In modern England, the word posh is used, which means "chic" or "cool". Linguists and other interested parties are trying to determine when it is appropriate to use this actual concept. Is there any reason to include all those who diligently imitate the extended sound "y" in Queen Elizabeth II's annual Christmas address to the nation, who studied at Eton and have a membership card of a privileged club, or are there other generic signs that have never been heard of before?
The ability to draw a clear dividing line between aristocrats and rich upstarts, good taste and bad, stylish and just fashionable - for the British this is more than a science, and without comprehending this, it is difficult to understand the country.
Many, not without reason, believe that belonging to posh is determined by pronunciation. Children wonder why their father, contrary to the rules, deliberately draws "mandy" ("Monday") instead of "mandy", but at the same time correctly says "today" ("today"). “Yes, because such a pronunciation was considered posh in my youth. And being posh was cool,” explains dad.
The compilers of the Oxford English Dictionary are already inclined to recognize the right of such a pronunciation to exist. True, in most cases they put it in second place after the classic version.
Initially, the word "chic" had a pejorative connotation, reflecting both the envy of the middle class towards the representatives of the aristocracy and the desire to adopt status and privileges from them, along with a characteristic pronunciation. Experts believe that, in fact, the emergence of posh played into the hands of the English nobility, giving a shine of elitism to purely external signs of lightness (monograms on napkins and shirts, cutlery for cream, T-shirts, jewelry boxes, etc.) and erasing less attractive features of the aristocracy (anti-Semitism, love of bloody sports, the ability to live in debt without a twinge of conscience and in grand style).
However, the phonetic phenomenon turned out to be a double-edged sword. He popularized aristocracy as much as he devalued it. When you see "Posh Nosh" on the menu of a traditional English pub, it means that you are offered one of the most exclusive treats - tiny cutlets and a slice of chocolate pie. However, few suspect that the "favorite delicacy of the nobility" was promoted to the market by an American company that produces fragrances for bathrooms and toilets under the advertising slogan "Let's add chic to plumbing!". So the term posh can also be a form of vulgarity.
Fashion music performers and up-and-coming actresses show up in public wearing bunches of chic jewelry, and old-school English lament that the Queen's Treasure Show is no longer as exciting today as it was 20 years ago.
The supplier of the court of Her Majesty the Queen - the famous store "Harrods" - previously did not need advertising: the coats of arms of the House of Windsor, flaunting over its entrances, served as a reliable guarantee of quality. But the Harrods are no longer the same, the British complain. What's on sale in the store now? Bifitra bear figurines with magnets to hang on the refrigerator, marmalade gift sets in tiny jars (not even enough for one cracker) or huge bottles of the most expensive perfumes.
However, what has been said can be attributed to the old man's grumbling - they say, in our time the grass grew thicker and the sun shone brighter. Let us return to the etymology of the word posh.
As linguists admit, the origin of the term is very vague. According to one version, originally this word meant literally "slush", "mud". According to the second, POSH is an abbreviation of the expression Port Out, Starboard Home ("There - on the port side, back - on the starboard"). It was emblazoned on first-class tickets for ships on the route Southampton - Bombay - Southampton. It was believed that the most beautiful views on the way to India opened from the cabins located on the port side of the ship, and when returning to their homeland in the cabins on the starboard side, the rocking was the least felt. Only the privileged public could afford such tickets.
But most experts agree that posh comes from the Roman word for "half", which was used to refer to certain concepts in the field of monetary circulation. An 1890s dictionary of English slang gives the term "dandy". Thus, posh can be understood in two ways - either "a person with money", or "ostentation". Strictly speaking, it is debatable whether the English nobility are considered pure aristocracy. After all, its history was too closely intertwined with the life of the third estate. In Great Britain it is now difficult to find more than ten families whose ancestry can be safely traced back to the time before the Norman Conquest. Plus the sale of titles and titles, the expansion of the peerage at the expense of bankers, industrialists and politicians, marriages "for money", plus the formation of an intellectual elite and a layer of gentry (village landlords, whose lineage has been going on for several centuries).
All this led to the need to artificially maintain the influence of the reborn aristocracy, which was achieved, as some sociologists believe, by cultivating traditional English snobbery and outward signs of elitism. Privileged habitats, schools, colleges, dinner parties, private clubs and more are in the same series. In the 90s of the last century, the “quality mark” of the cream of British society was hairdressers. A visit to Nicky Clark (personal stylist of the Duchess of York), Jemima Khan and Tanya Strecker waited for three months, and the very fact of getting into the queue was a real success. Now the "siege" of a good stylist takes a month and a half at most. If you receive an invitation to cut and style your hair in just a few days or weeks, then you, my dear, are in the wrong queue ...
Now the masters of plastic surgery are the keepers of the symbolic keys to the entrance to elite salons and private clubs. On Wimpool Street, the charming Monsieur Sebag practices in every way. For a decent fee (from 300 pounds sterling and above - you will only recognize the upper price bar in the office), he makes a magical injection that "freezes" the muscles of the face, or increases the volume of the lips. The waiting list for an appointment with a doctor is longer than for a cinema box office on the day of the premiere of the next "Harry Potter".
An indispensable sign of belonging to the upper strata of society is the pursuit of fashion. The list of contenders for the latest Gucci ladies shoes (£310 a pair) has more than 60 names. Enrollment has been suspended. "We only ordered 12 pairs," a London boutique salesperson announces importantly. Particularly impatient mildly recommended to send an order to Paris or Milan.
Why not order a lot at once so that people do not wait in vain? Yes, because no one will buy a thing if everyone can wear it. Scarcity is a great thing and the engine of haute couture. Even if it does not exist, it must be created. Trinnie Woodall, host of the BBC TV show What Not to Wear, argues with good reason that waiting lists were invented on purpose. The tricks are as old as the world. For example, a boutique specifically orders a limited number of copies of one model. Or a list of especially fashionable novelties this season is sent for familiarization first to famous people. Until they express their will and buy, the queue has already formed.
Even more absurd is the situation with the opera and private clubs. Connoisseurs say that membership in them can be expected until death. More than seven thousand people are seeking admission to the Glynderbone Opera House. And it's not about how much it costs - the annual fee is only 124 pounds. It's just that the membership is strictly limited. You have to wait until someone retires or leaves this world. And this happens on average once every 25 years. On 42 acres of land in west London, the Hurlingham Club is ideal for those in the capital who prefer to play tennis, swim or sip cocktails in the company of celebrities in their spare time. However, an ordinary person has a chance to join the club not earlier than in 10-12 years - the list of applicants has about four thousand names. There are nine thousand names on the waiting list of the Marylbon Cricket Club. You can get here only after 18 years. The lucky ones pay an annual fee of £300, which entitles them to wear the colors of the club and attend all cricket championships.
From time to time, the founders elect honorary life members - without any queue. What needs to be done for this? A very wealthy man received a similar honor, who donated about two million pounds sterling for the construction of stands at the stadium where cricket matches are played. And former British Prime Minister John Major had to stay in the general queue.
