- 1. CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AND THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS
OR WHY ALLIGATORS ARE TACKY
2. NO REASON EXCEPT I LIKED IT 3. THORSTEIN VEBLEN The Theory of
Leisure(UNIV. CHICAGO)
- The institution of a leisure class is found in its best
development, in feudal Europe or feudal Japan. In such communities
the distinction between classes is very rigorously observed; and
the feature of most striking economic significance in these class
differences is thedistinction maintained between the employments
proper to the several classes. The upper classes are by custom
exempt or excluded from industrial occupations, and are reserved
for certain employments to which a degree of honour attaches
- Chief among the honourable employments is warfare; and priestly
service is commonly second to warfare.
4. CONSPICUOUS LEISURE
- In order to gain and to hold the esteem of men it is not
sufficient merely to possess wealth or power. The wealth or power
must be put in evidence, for esteem is awarded only on evidence.
And not only does the evidence of wealth serve to impress one's
importance on others and to keep their sense of his importance
alive and alert, but it is of scarcely less use in building up and
preserving one's self-complacency.
5. SPORT FOR THE LEISURED SOCIETY(Note White) 6. OR PLAY IT ON
HORSE-BACK (Amateur of course), or play when working people cannot.
7. The Very Rich are Different from You and MeThe Great Gatsby F.
Scott Fitzgerald
- Absence from labour is not just a meritorious act, but it
presently comes to be a requisite of decency. The insistence on
property as the basis of reputability is very naive and very
imperious during the early stages of the accumulation of wealth.
Abstention from labour is the convenient evidence of wealth and is
therefore the conventional mark of social standing; and this
insistence on the meritorious ness of wealth leads to a more
strenuous insistence on leisure.
- It has already been remarked that the term "leisure", as here
used, does not connote indolence or quiescence. What it connotes is
non-productive consumption of time and the ability to afford a life
of idleness.
8. CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION
- Conspicuous consumption of valuable goods is a means of
reputability to the gentleman of leisure.
- The leisure rendered by the wife in such cases is, of course,
not a simple manifestation of idleness or indolence. It almost
invariably occurs disguised under some form of work or household
duties or social amenities, which prove on analysis to serve little
or no ulterior end beyond showing that she does not occupy herself
with anything that is gainful or that is of substantial use.
9. WHAT CAN THE WIFE DO WHICH IS HARD WORK, VOLUNTARY, DOES NOT
INVOLVE MAKING MONEY? 10. NOT SHOWINGISCONSPICUOUS
- NB: Labels on clothes are not high class, it is the cut and
knowledge that is high class.
- I.e.: Not having a car can either meana) Povertyb) Ability to
pay anything to have transport available at all times. (Richest
woman in Britain-Duchess of Westminster-uses public transport and
does not own a vehicle)
11. AS FOR SUNBLOCK DARLING!! 12. FOR THE YOUNG IT CAN EVEN
BECOME A CLUB
- Poorly but privately educated, or something like History of
Art
- Blouses, pressed jeans, pumps with bows, girls in pearls.
13. ALL THE FAULT OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
- BUThaving the masses consume is how they became super
rich.
- How to look professional and trustworthy.
- And how to demonstrate a place in society.
14. INDUSTRY SUPPORTING CONSUMPTION AT THE TOP(AND FERMENTING
REVOLUTION) Louis XIV King 1643 - 1715
- The French treasury, after a long war, stood close to
bankruptcy when Louis XIV assumed, upon the death of hisPremier
Ministre , Cardinal Mazarin, personal control of the reins of
government in 1661.
- LouisappointedJean-Baptiste Colbert as Finance Minister
in1665.
- Note : as part of the general settlement of the war of Spanish
Succession France was obliged to cede the colonies and possessions
ofNewfoundland ,Rupert's LandandAcadia , while retaining
le-Saint-Jean (nowPrince Edward Island ) and le Royale (nowCape
Breton Island ), in the Americas to Great Britain;
15. Jean-Baptiste Colbert
- Followed Cardinal Richelieu and Massacring as Finance Minister.
