This year marks the 200th anniversary of Napoleon Bonaparte's death (15 August 1769 - 5 May 1821) and this week there have been a few celebrations, especially in France and Italy, to remember the French military and political leader.
Fashion-wise Napoleon has been a constant inspiration for designers who love creating uniform-inspired pieces: the military strategist and emperor was usually represented in paintings wearing uniforms (among the others the green and white uniform of a colonel of the light cavalry of the Imperial Guard, and the blue and white uniform of a colonel of the infantry of the Imperial Guard), his felt bicorne hat worn sideways and, in some cases, his coat.
The hat decorated only with a simple cockage and the uniforms were his trademark style as they made him easily recognizable: in some cases he was portrayed wearing richly embroidered gold uniforms, for example in November 1799 when he became the First Consul of France through a coup d’état.
Gold abounded also in his coronation costume as Emperor of the French designed by Jean-Baptiste Isabey that featured white silk breeches and stockings and a long white silk tunic embroidered with gold and hemmed with a gold fringe. The crimson velvet mantle he wore with this ensemble was also covered in golden embroideries representing golden bees and interlaced olive, laurel and oak sprigs surrounding the letter N.
But that's not the only fashion reference that we may connect with Napoleon and his times: the Empire line or Empire style dress, characterised by a fitted bodice that ends under the breasts putting emphasis on the bust and elongating the silhouette, and a loose and long skirt without any voluminous petticoats underneath, became popular during the First French Empire.
Empire line gowns were often matched with a wrap or a Paisley shawl or a short Spencer jacket as the dresses were light and left much uncovered.
The style was already fashionable in the 1700s as proved by paintings such as François Gérard's (1770–1837) portrait of Madame de Tallyrand, but the term that defines this style refers to the First French Empire. Napoleon's first wife Joséphine de Beauharnais popularised this style in Europe.
In December 1803, Jérôme Bonaparte brother of Napoleon, married Elizabeth Patterson, a young American woman, who wore for the occasion a dress of muslin and lace in the Empire style that, according to a contemporary, "would fit easily into a gentleman's pocket."
The Empire line was a key trend in King Vidor's 1956 film War and Peace with Italian fashion designer Fernanda Gattinoni creating dresses in this style in neutral tones or soft pastel nuances for Audrey Hepburn. The film had a huge impact also on fashion: after it was released Gattinoni successfully re-launched the Empire line in her collections, making it popular again.
John Galliano often took inspiration from Napoleon not just for his collections, but also for his own looks: his Haute Couture S/S 2005 show for Dior included richly embroidered Josephine-like Empire style ivory organza gowns and sumptuous embroideries on Napoleonic coats. The designer came out to thank the audience wearing an ample Napoleonic coat and bicorne hat.
Galliano's Spring/Summer 2010 menswear collection was instead inspired by Napoleon and his campaigns in Egypt and featured models in military uniforms in neutral shades.
It is worth reminding, though, that celebrating Napoleon is a controversial choice and there were debates even in France about cancelling the commemorations.
Napoleon re-established slavery in French colonies in 1802 after it was abolished during the French Revolution and the laws established in 1804 under his rule considered women as inferior to men and therefore as subject to the authority of their husbands. France's Civil Code originated from his rule and some historians highlight how this legacy informed the patriarchal system in France and how these issues should preclude him from being commemorated.
There's a story about Napoleon with some fashion and science links that you may want to keep in mind: according to scientists studying materials the downfall of Napoleon's great army was caused not by powerful weapons, but by tiny buttons.
In December 1812, Napoleon's army, originally comprising 600,000 soldiers, returned from Russia with only 10,000 men. Unbeaten until then, the soldiers had to fight against adverse weather conditions, but also against a terrible wardrobe malfunction caused by chemical properties: the buttons of their uniforms that also held up their pants were indeed made of tin, a metal that turns into gray dust when the temperature drops.
The tin buttons that fastened everything from the great coats to the trousers and jackets of his foot soldiers, therefore disintegrated as temperatures dripped. Weakened by the chilling cold they couldn't fight nor resist. And while some disagree with this theory as the disintegration of tin is a slow process, it is a fascinating story.
So, if you're a fashion designer thinking of getting inspired by Napoleon, maybe consider this button-related story and remember that underestimating or neglecting a known molecular property may lead to disaster.
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