Dress code

Was there fashion in the past? Which garments were strictly forbidden yet still worn? The Museum of Art and History in Freiburg and the Musée gruérien in Bulle have explored these questions. Textiles, paintings, precious crafts, and written sources demonstrate that clothing has always played a significant role: they have held high symbolic meaning and played an important role in the social order throughout history. Examples range from the monks of the Hauterive Abbey to the merchants of the Early Modern period, the costumes of the Revolution around 1800, the bourgeois attire of the 19th century, and the reconstructions of clothing from historical parades of the 20th century. The book will be published in both German and French versions in conjunction with the exhibitions at the Museum of Art and History in Freiburg and the Musée gruérien in Bulle from November 2013 to March.