Lists of applicants for admission also have privileged boarding schools. If an Englishman wants to provide a child with a great future, he seeks to send him to a school for which the name and founding date speak: Westminster (1560), Winchester (1382), Eton (1440), St. Paul's (1509), Harrow (1571) or Charterhouse (1611). High competition and queues make parents worry about enrolling as early as possible. For example, at Marlborough College, registration for girls is already closed until 2009. If your daughter is now over six and she is not yet on the list of applicants, then she no longer has a chance. It is advisable for parents to start the school preparatory campaign right from the birth of the child. In a privileged school, first of all, they teach the correct classical language. For speech for an Englishman is a kind of visiting card. One pronunciation opens the door to high society, the other closes it tightly. For this reason, Britain has become the birthplace of a unique linguistic phenomenon: the double (or sliding) accent. In one environment, a person speaks correctly and clearly, and in another, he allows the use of colloquial constructions. For example, Prime Minister Tony Blair answers questions from journalists "Oh yes, of course," and in a conversation with voters in Sedgefield County, he can easily say "Yeah." It is possible that he does this to avoid a repeat of the fate of parliamentary candidate Jacob Rees-Maug, who failed in the election because voters did not like his snobbish pronunciation. The English themselves admit that it is extremely difficult to systematize all the existing accents: conservative English (as the Queen speaks), modern correct English (as the TV and radio commentators say), rural (as the leader of the House of Commons Robin Cook) and the dialect of the inhabitants of Liverpool and Birmingham. There is also a simpler division - classical English and vernacular. The carriers of the first do everything to be different from the lower class. For example, they introduce non-existent vowels into words and highlight the consonant "h", which is "swallowed" by cockneys.
It should be said that the fashion for a privileged accent arose relatively recently. The famous English navigator Sir Francis Drake spoke with a Devon accent (he was from Devon), the speech of King James I betrayed his Scottish origin, other monarchs had German or French roots and also spoke uncleanly. In 1750, the educational centers of Oxford, Cambridge and London declared themselves to be the legislators of correct pronunciation. But the final norms were set in the XIX century, in the era of Queen Victoria. The public boarding school system solidified the rules, and the formation of the empire helped spread those rules around the world. The playwright Bernard Shaw put English phonetics at the heart of his most famous play, Pygmalion. Its main character is Eliza Doolittle, a London flower girl who speaks a disastrous cockney dialect. Professor Higgins teaches her literary English and thus opens her way to high society. Very English! The Institute for Personnel and Development conducted a study in 1997, during which it was found out which dialect in which profession contributes to success. For example, the Scots were encouraged to engage in banking, selling mobile phones and cars, but in no case publishing. Participants in another experiment were given several recordings of voices to listen to and were asked to determine which of the dialects was more prone to illegal acts. The one who spoke classical English was never named! Now imagine what such a convention leads to during a trial. According to experts, while in England the accent means even more than the color of the skin. Anglo-African children who learn posh usually have fewer problems than whites who grow up in a cockney environment. It is unlikely that the veteran black national television Trevor McDonald would have become a popular presenter if he did not speak the classical language. David Crystal puts forward an interesting theory in this regard. According to the professor, the division of the English along the lines of language is akin to a rudimentary security system of prehistoric times. Then the caveman, by the nature of the sounds made, determined who came to him - his own or someone else's. If the alien roared wrong, it was time to take out the club and go and figure it out...
A complete guide to England's best aristocratic bachelors is offered by desperatedukes.blogspot.com. So, if you dreamed about kissing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of a million spectators, drinking tea with the Queen and April 19, 2011 was one of the worst days of your life for you, then you can “comfort yourself” and consider other options.
Topping the list, well, of course, he is Prince Harry (28). (In this case, a kiss, tea drinking and all the benefits attached to the prince remain, however, the crown will be far away). I think that I and the site about Harry will not tell anything new. (Therefore, if you are a blonde with a beautiful figure and love to party, then you have a chance. Kate Middleton proved that it is not necessary to be an aristocrat to marry an English royal grandson. On the other hand, will you be as complaisant and patient as Miss Middleton)
P.S Places are solely the opinion of the site moderators. Mine is slightly different from them.
Yes, Prince Harry's net worth is not that big - just 25 million sterling. Of course, Harry will not be left in his underpants after the time has elapsed, if that. 
In second place is Arthur Landon (32 years old). After Harry's epic trip to Las Vegas, Arthur Landon became world famous. Although the guy does not have a title, aristocratic blood still flows in him. His mother is a descendant of the Habsburg dynasty. His father was a military man and took part in the coup in Oman, for which, apparently, he was very generously rewarded. Since after his death in 2007, he left his son a fortune of 200 million pounds. Arthur himself, as it is not difficult to understand, is a friend of Prince Harry, is engaged in directing, producing. 
In third place is Jacoby Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe (29). Jacoby comes from a very aristocratic family. His mother Lady Mary - Guy Curzon is the granddaughter of a baron and heiress of the banking business. Papa John is a real estate magnate. Thanks to the loving nature of their parents, Jacoby has 6 sisters. The guy himself, which is logical, works in real estate. He is the owner of a nightclub in London, together with friends he founded a PR company that failed during the crisis. Lover of beautiful clothes and fast expensive cars. A professional cricketer, as well as a frequenter of polo matches. He is a friend of Prince William, given the relationship of his younger sister Cressida with Prince Harry, I think that Harry is also on good terms. Tatler magazine called him the most handsome man in London. 
In fourth place is George Percy (28 years old). George Percy is famous for the fact that he is periodically matched to suitors Pippa Middleton. (Of course dubious popularity). But, if you dig deeper, it turns out that George is the eldest son of the Duke of Northumberland and, accordingly, someday the title and fortune of his father will go to him. And the state is rather big. The Dukedom of Northumberland is currently valued at £300 million. It's mostly real estate and art. His family owns Alnwick Castle, which was used in the Harry Potter movie. Unlike others, George is rarely seen at society parties. According to his friends, this is a simple guy who loves comedy and adventure. But do not forget that there is a mother who Pippa Middleton did not fit into the court. (True, this was when George and Pippa studied at the University of Edingburgh and Pippa was not the sister of the Duchess of Cambridge) The most surprising thing is that it’s hard to find a normal photo of George Percy without Pippa Middleton on the Internet. 
In fifth place is Henry Fitselan - Howard (26 years old). The Fitzalan-Howard family history is quite remarkable; their ancestors are Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Elizabeth I, Edward I and Charles II. Their fortune is estimated at 150 million pounds.
The family nest is located at Arundel Castle. Henry himself is a talented racer. He is currently racing in F3. 
In sixth place is William Drummand Coates (27). William is the heir to a banking dynasty. He is famous for showing tricks with the help of cards. His talent was discovered at Eton. Also a big fan of travel. (The guy's numbers can be viewed on YouTube). 
In seventh place was Malachi Guinness (28 years old). A guy without a title, but his parents own the largest estate in Ireland. Malachy went to Marlborough School (the same place as the Duchess of Cambridge). A very well-read guy, studied history at Oxford. Avoid noisy companies and parties. Lover of Japanese food and holidays in Ireland. 
