Eighteenth-century gowns were cut with a narrow back. From an early age the girl would have worn bodices with some boning which trained her to hold her shoulders back and push her chest forward (not exactly "tight stays", since they didn't constrict the waist). Maybe Chardin did also exaggerate the effect a little to suit contemporary taste, in the same way that modern fashion illustrators draw women with very long legs.
Kate Bunting Retired librarian & 17th century reenactor _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
