Louis & His Queen Don the Finest Finery in 'Marie Antoinette’s Finale
And so we come to the end of the beginning; conveniently, also the name of this episode, which suits our final exploration of the most lavish and interesting costume design moments in Marie Antoinette’s second season. This episode features many reliable old friends I’ve discussed before, including Provence’s green jacket with the artichokes; Orléans’ devotion to various shades of purple (and let us not forget about capes and dressing gowns!), even Mme. Rohan-Soubise’s haughty widow’s black, making it even easier to train the spotlight on the magnificent capital-R ROYAL garments Louis and Antoinette wear to attend the high-pressure Estates-General assembly in a last-ditch effort to convince all of their constituencies of the necessity of raising taxes in order to keep the entire French economy afloat.
To that end, Antoinette goes for Maximum Queenliness in a gown with a scoop neckline, ¾ sleeves featuring gathered lace cuffs, and massive panniers. Once she’s ensconced in the carriage with Louis, it’s clear that her gown is ivory, but in certain lights it can look anywhere from dove gray to palest celadon green. The main fabric is silk damask, but the pattern woven into it is simple, bordering on severe: vertical stripes of varying widths. The stomacher at the center of her bodice is richly embroidered and beaded, with a massive fleur-de-lis brooch at the center of her bustline.
