|
|
---|
Showing posts with label Etiquette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Etiquette. Show all posts
Hello! I am so excited that you are all enjoying the new Etsy shop! Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and support!
Don't forget to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment here. I will be drawing a winner on Monday and doing one more giveaway starting Friday. Don't forget to check back in for more details :)

I really enjoy getting up early, leaving the Baby and Husband sleeping soundly, grabbing a cup of tea from the Coffee Bean and heading out to Pasadena. I usually meet up with some of my close girlfriends for a day of treasure hunting, good conversation, and a petite break from Mommy duties.

Paris it is not, however, still a fun and relaxing day! It is incredible how different our wares are here in America from the fleas in Europe.
So, it's off to the Rose Bowl this Sunday and I can't wait! I am meeting up with my best friend and kindred spirit! I have in mind some little treasures I would like to find to complete my newly redecorated office at home. Will any of you be there!?! Let's meet up! I'll bring the tea and we can browse the chandies!
Labels: Antiques, Boutique, Chandelier, Decor, design, Etiquette, Etsy, Flea market, France, French, Friends, History, lighting, Madame du Barry, Marie Antoinette, paris, shopping, Versailles, Vintage
UK based Brolliesgalore
Bonjour friends! I hope everybody had a lovely holiday weekend. I spent the day with my family and could not feel any more lucky. It was beautiful, thanks to all who sent Mother's Day wishes my way :)
For some reason, I have been stumbling upon images of parasols, and finding vintage parasols, hey, even my drinks have tiny umbrellas in them! So, I wanted to share with you some of these cute pics I've been finding. Enjoy!

Whether used for function or fashion, I think they are fantastic! What a fun accessory. I was reading up on some Parasol facts and found a very long history attached to them.

Across the ages and all over the world they have been used for their beauty as much as to keep the sun off of delicate skin. From the ancient Romans to the Victorians and all spaces between the parasol has been an integral accessory.

There are so many beautiful images out there it was hard to choose! I found some incredibly beautiful vintage parasols too. Interestingly, I found a plethora of Victorian mourning parasols (who knew)?

Brolliesgalore
Marie Antoinette used to have a group of servants whose only responsibility was to hold her parasol and make sure she was adequately shaded!

I think this image of the girl on the bicycle is my favorite

I'm a very strange girl, in that, I do not like to use umbrellas in the rain. I always feel like they make more of mess. They are wet when you bring them in with you and they rarely keep me dry, so I just dash around without one. Living in California doesn't really warrant the need for one very often so I can't imagine myself using a parasol in dry weather! They are fun to look at though. Maybe in another time I would have had the prettiest one as I was chauffeured along in my carriage, holding it with the softest and thinnest of kid skin gloves as I went calling on all the fashionable girls!


~French Court Etiquette and life at court in Versailles~
Life at the court was narrowly regulated by court etiquette. Étiquette was the means of social advancement for the court. Louis XIV’s elaborate rules of etiquette included the following:
*People who wanted to speak to the king could not knock on his door. Instead, using the left little finger, they had to gently scratch on the door, until they were granted permission to enter. As a result, many courtiers grew that fingernail longer than the others!
*A lady never held hands or linked arms with a gentleman. It was in very bad taste and nearly impossible because a woman’s skirts were so wide. She was to place her hand on top of the gentleman’s bent arm as they strolled through the gardens and chambers of Versailles. Ladies were only allowed to touch their fingertips with the men. Imagine that! Funny with all of the scandal that went on!
*When a gentleman sat down, he slid his left foot in front of the other, placed his hands on the sides of the chair and gently lowered himself into the chair. The practical reason for this procedure was that if he sat too quickly, his tight trousers might split.
*Women and men were not allowed to cross their legs in public.
*When a gentleman passed an acquaintance on the street, he was to raise his hat high off his head until the other person passed.
*A gentleman was to do no work except writing letters, giving speeches, practicing fencing, or dancing. For pleasure, he engaged in hawking, archery, indoor tennis, or hunting. A gentleman would also take part in battle and would sometimes serve as a public officer, paying the soldiers. My Goodness!
*Ladies’ clothing did not allow them to do much besides sit and walk. However, they passed the time sewing, knitting, writing letters, painting, making their own lace, and creating their own cosmetics and perfumes. Beauty before practicality! I love it!

