Elegant Get-up for the Afternoon in 19th Century France

Well, I am absolutely sure that you have seen movies that have French women who are always in their bulky dresses with balloon skirts and daring necklines. You have probably seen these jaw-dropping outfits if you have seen the movie "Pride and Prejudice" where Keira Knightley was the leading role. Or if you are a committed Shakespearean or even an plain Gwyneth Paltrow fan, you must have observed the actress' costume in "Shakespeare in Love."

French women customarily wear this type of dress during afternoon tea times or tete-a-tetes with their acquaintances. Generally, the wear is a full-length off-shoulder dress that fits the whole body of a woman and exposes her cleavage. In traditional France, this kind of dress is attractive enough in spite of its conventional appearance, because after all, people before thought that a little bit of a skin is enough to arouse the senses.

You will infrequently see women who wear this antique style of wear but the French notion that "seductiveness in simple outfits" has remained even in modern times. But these days, you can only be blessed enough to see bold French women wearing this dress while she is having tea with a friend because classic French dresses are now merely reserved for costume parties or United Nations day.