Unlike those he was not a Cardinal and not aristocratic.
- B 1661 and 1671 the national revenue of France was doubled. At
courtdisplays of wealth supplanted demonstrations of power as proof
of nobility and strength .
- The sumptuousness of the court wasintendedto persuade others of
the kings power. Louis expected the aristocracy to follow his lead,
He liked splendor, magnificence, and profusion in everything: you
pleased him if you shone through the brilliancy of your houses,
your clothes, your table, your equipages. Thus a taste for
extravagance and luxury was disseminated through all classes of
society. The aim was to please His Majesty, which required
attendance at court where life was soexpensive.
- A fashionable appearance was taken as part of the
Frenchnational character; those who did not follow the king became
figures of fun.
16. Concentration on extravagance at home would eventually lead
to a neglect of the French Navy: Wolfe at Quebec (Sept. 1859) 17.
THE SUN KING ARISES1654?
- A peace treatydecided that Louis would marry his cousin, the
Spanish Infanta Maria Teresia, daughter of Philip IV.
- France had been an enemy and a challenge to Hapsburg rule in
Spain, Philip IV in 1623 had introduced hisCapitulos de
Reformacionbanning French clothing and hairstyles in Spain.Catholic
Spain wasconservative in manner and in dress, utilizing high, stiff
collars and garments, heavy fabrics, dense ornamentation, geometric
shapes and tension. Strict codes of conduct and of dress made these
styles compulsorythroughout much of Catholic Europe.
- In contrast, the French court loved embroidery, display and
frivolity. Louis XIV was twenty-one upon his marriage and wanted to
shine so that the whole world would see Apollo in his splendor. He
wanted his clothes to be fantastic and lively, the opposite of
Spanish sobriety. It was a visual display of political rivalry when
the final wedding ceremony took place on June ninth, 1660.
18. Life is a Cabaret
- An economic tool, a sumptuary tool,a tool to control an
over-large aristocracy.
- The King set the fashion so it was a fashion of authority
- Versailles the centre point, to be away from the centre risked
exclusion, to be close risked bankruptcy.
- Little sewage at Versailles, importance of linen and
perfume.
- Versailles for glory not ease of access. Built on a swamp,
conspicuous consumption writ large. Clothing became suitable for
nothing but indolence. Luxury used by the king to keep court in
relative penury.
19. Conspicuous Consumption was Cultural Power
- Louis used the arts to project his vision of centralized
government, national unity, and royal control of all aspects of
French life. Royal Manufactory of the Goblins employed over 800
tapestry workers, sculptors, artists, goldsmiths and
embroiderers.
- 1663 the Academy of Painting and Sculpture was created,
- 1665 theJournal des Savants , a national periodical of
scientific and literary review began.
- In 1666 the French Academies in Rome and in Paris were opened
as well as the Academy of Sciences in Paris.
- 1667 construction began on the Observatory in
thefaubourgSaint-Jacques,
- 1669 the Royal Academy of Music was opened, and in 1671 the
Academy of Architecture.
- The arts were nationalized into a system of glorification of
the king, to increase his international prestige and to promote the
economy of the nation.
20. Fashion Became Majesty and Power
- Mazzarin had set up the system where the Bourgeois were the
ministers. The aristocracy had position but no power to challenge
the king.
- By multiplying the positions around him, Louis XIV excited
constant jealousy between the different officeholders and the ranks
of the aristocracy. He also ensured that the energies that had once
provoked civil wars would be spent in quarreling about the right to
a stool, or the order of entrance into the royal bedroom. Wit and
lively conversation became a necessity to fill the long, leisurely
hours; for although the king worked long hours, most of the
courtiers had nothing to do. Indeed, it was at times strenuous to
be a noble, (to appear in) full dress, go to Flanders or further,
dance, sit up, attend ftes, eat, be merry and good company, go from
place to place; appear neither to fear, nor to be inconvenienced by
heat, wind, or dust; and all this precisely to the hour and day,
without a minutes grace. In attending the king at court, the
nobility surrendered not only its personal life but its political
power as well. And also pauperized the aristocracy.
