Reflective writing – Taste, Fashion and the French Fashion Magazine
For reflective writing I firstly read the article by Sandra Miller, in the book article she reflects on 17th century French fashion magazines. She starts of the article with ‘fashion magazines have been truthful mirrors of their time. They have functioned not only as repositories of the progress of sartorial fashion and the most up-to-date social, cultural and artistic developments but also as self-styled barometers of taste.’ (Miller) This quote from her suggests to me how fashion magazines from that era are like the equivalent of today’s social media where they are up-to-date fashion trends, so the reader knows what’s the latest trend. I think Sandra Miller is correct with the ‘mirrors of their time’ (Miller) as they are, we can look back at the journals from that era as they tell us a story. In a few years’ time we can look back at todays fashion magazines as it can then show us how fashion has changed over a period of time.
Another quote she included was from another author. ‘An increasingly well-informed, provincial as well as urban, female readership eager for the latest news in fashion’ (Blackman 2007:6). With higher social class women in the 17th century they didn’t have to work so they took interest in fashion. They used the fashion magazine like a female newspaper where they could keep up to date. They followed the latest fashion and used it to set an example to others who looked up to them.
My favourite part of the article is the last paragraph where she sums up fashion magazines as ‘mirrors of their time’ (Miller). This I agree with. It’s all about fashion telling a story throughout the decades. They are like mirrors where they reflect what’s going on in the current social situation.
After looking at Sandra Miller’s article I read Daniel L. Purdy’s, this I found more controversial, especially in one of his quotes, ‘…unlike the Parisian journal, it appealed to both sexes more out of an ideological commitment to universal Enlightenment reform…’ (Purdy 2010). With this I don’t think the fashion journal appeals to both sexes at all, it’s clear it’s a more female subject. Women are the more fashionable sex, they follow fashion unlike men. Purdy obviously doesn’t understand the target audience for fashion.
He then progresses on to say ‘…French and English fashions to generate excitement among readers…’ (Purdy 2010). This I think is one of the only quotes of his which I agree with, although I found parts of the article quite negative towards the French magazines. I think French fashion is the most fashion forward, it’s more unique with it’s style and has always been the trendsetters of the world.
My next article reference was from Fashion Beyond Versailles, this I found it more agreeable, one quote ‘Le Mercure was also deeply aware that at its most fundamental level fashionability was an attribute that applied to elites. Certainly, the magazine addressed French elites’ (Bohanan 2012). This is true as the French working class couldn’t afford the ‘posh’ French fashion magazines, I think it was something for the elite, they were the most fashionable of their time.
After reading these three articles I feel that they all have different point of views but to gain knowledge on the subject its good to read a variety of sources to see how others feel.
I think that Sandra Millers book article is accurate to the French journals as she provides plenty of historic information on the topic, from this I feel like I have learnt something. With looking at these opinions it gives me the experience to further my knowledge of the subject with future projects. I can know look at a variety of sources.

Miller, S. Taste, Fashion and the French Magazine.
Purdy, D.L. (2010) The Fashion History Reader Global Perspectives: Fashion Journals and Enlightened Consumers. Routledge.
Bohanan, Donna. J. (2012) Fashion Beyond Versailles: Consumption and Design in Seventeenth-Century France. Louisiana State University Press.