In eighth place is Earl Hugh Grosvenor. Probably the most enviable (in terms of money) and secret bachelor. The son of the richest Briton, the Duke of Westminstor, Jerrold Grosvenor. Little is known about the guy. Last year he celebrated his coming of age. Where 800 guests were invited, among them was Prince Harry. Hugh studies in Newcastle. 
The last two places were occupied by Hugh Van Custem, but he will marry this year and Sam Branson, who is already married.
The owners of magnificent mansions have to make sacrifices to preserve the legacy.
Writer Nancy Mitford once said: "The aristocracy in the Republic is like a chicken without a head: still running around the yard, although in fact it is already dead."
“Although many of the characters in this book are no longer young, their views are definitely not outdated, because they managed to adapt to new times and look at the family property differently.”
And you won't say that. The book tells about 16 magnificent old houses and their owners. The heirs, Reginato writes, were forced to open their quarters to endless crowds of tourists, and one woman, who had more titles than the Queen of England, was forced to move from a Georgian mansion to an ordinary farmhouse.
Another landlord, John Crichton-Stewart, 7th Marquess of Bute, found himself unable to maintain Dumfries House, an 18th-century palladium villa in Ayrshire, Scotland, as well as an estate with a neo-Gothic mansion; and only the intervention of Charles, Prince of Wales, helped keep the house from being sold. Reginato says: “The auction was cancelled. Several trucks, full of family treasures, were already on their way to London when they were ordered to return home.
1 /5 The Great Library at Goodwood House, West Sussex
But is it so bad if the house is still for sale?
From the perspective of Downton Abbey fans, all these lords, ladies, marchionesses and earls are engaged in a noble, even quixotic, cause: they are fighting to preserve the splendor and beauty of family estates. But on the other hand, Reginato only described the life of a small group of people who voluntarily spend their lives maintaining unreasonably large houses. It is unlikely that anyone would feel sorry for the great-granddaughter of an investment banker who is struggling to keep the family vacation home on Long Island. But the situation of the English "modern aristocrats" is no more disastrous than her, they just have been doing it much longer.
1 /5 Luggala, a mansion in County Wicklow, Ireland, owned by the heir to the Guinness empire
Almost all of the estates in Reginato's book are in Great Britain, and their owners in most cases belong to the landowning class, whose money and power began to evaporate at the dawn of the industrial revolution. After the First World War swept through England, killing many of the noble heirs (from 1914 to 1918, 1,157 graduates of Eton College died on the battlefields), the great houses of the United Kingdom were in a rather deplorable state. Only tricks like an advantageous marriage could save the family estates (for example, Blenheim Palace was "saved" by a marriage of convenience between the 9th Duke of Marlborough and the wealthy American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt).
Even the Rothschild family, whose success in banking has made them relatively immune to the changing British economy abandoned the impressive Waddesdon estate in Buckinghamshire. Reginato says: "After the Second World War, Waddesdon became too expensive even for the Rothschilds." So the mansion, all its contents and 66 hectares of land came under the jurisdiction of the National Trust for the Protection of Historic Monuments, Landmarks and Scenic Spots of Great Britain.
1 /5 Waddesdon Manor donated by the Rothschilds to the National Trust
This list goes on. The Fiennes, who have owned Broughton Castle since 1377, live on the "private side" of the house; the rest of the rooms are open to the public at £9 admission. Family members, Reginato writes, sometimes stand behind the cashier at the local souvenir shop themselves.
Lord Edward Manners, second son of the 10th Duke of Rutland, inherited the manor in Derbyshire. He turned one of the outbuildings into the Peacock Hotel, and in the summer he lets tourists into the main halls of the main building. Reginato notes that "in contrast to those who perceive large and old estates as an unbearable burden, Menners calls his "life's work"".
In other words, all these people may still call themselves aristocrats, but that doesn't make them the ruling class. But hedge fund managers, for example, don't have to charge entrance fees to their own chambers.
1 /5 Third Hall for Receptions and Ceremonies at Blenheim Palace
However, there are exceptions.
The book describes two houses belonging to a very wealthy Cavendish family. In the first, relatively modest cottage, lived Deborah Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. She left the 297-room Chatsworth House when her son took over. Reginato writes that she has always appreciated the compact charm of such houses.
“To have everything so small is a delightful luxury!” said the duchess.
Another residence of the Cavendish family, Lismore Castle in County Waterford, Ireland, Reginato calls simply - "spare house".
1 /5 Deborah Vivienne Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire in her The Old Vicarage
Perhaps the most magnificent of the great houses described belongs to the members of the new generation of royalty. Dudley House, the London residence of the Qatari Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah al-Thani, with an area of 4 thousand km², has 17 bedrooms and one ballroom 15 m long; its approximate cost is 440 million dollars. It is said that when Queen Elizabeth first visited this residence, she only dryly remarked that, in comparison with her, "Buckingham Palace looks rather boring."
1 /5 Interior of Dudley House in Central London
Although her words could be taken as a dubious compliment from one king to another, it rather suggests that the concept of a "real" aristocracy in European society implies only a touch of former glory, like that peeping from the glossy pages of Reginato's excellent book. True, behind all this valorization and nostalgia for a rich past, it is easy to forget that at one time all these houses were intended only to demonstrate the wealth, power and status of their owners. Today's aristocrats build their houses according to the same canons; it's just that the titles of the nobility of our time are handed out by the board of directors, not the queen.
Salons. Secular communication takes place primarily in the salon. A salon is a person, most often a woman, and an address. The scale of the salon changes depending on the day of the week and the time of day. A woman who will not let anyone into her house except her closest friends right after noon, receives dozens of social acquaintances from four to six, and in the evening, perhaps, arranges dances for hundreds of guests. Thus, the salon is an extensible space.
The Vicomte de Melun, who visited the salon of the Duchess de Rosen, testifies that two completely different worlds coexisted in this salon. Numerous evening guests were an audience "very noisy and frivolous". On the contrary, he believes, from four to six, the duchess received “serious” people: there were few women among them, politicians and writers predominated, such as, for example, Wilmain, Sainte-Beuve, Salvandi. Clara de Rosan inherited from her mother, the Duchess de Duras, a passion for people with a sharp mind: “At this time of the day, Madame de Rosan showed not only kind hospitality, but also the ability to describe a person or a book in one word and give each of the guests the opportunity to show off her mind ". Ladies, as a rule, were not admitted to these afternoon meetings, and therefore, out of jealousy, they called Madame de Rosan "bluestocking."
Communication with close friends or secular acquaintances was allotted for the afternoon (called "morning") and the evening. Morning hours in the proper sense of the word were devoted to sleep or household chores. The private space turned into a communal space only after breakfast. This breakfast - a meal that took place in the middle of the day and which others called "lunch" - at the time described, in contrast to the 18th century, did not belong to public life. In the 18th century, in the salon of Madame du Deffand, lunch, which took place at half past one, and dinner, which began at ten o'clock in the evening, were very important stages of secular communication: “Lunch - a meal, perhaps a little more intimate - sometimes serves as a prelude for readings or literary disputes, which are allotted time in the afternoon.
