs had become an expression of elegance, mostly using white or gray powdered wigs. Such wigs were extraordinarily uncomfortable and often cost a lot to maintain. During the French revolution, the form of head cover for men changed. While wigs were only for the rich, “top hats [were] for all” (Ewing, 113). Equality from the revolution changed the status lines of each class and created a new fashion not entirely poor or rich in image but part of both styles at the same time.Finally, the largest contributor to the fashion in France during 1789-1799 was the new attitude towards self expression brought about by the French revolution. It is true that the people wanted freedom and equality, but they also wanted too be able to express what was on their minds. With this new equality and freedom allowed the people to do so. When this occurred the clothes radically changed from stiff to loose and casual images with clothes that were more comfortable, while still looking good at the same time. Such clothes as short jacket suits became common among every man, steering away from the “absurdity and inconvenience of long tailed coats” (Ewing, 112). They became an expression of an active man and they did not limit the individual to a specific class or place in society. Everyone wore clothes that suited them and their daily activities, no...
