The exhibition Un vestiaire à soi. Féminités dissidentes au 19e siècle [A Wardrobe of One’s Own: Non-conformist Female identities in the 19th Century] explores a key yet often overlooked aspect of fashion history: the occasional appropriation by 19th-century women – particularly in France, Britain and America – of contemporary male dress codes.

The exhibition shows how these increasingly pronounced borrowings from the male wardrobe were part of a desire to transform women’s place in society and went hand in hand with sporting activities, social struggles and expressions of minority identity through cross-dressing.

The exhibition parcours juxtaposes emblematic garments and accessories: riding habits, trousers, tailored suits, ties, bow ties and top hats. The exhibition also features paintings, photographs and fashion posters that provide a deeper understanding of the cultural and social significance of the fashions of the period. It emphasises the way in which the masculinisation of 19th-century women’s fashion acted as a challenge to established gender binaries. The dialogue between these outfits offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of 19th-century women’s fashion, demonstrating how non-conformist practices – from women wearing men’s suits to the sartorial practices of the fin-de-siècle Paris-Lesbos scene – fed into the constant redefinition of the female wardrobe of the period.

Along the way, visitors discover major historical figures, from Marie-Antoinette to Natalie Clifford Barney, as well as George Sand, Rosa Bonheur and various anonymous figures who feature in a previously unpublished corpus of amateur photographs. With more than 350 works on display, the exhibition invites the viewer to reflect on the role of clothing and fashion in the transformation of social roles and gender identities in the 19th century.

Opening times: 

Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Late nights on Fridays until 9 p.m.

We strongly recommend booking a timed ticket, as access to the exhibition is valid for 15 minutes after the start of the time slot.
How to do ? Once your e-ticket in hands, please go on the website  https://www.billetterie-parismusees.paris.fr, then select the exhibition + the date & time + the “Billet non daté” for 0€.
 Please present on the spot the entrance e-ticket open + the time-slot e-ticket booking.