The habit of receiving guests on a certain day of the week from two to seven took root in ladies' society only under the July Monarchy. At first, the owner of the salon called this day she chose "my four hours." The author of the book "Paris Society" notes in 1842 that at four o'clock in the afternoon every lady returns home to her living room, where she receives secular people, statesmen, artists.
There is no place for a husband at these receptions; it became more fitting for him to attend a similar meeting in the house of some other lady. Perhaps this is the remnant of an aristocratic tradition? After all, to expose marital ties to society was considered a purely bourgeois affair.
Morning receptions were divided into "small" and "large" in the same way as evening. The Marquise d'Espard invites the Princess de Cadignan with Daniel Artez to "one of those "small" evening receptions where only close friends are allowed and only if they received a verbal invitation, and for everyone else the door remains closed." The opposite of "small" evenings is - big receptions, balls, etc.
Based on the study, salon sociability was not an exclusive property of high society; she served as a model for the entire middle class. In general, at that time, a family that had reached the level of the petty bourgeois knew two ways to mark this: hire a maid and appoint their own day for receptions.
The life of the salon at all levels of society was built in the same way. Evenings in the salons of the petty and middle bourgeoisie were, judging by the descriptions, nothing more than caricatured imitations of evenings in high society. Narrators depicting these bourgeois evenings often emphasize their contrast with evenings in chic salons and draw portraits of hostesses with particular irony. Ladies from the petty bourgeoisie are most often accused of vulgarity. Here is a typical example of such a ruthless comparison: Cuvillier-Fleury, tutor to the Duke of Omalsky, tells how he spent the evening of January 23, 1833. First, he goes to the director of the Lyceum Henry IV, where he accompanies his pupil every day. The mistress of the house, Madame Gaillard, "is a beautiful woman, but it is clear that she put on her gloves at least a dozen and a half times." Then Cuvillier-Fleury finds herself in the living room of an aristocrat - "white-armed, in an elegant toilet, she is always well-groomed, dresses with exquisite simplicity, combed, perfumed and utterly courteous."
The wives of many officials, employees, directors of lyceums, professors host receptions.
Secular skills, which had a caricature connotation among people of the poor and humble, played the role of one of the most important tools in the process of teaching cultured, refined manners. It is easy to laugh at bourgeois women who played pranks on high society ladies. However, the imitation of the great world, the assimilation of its manners, is a matter much more useful and respectable than many scoffers believed.
The conversations that took place at these receptions played an important role in salon life. “The course of the conversation,” writes the Countess Delphine de Girardin in 1844, depends on three things - on the social position of the interlocutors, on the agreement of their minds and on the situation in the living room. She especially dwells on the meaning of the situation: the salon should be like an English garden: although at first glance it seems that disorder reigns in it, this disorder is “not only not accidental, but, on the contrary, created by the hand of a master.”
An entertaining conversation will never start "in the living room, where the furniture is arranged strictly symmetrically." Conversation in such a living room will revive no less than three hours later, when disorder gradually reigns within its walls. If this happens, after the departure of the guests, the hostess of the house should in no case order the servants to put the chairs and armchairs in their places; on the contrary, you need to remember the location of the furniture, conducive to conversation, and save it for the future.
A true master of conversation should be able to move and gesticulate. For this reason, Delphine de Girardin condemns the fashion for "dunkers" - whatnots for trinkets - cluttering the salons, but, on the other hand, recalls how important it is to provide the guest with some small items that he can mechanically take in the course of a conversation and with whom he will no longer part: “The busiest politician will spend many hours in your house talking, laughing, indulging in the most charming reasoning, if you guess to put a penknife or scissors on the table not far from him.”
This means that the old tradition of organizing "circles" has come to an end. For many years in a row, the guests sat in a circle around the mistress of the house. This created a lot of problems: how would a newly arrived guest find a place in this circle? how to get out of it? Madame de Genlis, in her Ancient Court Etiquette, commissioned by Napoleon, defends the circle in the form in which it existed under the Old Order. However, she notices that modern young women behave immodestly: they want to greet the mistress of the house at all costs and thereby violate the harmony of the circle. Under Louis XV and Louis XVI, guests tried to move as little as possible; the mistress of the house from afar greeted the newly arrived guests with a nod of her head, and this completely satisfied them. In the era of the Restoration, the ladies still sat in a circle. January 26, 1825 Lady Grenville wrote: “Every day I go to no less than two evenings. They begin and end early, and they all look alike: about fifty of the elect are talking, sitting in a circle.
Meanwhile, addiction to the "circle", especially if the mistress of the house had an imperious character, most often did not contribute to the ease and pleasantness of pastime. Otnen d "Ossonville recalls how, in 1829, as a twenty-year-old youth, he visited the salon of Madame de Montcalm: "With a wave of her hand, she indicated to the one who entered the living room the chair or chair intended for him in a row of other armchairs and chairs arranged in a fan around a certain throne, or rather a royal seat in Parliament, which she serenely occupied; if the one who coined the expression "leading a circle" meant to say that the regulars of this or that salon obey his mistress, then this expression was entirely suitable for Mrs. de Montcalm: she “led” her “circle” with a firm hand.” In Madame de Montcalm’s living room, you not only could not choose your place as you wish, you also did not have the right to chat freely with your neighbors: strike up a conversation with them , the mistress of the house would immediately call you to order.
One of the first ladies who felt the need to get rid of "the remnants of ceremoniality generated by the old manner of seating guests in a circle" was Madame de Catellane during the Restoration era: she so wanted her guests to feel at ease in her salon that she herself never occupied two consecutive days of the same place; she was the first to start arranging furniture "anyhow", and with her light hand it became fashionable. Juliette Recamier paid great attention to the arrangement of chairs in her salon in Abbey-au-Bois. They were arranged differently depending on what the guests were to do - talk or listen to the reading of some new work (or recitation of a theatrical monologue). For conversation, chairs were arranged in five or six circles; these were places for ladies; the men, as well as the mistress of the house, had the opportunity to walk around the entire living room. This arrangement gave Madame Recamier the opportunity to immediately lead the newcomers to people close to them in their interests. For reading, armchairs and chairs intended for ladies were arranged in one large circle (or several concentric circles); the reader was placed in the center, and the men stood along the walls.
All this was done in order to make the guests feel at ease, because where there is no ease, it is impossible to conduct a conversation: “Everyone uttered a phrase - a successful phrase that he did not expect from himself. People exchanged thoughts; one learned an anecdote, previously unknown to him, the other found out some curious detail; the wit was joking, the young woman showed charming naivete, and the old scholar an inexorable spirit; and in the end it turned out that, without thinking about it at all, everyone was talking.
