" From Her Head to Her Toes"

E.C. Cage writes of the cultural aesthetic in her essay "The Sartorial Self: Neoclassical Fashion and Gender Identity in France". Within, Cage informs us with women's progressive affluential roles regarding fashion. As a foundation for identity, fashion called for  women to expose their vulnerabilities physically. With nature at the forefront of new thought, it served to reestablish the woman and her domesticity by freeing the feminine body for its designed use. In the picture above, the woman is free from tight bodices embracing instead the natural body shape. There is however enhancement of the breast reclaiming women's cultural authority in material culture. Again , we experience the looseness of the fabric supporting the naturalness of the dress and womanhood. Neoclassical fashion was instrumental in women's assertive voice, acting as an agent to prove wealth, social status and political influence. With fashion, women embodied grace and were able to define themselves amongst their social structure