Fashion Journal — Le Bon Genre 1813 Pierre de la Mésangère Empire Fashion Plates Parisian Satire Chinoiserie

Carry the spirit of Parisian fashion satire—where Pierre de la Mésangère's 1801-1817 Le Bon Genre celebrates Empire era fashion through hand-colored engravings and social commentary.

This hardcover journal celebrates early 19th-century Parisian fashion through Pierre de la Mésangère's renowned series Le Bon Genre: Observations sur les modes et les usages de Paris, published between 1801 and 1817. This collection of 115 hand-colored engravings documented and satirized the fashions and customs of Paris during the First Empire and early Restoration periods. The front cover features Plate No. 78 "La manie des Fleurs" (Flower-mania) from April 1815, satirizing the "ridiculous profusion" of flowers that became a fashion obsession in Paris. The woman wears a high-waisted Empire style white gown with excessive floral decoration—a massive arrangement on her head, trailing down her dress, encircling her hem, with sleeves divided by strings of roses and a vertical floral border. The back cover presents Plate No. 60 "Une Chinoise de la Chaussée d'Antin" from August 1813, mocking Parisian women's extreme enthusiasm for exoticism and chinoiserie. The elegant woman from the fashionable Chaussée d'Antin banking district wears a high-waisted Empire dress with geometric motifs and pompoms evoking Asian clothing, a monumental headdress crowned with exotic flowers and ribbons, and carries a fan with pointed shoes. These fashion plates served as both documentation and social caricature of Parisian bourgeoisie.

Le Bon Genre & Parisian Fashion Satire: Published by Pierre de la Mésangère between 1801 and 1817, Le Bon Genre evolved from straightforward fashion plates into social caricatures poking fun at the absurdities of the nouveaux riches and ever-changing trends of Parisian high society. The series is highly valued by historians for documenting social trends, fashions, and leisure activities of the Parisian bourgeoisie during the Empire and Restoration eras. The hand-colored engravings used pochoir technique, combining artistic beauty with humorous commentary on "good taste" (le bon genre), often showing that "more" was not necessarily better. The 1931 limited edition reprint with preface by French writer Léon Moussinac helped preserve these important records of 19th-century French culture and style.

Why This Journal Inspires:

• Pierre de la Mésangère's 1801-1817 Le Bon Genre hand-colored fashion engravings
• Empire era fashion satire: "La manie des Fleurs" (1815) and "Une Chinoise de la Chaussée d'Antin" (1813)
• Social commentary on Parisian bourgeoisie, chinoiserie, and floral fashion obsessions
• Hand-colored pochoir technique documenting First Empire and Restoration fashion trends

Product Details:

• Format: Hardcover journal with matte laminated cover featuring full wraparound 1813-1815 fashion engravings
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding that opens flat and flexes with daily use
• Dimensions: Standard journal size for fashion notes and design sketches
• Weight: 0.1 kg (lightweight and portable)
• Cover: Vibrant hand-colored engraving reproduction with matte finish; small 0.5"x0.5" production barcode on back

Perfect For:

• Fashion historians documenting Empire era trends and Parisian haute couture evolution
• Costume designers celebrating early 19th-century fashion plates and social satire
• Francophiles appreciating Pierre de la Mésangère's Le Bon Genre legacy
• Fashion enthusiasts recording style inspiration from Regency and Napoleonic eras
• Gift-givers for vintage fashion lovers, French culture admirers, and historical illustration collectors
• Design journalers appreciating chinoiserie, floral motifs, and Empire silhouettes

Carry the legacy of Parisian fashion satire—where Pierre de la Mésangère's 1801-1817 Le Bon Genre transforms Empire era fashion into timeless hand-colored engravings celebrating social commentary and le bon genre.

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY

Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC

Care instructions: Use a soft, clean and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of book outwards.