How was the topic chosen for the conversation? The interest of the regulars of secular salons in modern times was often satisfied with the help of a chronicle of incidents. Here in the first place was the most famous criminal case of that era - the trial of Marie Lafarge, which took place in September 1840 in Tulle. The widow Lafarge was accused of poisoning her husband with arsenic. The newspapers published a full account of the proceedings of the court, all of France discussed the Lafarge case, and the high society was no exception.
The Lafarge trial was all the more agitated by society people because many of them had not so long ago met the defendant in Parisian salons: she was of a fairly good family. To avoid clashes between the Lafargists and anti-Lafargists (the former claimed that Lafarge was innocent, the latter that she was guilty), the hostesses of the house took special precautions: according to the Siecle newspaper, an invitation to a certain country estate ended with the words: “About the Lafarge trial - not a word!".
Secular people were especially keenly interested in legal proceedings when people of their own circle acted as the accused. Thus, in November 1837, general attention was drawn to the case brought by Dr. Koref against Lord Lincoln and his father-in-law the Duke of Hamilton. The doctor treated for five months and finally cured Lord Lincoln's wife, who was debilitated and suffering from catalepsy. For his labor he demanded four hundred thousand francs; Lord Lincoln was willing to pay him only twenty-five thousand.
In May 1844, the habitues of the salons of the Faubourg Saint-Germain could not recover from amazement. The eighty-nine-year-old old woman whom everyone used to call "Countess Jeanne" died. And only after her death it was discovered that this old lady, who belonged to the most noble families, was none other than the Comtesse de Lamothe, once sentenced to corporal punishment and branding for her involvement in the story with the queen's necklace.
Boulevard, jockey club and secular circles. The journalist Hippolyte de Villemessant, who became famous for having thought to perfume the pages of the Sylphide magazine with spirits from Guerlain, writes in his Notes: “About 1840, the English phrase High Life was not yet known. To find out to which class a person belongs, they did not ask if he belongs to high society, they only asked:
"Is he a man of the world?" Anything that wasn't secular didn't exist. And everything that existed in Paris, every day, about five o'clock, used to flock to Tortoni; two hours later, those who had not dined at their club or at home were already sitting at the tables of the Parisian café; finally, from midnight to half past one, the section of the boulevard between Rue Gelderskaya and Rue Le Peletier was full of people who sometimes moved in different circles, but always had the same beads, knew each other, spoke the same language and had a common habit of meeting each other every evening. .
This definition of "all Paris" during the July Monarchy is not at all like the one given to him by Madame de Gonto in the Restoration era: "all persons presented to the court." In 1840, when defining a good society, no one even remembers the court. And secular society at that time was no longer identified with good society: from now on it includes the Boulevard, and its most noticeable center is the Tortoni cafe.
What is a boulevard? This word, like the words "Saint-Germain Faubourg" or "Faubourg d'Antin", has two meanings - geographical and symbolic. The boulevard was a busy artery that ran from the Place de la République to the Madeleine church and included several boulevards : Bon Nouvel Poissonnière, Montmartre, Boulevard des Italiens, Boulevard des Capucines... All these streets already existed in the 17th century, but they came into fashion only around 1750.
However, most often only the Boulevard d'Italie was called the Boulevard, which earned the reputation of the most elegant street in Paris during the era of the Directory. Part of this boulevard was then called "Little Koblenz" because it became a meeting place for emigrants who returned to France. During the Restoration period, the segment of the Boulevard d'Italie from the intersection with the rue Thébou (at this intersection opposite each other were the Tortoni cafe and the Parisian cafe) to the Madeleine church was named Ghent Boulevard after the city where Louis XVIII spent the Hundred Days. Therefore, fashionistas were nicknamed "gents". They walked only along the right side of the Boulevard, towards the Madeleine.
The boulevard symbolized a certain style of life led by men who belonged to a secular society. First of all, this life proceeded in cafes and mugs. If in summer these gentlemen used the boulevard itself as an "outdoor salon", in winter they met in more sheltered places: near Tortoni, in the Parisian cafe, the English cafe and circles such as the Union, the Jockey Club, the Agricultural Circle.
Life on the boulevards takes place not only in cafes. There is a lively trade going on here. Around 1830, “bazaars” (department stores) appeared: the Industrial Bazaar on Poissonnière Boulevard, the Bufflet Bazaar on Italian Boulevard and the Bon Nouvel Palace, where, in addition to all sorts of stalls, there was a concert hall, an exhibition hall and a diorama. During the July Monarchy, the trade in luxury goods, which at first took place around the Palais-Royal, gradually moved to the boulevards. Before the holidays, fashionistas crowd at Suess, in the Panorama passage, buying gifts: trinkets, jewelry, porcelain, drawings and paintings. Giroux, mentioned by Rudolf Apponi, whose shop is located on the corner of Boulevard des Capucines and the street of the same name, also sells gifts: toys, works of art, bronze figurines, luxury stationery, leather haberdashery, etc.
In addition, the Boulevard offers Parisians all kinds of entertainment. At 27 Italian Boulevard, at the intersection with Michodier Street, there are Chinese baths. Opened shortly before the Revolution, they were a luxurious holiday destination from 1836 to 1853. Entrance to the baths is very expensive, from 20 to 30 francs, they are visited primarily by the rich from the Highway d'Antin. There are steam rooms, aromatic baths, massages, and of course, all this is complemented by an exotic setting - Chinese-style architecture and decoration: a roof in the form of a pagoda, grotesque oriental figurines, hieroglyphs, bells and lanterns.
Another place of entertainment is the Frascati gambling house at the intersection of Montmartre Boulevard and Richelieu Street. In 1796, this beautiful mansion built by Brongniart was bought by Garqui, a Neapolitan ice cream man, who wanted to paint its walls in the Pompeian style - frescoes of people and flowers. Garkey turned the mansion into a kind of casino with a cafe, dance hall and gambling hall. In this gambling hall, unlike the gambling dens of the Palais-Royal, only elegant ladies and gentlemen were allowed. The game started at 4 pm and went on all night. At two o'clock in the morning, the players were served a cold supper. But at Frascati's, you could just have dinner or a glass of wine after leaving the theater. From 1827 to December 31, 1836 - the date the gambling houses in Paris were closed - there was also a gambling department. In 1838 the building was destroyed.
Finally, there were all sorts of spectacles on the boulevards at the service of the Parisians. The largest number of theaters was located on the Boulevard Temple.
Elegant gentlemen rode around Paris, along the Champs Elysees, into the Bois de Boulogne, along the Boulevard on horseback. They learned horseback riding in arenas: in the arena on Dufo Street or in the arena on Chaussé d'Antin Street, opened after 1830 by Count d'Or, the former chief bereytor of the Saumur cavalry school, because the arena in Versailles is the only place where you can was to learn the French manner of riding, after the July Revolution it was closed.
The first races, organized according to the rules, in the English manner, took place in France in 1775 at the initiative of the Count d "Artois and for several years attracted the public to the Sablon Plain. Then they ceased to be successful, and interest in them reawakened only when the Count d "Artois ascended the throne under the name of Charles X: now the races began to be held on the Champ de Mars. But they gained particular popularity after the Society of Competitors for the Improvement of Horse Breeds was created in France in 1833, and in 1834 the Jockey Club.