21. FASHION WAS COMMERCE (And Still is: Louis vision played out
200 years later)
- By fostering the very latest fashions the glamour and
attraction of the court was increased. Fashion in France became big
business, exported to other courts and countries in Europe.French
fashion wasan extreme styleas was fitting to theyouth of Louis XIV
and the tendency of youth to worship extremism . )
- The styles worn at the court of Louis XIV were followed by all
who could afford to do so and gradually they were emulated by other
European courts.
- There was so much French influence on English fashion that
protests erupted on the part of English tradesmen and
manufacturers. Importation of certain French textiles was banned
and attempts were made to distinguish the English style from the
French.
22. A Fashion Culture and Advertising Industry (Theatre de la
Mode)
- Louis wanted all to know about Paris fashions: diplomatic
immunity in time of war sent life-sized fashion dolls to every
Court. Dolls were dressed in latest styles. Ladies would have their
tailors imitate the clothes, footwear, hats, accessories.
- Dressmakers were able to remove the clothes and copy them as
patterns.
- France as an international force instyle traced back to the
court of Louis XIV,dolls and"fashion plates"promoted not only luxe
articles of clothing and accessories, but also a lifestyle. France
became the leader in luxury goods.
- By the 1670's,England imported 20 times more luxury goods than
it exported to France.
23. Fashion is the Mirror of History: it reflects political,
social and economic changes rather than whimsy.
- Louisshrouded himself in resplendent satin coats with gold
embroidery and lace sleeves, silk stockings and full-bottomed
wigs--showcased the Sun King's divinely-ordained right to rule
France. He also invited his courtiers to watch him dress in an
elaborate 90-minute ritual each morning. The highest officialswere
admitted while he was shaving; bishops, marshals, and provincial
governors could enter later. Visiting dignitaries were sometimes
awarded the privilege of handing the king his shirt. The ritual
afforded the French court a close look at the king's new
clothes--significant because nobles affirmed their allegiance by
imitating the king--and kept business flowing to the nation's silk
looms and lace factories. The dress industry then employed a third
of wage-earners in Franceand if members of the Third Estate were
busy stitching sleeves, they had less time to plot rebellion. Male
courtiers were required to don silk or velvet coats encrusted with
jewels and embroidery, while women squeezed into corseted dresses
with puffy sleeves and long trains. Ordinances prohibited untitled
aspirants from donning such finery.
- One emblematic accessory, which Louis turned into a must-have
item among both ladies and gents at court, Was a pair of red high
heels, or talons rouges. The fashion, as Mansel explains,
advertised a lifestyle of leisure, "demonstrat[ing] that nobles did
not dirty their shoes."
24. Hair, Hurluberlu, and Modesty
- When Louis began to grow bald, he started to use wigs, and so
did his entourage. Men often mixed false hair with real but it was
easier to shave their hair and wear a wig. At first wigs were
faithful imitations of natural curled hair. Later they began to
increase in size, with hair cascading down the back.
- The fashion of the lowdcolletin both court dress and undress
was not maintained without considerable opposition. The neckline
was edged with a transparent veiling, similar to a collar, which
hid some of the ladies anatomy.
- Elaborate hairstyles for women were launched by the queen and
her ladies as a way to show the superior taste of the French
court.
25. Colbert, French Luxury Products and Economic Idiocy
- Making lace for the aristocracyIn 1665Venetian lace makers set
up schools of lace-making to train French craftsmen. Making fine
lace became an important craft industry Smugglers took French lace
into England, to avoid heavy import taxes.
