Title of my paper
Olivia Gomez-Urquiza
Mr. Cramp
Modern History
March 11 2025
There was a moment in time where fashion was not about one’s personal taste or the famous
designers of Paris that mark the season with the new trends, but instead a fight for political
expression. During the time of the French Revolution, fashion was a powerful statement that
helped identify and bring unity to the revolutionaries that opposed aristocrats who had been
dictating the social and political landscape. Fashion was a way to show direct reflection on one’s
political beliefs. Revolutionaries who wanted to further themselves from the aristocracy’s
extravagant lifestyle that would exude in their style . They would do so by going against
extravagant clothing and they opted to wear plain, practical attire. These changes in their
garments became a symbolic act of resistance which showed the ideals of equality and how
they opposed the monarchy. Fashion became a powerful political statement during the french
revolution, because clothing choices like the sans-culottes and the carmagnole jacket
symbolized loyalty to revolutionary ideals and rejection of the monarchy. By turning attire into a
symbol of the differences in social classes, revolutionaries were able to use fashion to shape
public opinion and strengthen the new social order.
I. Support A
Fashion being a Political Statement
1. Fact 1 – Revolutionaries would use simple clothing that was functional to distance
themselves from the aristocratic influence
Evidence: The revolutionaries avoided expensive luxury clothing, they would opt for more
simple and subtle attire instead. This refusal to dress lavishly was a way to rebel against the
aristocratic authority and show their loyalty to the ideals of the revolution.
2. Your reasons for Fact 1 supporting Support A – The fashion choices made by the
revolutionaries, symbolized opposition towards aristocracy’s influence and unified them.
B. Fact 2 – The Sans-Culottes would wear pants as a way to rebel
1. Details of Fact 2 – The sans-culottes would wear pants instead of knee breeches to go
against aristocratic authority (Smith 92).
2. Reasons why Fact 2 may not be the best reason for your argument – Pants were a common
piece of clothing worn among commoners due to their practicality amongst workers, making
their significance out to be slightly exaggerated.
3. Your reasons for why Fact 2 really does support Support A – This ignores the fact that the
revolutionaries would wear pants purposely to show their refusal to go in line with aristocracy’s
ideals.
II. Support B
Fashion being used to Shape Public Opinion
A. Fact 1 Revolutionary Colors would Symbolize loyalty to the Cause
1. Details of Fact 1 – As a way to rebel, the revolutionaries would use the colors red, white, and
blue in sans-culottes to emphasize their loyalty to the ideals of the revolution.
2. Your reasons for Fact 1 supporting Support B – These colors represent their desire for
equality, liberty, and fraternity, using fashion to go against the monarchy’s influence and power
while altering the public opinion
B. Fact 2 The Revolutionaries used the Carmagnole Jacket to Unify together
1. Details of Fact 2 – The carmagnole jacket was a garment worn by the revolutionaries that
helped create a shared identity which distinguished them from the aristocrats.
Ex. evidence – Kostyál (2008) records that the jacket’s widespread popularity evoked a shared
feeling of unity among revolutionaries, reinforcing their shared ideals.
2. Reasons why Fact 2 may not be the best reason for your argument – Some critics argue that
the carmagnole jacket was not a significant factor in reinforcing the revolutionaries influence on
public opinion.
3. Although many people argued that the jacket was not an influential trend to actually consider,
the repetitive appearance speaks otherwise on how the revolutionaries wearing this
Carmagnola jacket created a sense of fear and unity, discouraging people from going against
them and reinforcing their authority.
III. Support C:
III. Support C
A. Fact 1 Fashion was used as a way to challenge gender norms and assert equality
1. Details of Fact 1 – The women revolutionaries were styling a more masculine attire such as
wearing trousers to challenge the social construct by going against gender normalities which
enforced their role in the revolutionary cause.
2. Your reasons for Fact 1 supporting Support C – By going against gender normalities and
embracing masculine clothing, women revolutionaries utilized fashion as a direct form of protest
against the oppressive gender constructs society placed on them as women. It encouraged
them to defy the restrictions they had to participate politically and allowed them to claim a place
in the revolutionary movement. This evoked a widespread demand for gender equality.
Example Sentence Starters:
As Van Loon reports, the acception manifested through women of wearing masculine clothing
during the revolution portrayed their resistance towards traditional gender roles and their desire
for equal political standing
B. Fact 2 Fashion Reinforced Revolutionary Ideals Through Dress Codes
1. Details of Fact 2 – Dress codes were introduced by revolutionary leaders including simple
clothing that were functional to enforce adherence towards their ideals of liberty and equality
whilst going against the lavish attire of the monarchy.
2. Reasons why Fact 2 may not be the best reason for your argument – Some may argue that
dress codes that were imposed during the revolution were only a way to maintain control of the
general population, rather than the objective being to express true revolutionary ideals.
3. Your reasons for why Fact 2 really does support Support C – Although the dress codes did
serve as a way to maintain control, they also had a deeper meaning in the French Revolution.
By adhering to these dress codes, revolutionaries were capable of displaying their commitment
to their shared ideals like equality, simplicity, and objection of the aristocracy’s power and
wealth, altering them into a key part of their everyday lives and values, not only as propaganda.
The French Revolution’s fashion era played a key role in forming identity and altering the public
understanding. Those joined in on this movement would have opted for these dress codes of
simple and not so ostentatious attire compared to the excessive, glamorous, and
extravagant style of the aristocratic culture. Revolutionaries were then able to express
themselves and convey their dedication and devotion towards their ideals of equality. Also this
fashion statement would be opposing the way the monarchy would spend on their luxurious
lifestyle.
These choices were not just for function or superficial, they were deeply thought out and
connected to utilize as a powerful instrument for unity and propaganda in France. Fashion had
become a noticeable symbol of resilience and resistance that the revolution was about much
more than only surface level. This alteration of societal construct and values was about political
change, freedom, and the end of the monarchy.
You need to copy and paste your annotated bibliography below…