‘Féminités dissidentes’: How the Palais Galliera traces the beginnings of a commercial revolution

This fall, the Paris fashion museum Palais Galliera presents the exhibition “A Wardrobe of Your Own. Dissident Femininities in the 19th Century.” The event highlights a significant historical phenomenon: the appropriation of male dress codes by women in the 19th century.

Historical figures and anonymous women united

The retrospective is seen as a response to the often normative approaches to women’s fashion. It brings together almost 500 exhibits, including the almost completely preserved wardrobe of the painter Rosa Bonheur. The tour illustrates the increasing adoption of elements of men’s wardrobe by women. This is illustrated by archival items such as riding costumes, trousers, suits, ties and top hats.

In order to place these silhouettes in a larger context, the museum presents an extensive iconographic selection. This includes paintings, fashion posters and 150 previously unpublished amateur photographs. The juxtaposition of clothing items and visual archives shows how the masculinization of women’s fashion challenged the gender binary of society at the time. The exhibition brings historical figures such as Marie-Antoinette, George Sand and Natalie Clifford Barney into dialogue with numerous anonymous women.

By examining these archives, the museum team, led by Commissioner General Émilie Hammen, Director of the Palais Galliera, reminds us that fashion remains a powerful tool for redefining identities and social roles. At the same time, it becomes clear that the idea of ​​“genderless” fashion is not a contemporary invention. Rather, it represents the direct legacy of those women of the 19th century.