Magasin des Modes Nouvelles, Seconde Année, Cinquième Cahier, 30 Décembre 1786

Among France’s contemporaries, England exerted the greatest influence on French fashion in the years before, during, and following the Revolution. Viewed from France, English modes appeared remarkably informal, thanks largely to aristocratic lifestyles that revolved around country estates and the sporting pastimes they naturally entailed. Riding dress was a wardrobe staple for French Anglophiles of both sexes. For men, the key garment was a sturdy wool greatcoat, often topped with wide, tiered collars. Knee-high boots and brimmed hats completed the ensemble. Women’s riding habits―consisting of a matching wool skirt and coat―so resembled men’s equestrian dress they were made by male tailors, not seamstresses. Little to no makeup, natural hair, and masculine accessories like neckties (cravates), crops or walking sticks, and utilitarian hats all imparted a swaggering air. An important royal early adopter of this style was Philippe, Duke of Orleans.