S is for Silk in the 19th Century
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As the Ancien Régime drew to its gruesome conclusion, French silk was in high demand and exported in great quantities. Lyon reigned supreme, but cotton mousseline soon replaced patterned silk and wallpaper replaced silk wall hangings. The silk industry had to adapt and innovate. A Worth ball gown, c. 1900, ‘velours au sabre’ with satin background decorated with flowering hydrangeas, boned pointed bodice, sleeves and neckline originally edged with ruffled tulle. Hôtel Drouot, December 7, 2021. Coutau-Bégarie OVV. M. Maraval-Hutin.Result: €10,948 The last years of Marie-Antoinette’s reign and those of the French Revolution had one thing in common: a distaste for silk. However,