Interest in equestrian sport intensified at the end of the Restoration era. English influence played a decisive role here: after many French nobles lived for some time in England as emigrants, everything English became fashionable.
In 1826 there lived in Paris an Englishman named Thomas Brien, who, seeing that young French fashionistas were not at all versed in horses, decided to take advantage of this. He organized the Horse Racing Society and in 1827 compiled a small textbook containing the British rules for racing, which allowed elegant gentlemen to talk about fashionable sports with knowledge of the case. On November 11, 1833, the Society of Competitors for the Improvement of Horse Breeds was formed in France with the direct participation of Brian.
The members of the Jockey Club were secular people, not writers and not those in power. Therefore, political disputes were forbidden. High society, in principle, put itself above differences of opinion: in the Jockey Club one could meet legitimists, such as the Marquis de Rifaudiere, who fought a duel in 1832, defending the honor of the Duchess of Berry, Bonapartists, such as, for example, the Prince of Moscow, supporters of the Duke Orleans, such as the future Duc de Morny.
Alton-Sheh, enumerating the advantages of circles, first of all mentions the certainty that only people from good society can be found there. There you can play without fear of cheaters, while in other places, for example, in a Parisian cafe, everyone was admitted indiscriminately. Consequently, in the Jockey Club it was allowed to ruin friends without remorse!
Other advantages were of a practical nature: the members of the Jockey Club were able to enjoy luxury and comfort for a rather modest price (among other things, the club had eight toilet rooms and two bathrooms), and the food here was better than in a restaurant. For dinner, which for the gentlemen who then went to the theater or to society began to be served from six o'clock, it was necessary to sign up in the morning; fifty or sixty of its members gathered at the Jockey Club every evening. Life here went on in the same rhythm as in the world. The saloons were empty until noon; the people who cut the coupons came at three o'clock. At 5 o'clock, when lovers of walks returned from the Bois de Boulogne, a whole crowd gathered in the club.
The Encouragement Society and the Jockey Club definitely contributed to the development of equestrian sports. The first steeplechase took place in 1829, the first steeplechase in March 1830. In 1830, the esplanade of the Champ de Mars was expanded, but at the races in those days, the horses did not run simultaneously, but in turn. Since 1833, the Society of Competitors has dreamed of turning the lawn at Chantilly into a hippodrome. Since the castle belonged to the Duke of Omalsky, Louis Philippe was asked for permission, and he reacted favorably to this plan. So, in 1834, a hippodrome was opened in Chantilly. The races in May 1835 were a great success.
In the era of the Restoration, there were many circles that united secular gentlemen. But the fate of the first two - the Circle on the Rue Grammont (1819) and the French Circle (1824) - was not easy, because it was difficult to obtain official permission, and the circle on the Rue Grammont existed only thanks to the connivance of the authorities; in 1826 both circles were banned. Finally, in 1828, the Martignac government came to their aid and issued permits. At this time, the most famous circle, the "Union", was created. Its founder was the Duke de Guiche, an admirer of English customs, who also led the two previous circles.
"Union" became the second circle on the Rue Grammont. From 1828 to 1857 he occupied the Levy mansion at the corner of Rue Grammont (house 30) and Italian Boulevard (house 15), and then moved to the Madeleine Boulevard. We were accepted into this circle with great distinction. The entrance fee was 250 francs, the annual fee - the same amount. The membership fee for the Rue Grammont circle was only 150 francs a year. Each candidate required the recommendation of two members of the club (for the circle on the Rue Grammont, one was sufficient). Admission took place by "general vote", in which at least twelve members had to take part. One black ball out of twelve meant a refusal (on Grammont Street - three balls). The club had three hundred permanent members (five hundred in the circle on the Rue Grammont), but foreigners temporarily residing in Paris could become members for six months by paying a fee of 200 francs.
The Union was more luxurious than the Jockey Club and brought together aristocrats and members of the diplomatic corps. After 1830, it became a stronghold of legitimism: retired officers of the royal guard, dignitaries of the former court and those nobles who were against the new order entered it at that time. Business people from the Chaussé d'Antin quarter were not allowed into the circle. If Baron James Rothschild was accepted, it was not as a banker, but as a diplomat. The Union can perhaps be called the most elite of the Parisian circles.
The agricultural circle, colloquially called "Potato", was founded in 1833 by the agronomist Mr. de "La Chauvinier. At first it was called the Agricultural Association, then the Rural Athenaeum and finally the Rural Circle, until in 1835 it received its final name - the Agricultural Circle He was located in the Nelsky mansion on the corner of the Voltaire embankment and Beaune Street. This circle brought together people interested in economics and social ideas. Among its members we meet representatives of famous aristocratic families, people who became famous in the field of economics and agriculture, as well as people of nobility , but "won a place for themselves with their honesty and intelligence."
The agricultural circle did not become a real club until 1836; from now on they gather there to play, read newspapers and talk. At the same time, the circle became legitimist, methodically rejecting those who were somehow connected with the new regime. The Agricultural Circle included many politicians of the Restoration era, from the Baron de Damas to M. de Labouillerie, including M. de Chastellux and Comte Begno.
The agricultural circle differed from other clubs in the lectures which, beginning in 1833, were given within its walls, first by M. de La Chauviniere and then by M. Menneschet. The lectures dealt with "important scientific, economic and artistic problems": sugar production, railways, magnetism, horse breeding, prisons, Raschel and tragedy, etc.
Under the July Monarchy, the evolution from high society to demi-monde and the Boulevard was most evident in the Jockey Club. The Jockey Club had a reputation for being newfangled and keeping up with the times. Perhaps because he was not legitimist. Or rather, perhaps, it was not Legitimist because it was more modern, focused on horses, that is, on fashion. Neither generosity or a diplomatic post, as in the "Union", nor an interest in agriculture, as in the Agricultural Circle, did not give the right to join the Jockey Club - this required "a big name, a brilliant life, a love of equestrian sports and prodigality” characteristic of the dandy. With the Jockey Club, the light settles on the Boulevard. The club, which promoted a lifestyle dominated by horses and entertainment, served as a link between high society and the world of the theater.
This new style of sociability would be even more pronounced in the less prestigious circles, whose members indulged in the pleasures of the Boulevard, not even hiding behind an interest in equestrianism or anything else. Let us mention the Small Circle, which met in the Parisian cafe - it included, in particular, Captain Gronow, a rich and well-born Englishman, who, after serving under the command of Wellington, settled in Paris. The members of the Small Circle were not only persons who were also members of the Union and the Jockey Club, but also people from various circles of society and various parties: “The roots were not always common, but the habits, tastes, and most importantly The Small Circle could offer its members something far from the most trivial and not the most boring - an atmosphere tinged with liberalism.
Theatre, circus and opera. Theaters played an important role in the secular life of the aristocracy.
