Written by Alison B

How queens dress may dictate what kind of Queen they are. That is a primary theme in Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber. The queen in question is none other than Marie Antoinette. The oft misunderstood French queen who had a tragic ending to her short, unfinished life is the study of Weber’s creatively crafted novel. However, unlike other novels about the wayward queen, this book focuses primarily on what she wore, her appearance, and how what she looked like might dictate her personality and very nature.

Do not expect to learn about Marie as one might in a biography of the queen. This does not claim to be one nor does it have the quality of one. If you are interested in fashion, France, and history though, this is the perfect book for you as it contains elements of all three areas within its pages. As you go through the book, you have the chance to examine every type, color and texture of outfit Marie wore, from her youth as an aristocratic Archduchess of Austria to adulthood as the Queen of France and wife of Louis XIV.

Weber cleverly crafts her book to reflect the actions of Marie Antoinette and the dislike of the public through the clothing she wore. Each fabric, color, texture, item, and even the way she wore her hair may have affected how society viewed her. According to Weber, Antoinette was able to express herself, her feelings and her emotions through her clothing, providing another source for why she did not have to say a word for those who were supposed to be her subjects to be so adamantly opposed to Antoinette’s presence not only as Queen of France but also as someone important in their nation.

In this book, you will have the chance to see Marie Antoinette as you never have before. So often portrayed as an unsympathetic, ninny-headed, rebellious young woman, this book actually reveals another side of the queen. You are able to question everything you know and believe about her as you actually relate to her as a person and no longer just see her as a spoiled, pompous queen of a nation who hated her existence.

Caroline Weber has extensive knowledge with both France and history, which makes her the perfect person to write this book. Weber, who has written for the Huffington Post, spends her days teaching at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she is an associate professor of History and eighteenth-century French Literature. Weber, who tends to write historical books blended with her own feminine flair, received a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Yale.

The other books that Weber has written coincide with her writing of Queen of Fashion:What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. Her other books all deal with her love and fascination for the French Revolution. One of her novels is the highly praised Reign of Terror, which is a volume of essays on the political climate of the French Revolution. Her other book is Terror and Its Discontents: Suspect Words in Revolutionary France, which examines the way in which political power was used and abused to control the people in 18th Century France.

I enjoyed Weber’s assessment of Antoinette in Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. It is obvious the book was well researched and Weber is clearly an expert on the subject of 18th Century France and its tumultuous history. While I was not sure how she planned to present the material, though I do love anything pertaining to fashion, I found her method to be quite entertaining and informative at the same time.

If you are looking for an adventure, I do not suggest this book. However, if you are looking for a smart, entertaining book that will really get you thinking, I recommend Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution by Caroline Weber. Perhaps you will get some new ideas about Marie Antoinette and begin to question what your own style of dress says about you.

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