Spenser Robnett
The Mechanical Smile by Caroline Evans provides the reader with snapshots of runway and street fashion of early 1900s France. Evans showcases the hyperbolic and over-the-top fashion styles, constantly evolving in France at the time. More so, she uses the term “peacocking” to represent the boisterous accessories, colors, and styles that women would tote around. Subtleties were spared as women began to socially compete for the newest and most extravagant trend. Evans composes the book of many pictures as and uses arranges them in a race of outrageous outfits. A sensational buzz swept through France, just before the department store era ushered in couture house customers. This period of new velocity coincided with the translation of business management methods into visual advertisement. However, in Smiling Madame Beudet, the costume of the lead actress is considered as outdated for her time period; especially as a woman of above average socio-economic status, she remains in basic costume throughout the whole film. Germaine Dulac therefore has a powerful commentary of Madame Beudet’s image of herself and her passive roll as a consumer of fashion culture in 1920s France.
Evans, Caroline. “The Mechanical Smile: Modernism and the First Fashion Shows in France and America 1900-1929.” Print.