“It was considered good form to appear on Mondays at the French Theater, and on Fridays at the Opera, but to have fun everyone went to the theaters on the Boulevard.” Although secular people preferred music, they did not neglect the theater either. In particular, they certainly bought a subscription to the French Theater.
Famous celebrities went to the French Theater: Talma, Mademoiselle Mars, Mademoiselle Georges and the rising star Rachel. Talma, born in 1763, died in 1826 in a halo of fame, which he owed to the patronage of Napoleon.
Members of high society were interested in romantic drama and between 1830 and 1835 willingly watched romantic dramas at the French Theater and at the Porte Saint-Martin Theater, which at that time was headed by Harel, a friend of Mademoiselle Georges, who had previously directed the Odeon. Henri III and his Court, Christine, Antony, Alexandre Dumas's Nelskaya Tower, Ernani, whose premiere on February 25, 1830 made so much noise, Marion Delorme and Angelo, Tyrant of Padua, were staged. Hugo, Chatterton Vigny. Marie Dorval, Bocage and Frédéric Lemaitre performed successfully at the Porte Saint-Martin Theatre. Frédéric Lemaitre, in 1833, began to play in Robert Macer's Foley Dramatic, a role in which he had become famous ten years earlier, when he played at the Funambühl Theater in the play "Inn at Adré."
Often the audience did not sit out until the end of the theater evening - the programs were so rich. In the French theater, they often gave a five-act tragedy and a comedy, also a five-act, in one evening. A single title appeared on the poster only in those cases when the play either belonged to the pen of a famous and fashionable author, or promised large fees.
Secular people also visited the boulevard theaters, among which the Zhimnaz-Dramatic, opened in 1820, enjoyed particular success. In 1824, the Duchess of Berry honored it with her patronage: on this occasion, it was renamed the Theater of His Highness. Until 1830, the duchess regularly visited her theater and thereby introduced it into fashion. Scribe was the regular author of Gimnaz, and Virginie Dejazet was the leading actress, who played seventy-three roles in it. Thin, fast, she played agile soubrettes and travesty. Buffay shone there from 1831 to 1842.
In the boulevard theaters, the public went to comic plays on Etienne Arnal, who performed in crude farces in Vaudeville, and on parodies. The success of a play was measured by the number of parodies written on it. The theater "Variety" specialized in this genre with actors Pottier, Berne and Audrey.
Finally, there was one more place where not only people from the people, but also secular people willingly went - the Olympic Circus. Perhaps fashionistas were attracted by the technical innovations that abounded in each performance? Or beautiful horses? The Ojaimpi circus belonged to the Franconi family. Antonio Franconi was from Venice, and in 1786 he teamed up with Astley, an Englishman who had opened a horse ride in Paris fifteen years earlier. In 1803, the association broke up, and Franconi became the sole owner of the troupe. In 1805, Antonio gave way to his sons - horse trainer Laurent and mime Henri, nicknamed Kotik. Both of them were married to riders. In the era of the Empire, they represented the Napoleonic epic: "The French in Egypt", "The Bridge in Lodi" ... During the Restoration, the numbers were called "Furious Roland", "Attack on the stagecoach", and after the Spanish war, the circus represented "The Capture of the Trocadero". On this performance, on the orders of Louis XVIII, the whole army was to attend. The Duke of Orleans willingly took his children to the Olympic Circus, especially since Laurent Franconi gave his sons riding lessons. In 1826, the circus on the Rue du Temple burned down. The Franconi rebuilt it on the Temple Boulevard, collecting 150,000 francs by subscription in two months.
The new hall was huge, in battle scenes five or six hundred people could perform in it, both on foot and on horseback. It communicated with a racetrack designed for horse rides. In 1827, management passed into the hands of Kotik's son, Adolf. He continued to show military episodes. After 1830, he created The Poles (1831), The Siege of Constantine (1837) and took advantage of the surge of love for Napoleon that the return of the ashes of the Emperor caused to recreate the great moments of the imperial epic. The performances ended with an apotheosis in the form of living pictures: a farewell at Fontainebleau or the death of Napoleon was depicted.
Secular people went to listen to music at the Opera and at the Italian Theater, which was also called the Opera Buff. At the Opera they sang in French; performances were on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with Friday being the most fashionable day. In the Italian theater, according to an agreement concluded back in 1817, they sang only in Italian and only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The season at the Opera Buff lasted from October 1 to March 31, the season at the Opera was somewhat longer. The Opera became especially popular in April and May, when there were almost no private balls in Paris, and the Italian theater was closed.
Until 1820, the Opera was located on the Rue Richelieu, then, after the assassination of the Duke of Berry, on the Rue Le Peletier. Louis XVIII ordered the destruction of the building on the threshold of which the crime had occurred and the construction of a new one nearby. As for the Italian Theater, it moved many times: from 1815 to 1818, performances were given in the Favard Hall, built in 1783, from 1819 to 1825 in the Louvois Hall, after which the Italians returned to the Favard Hall, which burned down in 1838 . Then the Opéra-buff occupied the Vantadour Hall, then moved to the Odeon, and then returned again to the Vantadour Hall, located on the site of the current Renaissance Theater. The Favard Hall, rebuilt after a fire, was given to the Opéra-Comique in 1840.
Opera on Rue Le Peletier seated 1054 spectators. A seat in a box cost 9 francs, as in the French Theater, the most expensive Parisian theater was the Italian Opera. - there the place cost 10 francs. However, in the era of the Restoration, high society believed that they should not pay for their seats. The manager of the fine arts, Sausten de La Rochefoucauld, complained to King Charles X about the abuses of the royal retinue, ruining the treasury: "The whole court wants to go to the Opera for free." He tried to fight privileges: "I even managed to get the Duke of Orleans to subscribe to the box for a year, it befits him and is beneficial to us."
The July Monarchy restricted entry by counterfeits. Yes, and the king did not have the right to visit the theater for free: he subscribed to the three best boxes on the front stage and paid 18,300 francs a year for this. The highest example has been set. Secular people, as a rule, after Louis-Philippe hired a box for a year.
The Italian theater was a more sophisticated place than the Opera. Not at the expense of the elegance of the outfits: the ladies appeared here and there in ball gowns and diamonds. But in the Italian theater the spectators felt themselves in their own circle, that is, among true lovers of music from high society; unlike the Opera, silence and order reigned here. To be late for the beginning of the performance, to come to the second act, to sit down in an armchair with noise, to laugh and talk loudly - all these liberties taken at the Opera were not in use at the Italian theater. In addition, it was considered indecent to applaud in the boxes, only the stalls could clap their hands: so the atmosphere remained chilly for the singers.
Of course, the Opera Buff was a public place, but the press often described it as a private salon. Theophile Gauthier writes directly: "Before talking about birds, let's say a few words about the utterly rich gilded cage, for the Opera buff is equally a theater and a salon." And he begins to paint the comfort of the Vantadour Hall in 1841: the railings in the boxes are convex, soft, the chairs are elastic, the carpets are thick, there are many sofas in the foyer and corridors. By the way, part of the theatrical decoration was indeed privately owned: these are salons adjacent to the boxes, hired by mutual agreement of the theater owners and wealthy spectators, furnished and decorated to the taste of the employers. The number of lodges of the first and second tiers was increased by the gallery and stalls.
