04/21/2026
🖼️ Antique French Fashion Plate Print – Paris, 1893 🖼️
Found in the current online auction - link at A2ZAuctions-SC.com
Lot 81
A beautifully colored original French fashion plate from Les Toilettes Modèles, Paris, dating to the late 19th century, and closely tied to the golden age of Parisian couture.
📅 Age & dating (with justification):
This print dates to 1893, firmly established by multiple printed elements:
• The title “Les Toilettes Modèles – Paris”, a respected French fashion publication
• Reference to the Exposition Universelle de 1889 medals printed on the plate, used afterward as a mark of prestige
• Publisher credit L. Michau, Éditeur, 84 Rue de Richelieu, Paris, active during the late 1800s
• Plate numbering and period typography consistent with the early 1890s
👗 Purpose & historical interest:
Fashion plates like this were used by dressmakers, tailors, and fashionable households as visual guides to the latest Paris styles. They served as the fashion authority of their day—often more influential than written descriptions alone. This example illustrates detailed front‑ and back‑views of contemporary gowns, including puffed sleeves, structured bodices, and decorative trim, providing invaluable insight into late Victorian fashion design.
✨ Why collectors love these:
• Each plate was hand‑colored, making subtle variations unique
• Paris fashion prints directly influenced clothing worn across Europe and the United States
• Highly decorative and elegant for framing—perfect for libraries, dressing rooms, boutiques, or historic interiors
🖼️ Framed and display‑ready, this is a striking piece of fashion history and decorative art, ideal for collectors of antique prints, French décor, or Victorian fashion ephemera.