- After 1665, Louiswas persuaded byadvisers topersecute
Protestants. (Huguenots)In 1685, he declared that the majority of
Protestants had been converted to Catholicism. 250,000 fled abroad
(15000 to London)several provinces were depopulated. The
revocationweakened the French economy and its ruthless application
increased the detestation in which England and the Protestant
German states held the French king.
26. GEORGIAN ENGLAND1714-1830 New Wealth and Rotten Teeth
- SUGAR AND GEORGIAN SOCIETY
27. 17thCentury England Wild, Violent and Free 28. World of
Dress Shops and Shopping (1809)
- Although ready made apparel was not yet commonly available,
cloth manufacture was among the first to be industrialized. Cotton
and wool fabrics abounded in many qualities, cheap printed cotton
muslin being a particular favorite of the era. By 1811 the import
of raw cotton exceeded 90 million pounds (around 45,000 tons),
about twice the amount imported in the 1770's Messrs. Harding
Howell & Co, was one of the choice linen-drapers (as fabric
merchants were called) of the era. This interior print shows the
large inventory, with shop assistants, all male, serving the female
customers Haggling was still common, but fixed prices were now
getting a toe-hold. Buying on credit, "coming to terms," was
expected by the rich. Many storekeepers went bankrupt while waiting
for a year or more to collect what's due.
29. AND MANNERED SOCIETY 30. Positions in Society under threat
as Industrial Money Spread to the Middle Classes and their
servants
- Plain country Joan is now turned into a fine London madam, can
drink tea, can take snuff and carry herself as high as the best.
She must have a hoop too, as well as her mistress and her poor
scanty linsey woolsey petticoat is changed into a good silk one,
four or five yards wide at the least.Decline of the great law of
subordination.Daniel Defoe (1659-1731)
- Vast torrent of luxury changed the manners of the people,
inspired in the poor a desire for things they may not and cannot
haveHenry Fielding.
- Note: To be rich had meant you stayed up late as you could
afford candles.
- The pursuit of luxury by the masses became an economic driving
force. Concept of conspicuous consumption due to increased wealth
and the requirement to differentiate oneself.
- Elegance of elegant towns
- What gown and what head dress she should wear became her chief
concern Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
31. I am quite in the minority I believe: few people seem to
value simplicity of dressshow and finery are everything. (Jane
Austen. Emma)
- Good China: Cutlery (Instead of just a knife)
- Good House Fabrics: Wallpaper
- A peacock society of fashion prints and new drapery
stores.
- Dresses slashed to show petticoats (indicator of wealth going
deep)
- start to despise men in trade
- Gluttony: gout the mark of a gentleman. Taking 3-5 hours for
dinner showed you did not have to work.
- How to show wealth but still be a trusted professional man
- Huge increase in small things: Birmingham and the Toy
industry
- Adam SmithConsumption is the sole end and purpose of
production.
32. Rise in Cosmetics
- Vermillion lip-stick on plaster of Paris. (pole screen to stop
make-up melting and giving lead poisoning)
- False hips and breasts (Bosom Friends)
- False teeth, wood and ivory
- Outrageous wigs set with lard (Head scratchers)
- Patched to hide small pox and lead ravishing
- Yardley perfume to cover stink
33. YOU CAN SEE BY MY CLOTHES THAT I AM SOBER AND TO BE TRUSTED.
AM I WEALTHY? JUST LOOK AT MY WIFE, DO YOU THINK SHE COULD WORK IN
THAT DRESS OR EVEN PUT IT ON WITHOUT A MAID? 34. TALKING OF
CRINOLINES (Empress Eugenie Queen of the Crinoline)
- Political clothes to support French industry
- Crinoline Frame by Ms Tavernier in 1856.
- Working girls would wear Crinoline on weekends.
- MEN had to wear uniform as court dress.
- Haute Couturecomes into the lexicon as the outward sign of
French style and Conspicuous consumption by the wearer.
35. Napoleon III(1848-1871)
- Huge move back to ostentatious fashion after austerity of
Republican period.