Some of these salons were even more luxurious than the hall. In the salon of Madame Aguado, whose banker husband invested in the upkeep of the theatre, the eyes saw “a beautiful ceiling and walls upholstered in white and yellow semi-brocade, dark red silk curtains and a carpet of the same color, mahogany chairs and armchairs, a velvet sofa , a rosewood table, a mirror and expensive knick-knacks.
At the end of the Restoration era, a kind of stratification of the public took place: the aristocrats preferred the Italian theater, the bourgeois were more willing to attend the Opera. Moreover, Dr. Veroy, who directed the Opera from 1831 to 1835, made it his goal to open its doors to the bourgeoisie: he wanted to make seat subscriptions one of the criteria for belonging to an elegant society. In a short time, the number of season tickets sold tripled, and in order to get a season ticket, one had to sign up on a waiting list. In conclusion, I will say that the Comic Opera, which staged exclusively works by French authors (Adan's The Postman from Longjumeau was a resounding success in 1836), did not attract high society too much, it was more readily visited by the middle bourgeoisie, who considered love for foreign music snobbery.
Private concerts began to play an important role in the salon life of the 30s of the 19th century in Paris. One should not think that mediocre music sounded in the salons. The secular people were true connoisseurs: "The ears of the era have become very picky," says the "Siecle" on January 19, 1843, speaking of "the thirst for melodies that seized the salons."
Usually in salons only recognized celebrities were interested. The presence of recognized celebrities in the salon plays the role of bait, so the mistresses of the house willingly reincarnate as theater directors. In invitations, they indicate: "You will hear Mr. ..." - exactly like on the posters of performances. Less often, the reverse movement occurred - the salons recognized talents, which then received recognition on the professional stage.
Performing in the salon provided celebrities with undoubted advantages: on the one hand, they received a generous reward, and on the other, they fell into high society and, perhaps, experienced the illusion of belonging to it.
But the disposition of high society towards an artist does not at all mean that this artist has become a member of it. Tenor Dupre was convinced of this from his own experience. In 1837 he had a huge success at the Opera, where he sang the part of Arnold in Rossini's opera William Tell. Dupre decided to take advantage of his fame to create a position in society. He opened his salon in 1841, on the Thursday of the third week of Lent. He was waiting for aristocrats, bankers and artists, but "Saint-Germain Faubourg remained indifferent." Secular people could applaud the artist on stage and invite him to perform in their salons, but this did not mean at all that they would accept the invitation of this celebrity. For the rich man who pays to have a famous artist perform at his house is showing his love of the arts, but in doing so, in a way, continues - even if the situation is no longer the same as under the Old Order - the tradition of the nobility to put actors and musicians on a par with servants and suppliers.
Being themselves accepted everywhere, famous actors and theatrical entrepreneurs could not host high society, in any case, ladies.
Thus, comparing the position of celebrities in the era of the Restoration and under the July Monarchy, it can be noted that significant changes have taken place. The desire of the “light” to separate the “wheat from the chaff” has reached its apogee.
Being a fashionista is good, but looking stately, like you are a woman from high society, is a real job. You've noticed that there are ladies who seem to be dressed simply, but at the same time look perfect. But some girls try to put on all the most fashionable and expensive, make an important face, but it is not difficult to figure out that they are commoners. We want to tell you about typical style mistakes.
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To look wealthy, you need to present yourself correctly and be very careful about the selection of clothes. British fashion experts offer some very practical advice for those who want to look perfect. Editorial "So simple!" happy to share them with you.
How to dress cheap and stylish
Black is seductive, but white really ennobles. Wear white from head to toe to look like a high society girl. It’s as if you are declaring to the world: “I’m not afraid to get my snow-white suit dirty, because in case of trouble I’ll go and buy a new one, because I’m a wealthy lady.” Practicality should not even smack.
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Remember: you should always have a good iron, ironing board and laundry detergent in your home. There should be no stains on your clothes (even in inconspicuous places) and even more so wrinkled. It is not important how much you bought a blouse or dress for, but how they sit on you. If not in size - ears, if the line has diverged - hand it over to the repair of clothes. No one will notice the label with a fashion brand, but everyone will appreciate and remember how the thing sits on you.
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It is unlikely that you will look perfect in sneakers or unsightly ballet flats. This also indicates that you spend a lot of time on your feet or walking. But a successful heel will add luxury to your image, stretch the silhouette and make your legs slim and long. It will also tell you that you are moving, most likely by car.
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Love silk, cotton and linen. These fabrics look chic, and besides, your body in clothes made of them does not sweat as much and does not swell. Natural fabric at all times has been, is and will remain a sign of a wealthy person. Such outfits will give your image a touch of sophistication.
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A small umbrella is convenient, and a cane umbrella is elegant. Even if it doesn't rain outside, this piece of clothing will add a twist to your look. You will look solid in cloudy weather, despite the fact that the hair fluffs up and the mascara floats.
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They say that even a woman's past can be found in the bowels of a bag, and a lot can be said about the character of a lady by the shape of this accessory. According to Victoria Beckham, a bag and glasses play a key role in the image of a woman.
Therefore, you will have to buy a luxurious Hermes Birkin or Fendi handbag to look like a wealthy lady. Believe me, this is a good investment. A quality item in a classic style will last for many years.
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All successful people wear good watches. By this they seem to show respect for their time. This is also an attribute of a rich person. Despite the dominance of modern gadgets, people still remain faithful to mechanical watches.
The watch beautifully emphasizes the wrist, and the running hands act hypnotically on the interlocutor. When a woman urgently needs to know what time it is, and she starts digging through her bag in search of a phone, it looks awkward and fussy.
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If you want to look rich, forget about down jackets and other jackets. They will forgive. Yes, they are good for walking and going out of town, but they don’t go well with beautiful dresses and trousers. Better wear a coat that fits perfectly on your figure, and for spring, buy a beige trench coat. Refined and feminine.
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A wealthy woman needs a handbag only to put lipstick, a phone and a bank card in it. No need to stuff it so that it changes its shape directly. You should radiate lightness and carelessness, and not twist on one side and show a cry for help with your whole appearance.
Therefore, plan your day so that you can go home for the necessary things (sportswear, for example) or choose a bag style that will not give out your thriftiness.
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Luggage, like an everyday handbag, should look perfect. This is your travel business card. Choose a suitcase made from materials that retain their shape. And also make sure that there are no stains, cuts and dents on it.
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There are many tips how to dress nice for a woman. But in order to look like a million, you must first feel that way. After all, it is the female energy that catches, not the clothes. Self-acceptance, purpose in life and love inspire a woman to take care of herself and stand out from the crowd. Also, her eyes should light up.
Tell us in the comments if you agree with the advice of British experts. And also share this useful article with your friends on social networks!
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