A significant shift in culture occurred in France and elsewhere at the beginning of the 18th century, known as the Enlightenment, which valued reason over authority. In France, the sphere of influence for art, culture and fashion shifted from Versailles to Paris, where the educated bourgeoisie class gained influence and power in salons and cafés. The new fashions introduced therefore had a greater impact on society, affecting not only royalty and aristocrats, but also middle and even lower classes. Ironically, the single most important figure to establish Rococo fashions was Louis XV’s mistress Madame Pompadour. She adored pastel colors and the light, happy style which came to be known as Rococo, and subsequently light stripe and floral patterns became popular. Towards the end of the period, Marie Antoinette became the leader of French fashion, as did her dressmaker Rose Bertin. Extreme extravagance was her trademark, which ended up majorly fanning the flames of the French Revolution.
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