- Attempt to return to court of Louis XIV: it did revive the
French luxury good market (Lyons silk)
- Rise of Ladies spaces Printemps, Gallerie Lafayette Bon
Marche.
- Window shopping in French leche vitrines (licking windows)
- Huge nuance of dress by time of day to express place in
society. Hair not seen during day, hat not worn in evening, gloves
longer as day progressed, neckline lower as day progressed. Society
restricted by ability to consume.
36. THE LINK WITH GILDED AGE NEW YORK Charles Frederick
Worth
- Born in Bourne Lincolnshire
- Trained as a draper in London
- Worked as Draper and dressed his wife.
- Clothes admired by Princess Pauline Metternich.
- Introduced to Eugenie and became her dressmaker
- Sensation as a male dressing the Empress.
37. IRONICAL CONSIDERING FRENCH DISTAIN FOR ENGLISH SOCIETY 1814
38. Haute Couture $112,000 (2002)
- Founded Syndicate Haute Couture
- Labeled clothes (Inside) 1858
- Link with New York society.
39. WHAT IS HAUTE COUTURE? HIGH SEWING
- To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the
termhaute couturein its advertising and any other way, members of
theChambre Syndicalemust follow these rules:
- Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more
fittings.
- Have a workshop ( atelier ) in Paris that employs at least
fifteen people full-time.
- Each season, present a collection to the Paris press,
comprising at least thirty-five runs with outfits for both daytime
wear and evening wear.
40. Fashion Dictates 41. AND FASHION MOVES ON 42. AND ON1880 43.
WORTH GOWNS 44. The Society that Veblen Studied
- Unprecedented economic growth (no Taxes) Activities punctuated
by trips to Paris.
- Railway and Industrial wealth
- Worth Dresses coveted. They became THE symbol of conspicuous
society. (Average of $10,000 in 1900)
- Average society woman would buy 720 dresses each year.
- It was her job to represent the wealth and position of the
family.
- Society pages reported on the fashions. First celebrity
martyrs
- Huge endowmentsto art, libraries and good works.
45. GILDED WEALTH
- Great Wealth in a short period. Not accepted by high society
(Southern Society, Penn, Lodges, Cabbots) so made their own
rules.
- Astor: Banking, Real Estate. Eden Farm ran from what is now 42
ndto 46 thand Broadway (Original John Jacob born Waldorf
Germany)
- Armor/Swift: Canning and Meat Packing (green Bay Packers)
- Vanderbilt (The Commodore) Railroads (Consuelo Vanderbilt
married Duke of Marlborough)
- Rothschild (Hitlers may come and go but Rothschild goes on
forever)
- Victoria Leiter marred Lord Curzon (Vicereine of India)
46. MOVERS AND SHAKERS
47. ROBBER BARONS AND BENEFACTORS
48. AND AT THE APEX OF SOCIETY
- Caroline Schermerhorn Astor (1830-1908), also known as "
TheMrs. Astor," was the matron of New York and Newport
society.
- Mrs. Astor was born Caroline Webster Schermerhorn in New York
City. Mrs. Astor was from a wealthy merchant family whose ancestors
were among New York's first Dutch settlers. Mrs. Astor married
WILLIAM BACKHOUSE ASTOR Jr. in 1853.
49. The Gilded Age
- Mrs. Astor created " the Four Hundred," An invitation to one of
Mrs. Astor's events solidified one's status as a member of
upper-class society.
- Mrs. Astor shunned anyone who was not a member of the Four
Hundred. But she did make one exception. In 1883, Alva Vanderbilt
organized a masquerade ball in New York during the winter season
but did not invite the Astors' daughter Caroline. Mrs. Astor
acquiesced and called on the Vanderbilts in return for an
invitation to the Vanderbilt ball. In so doing, Mrs. Astor allowed
the newly monied Vanderbilts into the upper echelon of
society.
50. Some Points 51. OF COURSE IT IS ALL DIFFERENT NOW!!!!! 52.
CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AND THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS OR WHY
ALLIGATORS ARE TACKY