*Etiquette ordained the order of prominence at court, limited or extended access based on rank or favor. For example...
The Honours can be divided depending on the rank of each Individual:
~King of France (head of state, patriarch, The man in charge!)
~Enfants & Petit Enfants de France (children & grandchildren of king)
~Princes of the Blood (from great-grandchildren on, stemming from a king)
~Ducs-et-Pairs (Peers of the realm w/the Honours of the Louvre)
~Non-titled Nobles (Maqs., Count, Baron, but considered non-titled because not a peer.)
**Let's not get started on the issue of legitimate & illegitimate children, there is a whole other set of rules there!**

Confused yet? Hold on...! There were also different Honours:

~The Honours of the Louvre~ the most comprehensive and belong from Dukes and up (more below).
~The Honours of the Court = the right to ride Kings carriages and be invited to court balls.
~The Honours of Versailles = the right to be presented at court, from gentlemen and up.
A little bit more on the Honours of the Louvre~
*The right to have a Throne room with a velvet dais in your own palace, and display your own arms in the back curtain.
*The right to gold-leaf your carriage all over.
*The right to have a red velvet "imperiale" or covering as the roof to your carriage.
*The right to crown the carriage lanterns with "golden ducal crowns (of 8 strawberry leaves)."
*The right to enter with a carriage pulled by 4 horses to the innermost courtyards of royal palaces.
*The right to ride (never in the presence of the king or his palaces) in a carriage pulled by 6 horses.
*The right for women to sit on a tabouret in the presence of the King and Royal Family.

*The right for women then slowly also the men to have a square cushion on which to kneel during mass in the presence of the king.
*The right to have a prie-dieu at church when the king is not present.
*The right to display a ducal mantle (in France, blue) and a ducal coronet (8 strawberry leaves) on one's arms.
*The right (for women) to wear a court mantle with a train borne by a page.
So, these apply to you if you are a Duchess, Prince of the blood, the King or Queen. If you didn't qualify you were not allowed any of these luxuries! And I so wanted to erect a dais :(

*The king and queen always had a fauteuil (armchair) to sit on. In their presence, no one else was allowed an armchair, unless you were also a monarch.
*A chair with a back but no arms was allowed for those closest in rank to the king, such as his brother or children.
*The tabouret, a padded stool was awarded to those holding the rank of duchess. Lesser ranking nobility would be expected to stand.
* Only ushers were allowed to open doors. If you desired to leave the room, you had to wait for the usher to open the door.
* Only ushers were allowed to open doors. If you desired to leave the room, you had to wait for the usher to open the door.

*A distinctive gliding walk was used by ladies at Versailles in which they never lifted the foot so as not to step on the train of the woman in front of them. Marie-Antoinette mastered this, and all her ladies were required to learn to walk without raising their feet from the ground. It was know as the Versailles glide.
*People of different rank were to enter a room in order, princes, then officers of the Court, and finally courtiers. The page opened both halves of the tall double door for a prince, but for lower ranked dignitaries, only one side swung open.
*Wall hangings at Versailles were changed twice a year for winter and summer. Between All Saint’s Day and Easter, the château’s tall windows were sealed with strips of tape to keep out cold air. To this day they still change with the seasons.
*The royal Family was not allowed to pour a glass of water or reach for food themselves. Meals, refreshments, and items of clothing had to be handed or served to them, sometimes on silver trays, according to tradition. Mme. Campan famously tells a story of Marie~Antoinette shivering while waiting to be dressed as her petticoat is passed from one lady to another of higher rank. This scene was also portrayed in the movie.
*The Grand~Couvert was a daily public ritual, where the King and Queen would eat their dinner in public. Anybody could attend (anybody of any rank) provided they were dressed properly, for men, this meant wearing a sword. You could rent one at the gates! Marie~Antoinette famously hated this ritual (meant to signify that the Sovereigns were at the disposal of the people) and was frequently criticized for not even removing her gloves. She often picked at her food and had a second meal served in her private chambers with her friends.

There is so much more to tell! The rules of etiquette in Versailles are long and complicated but this is a pretty good start!
Bisou Mon Amis!
Labels: 17th century, Chateau, culture, Customs, Etiquette, French, Furniture, History, Madame du Barry, Marie Antoinette, paris, travel, Versailles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)