Chez Chez La Femme: Marie Antoinette the Un-Official Patron Saint of the Fashionista

Marie Antoinette has always had a special place in my heart. For she is the un-official patron saint of the fashionista. She was born in November 1755, an Archduchess of Austria and in April 1770 she married Louis XVI of France and became the Dauphine of France. Marie Antoinette then assumed the title of Queen of France upon the death of Louis XV. She initially had charmed the people of France with her beauty and personality, but it seemed that poor Marie Antoinette was not able to charm the one person she needed to, her husband!
Her mother criticized her for her inability to "inspire passion" in her husband, who rarely slept with her and had no interest in doing so, being more interested in his hobbies such as lock-making and hunting as well as the occasional stable boy. Her mother went so far as saying directly to Marie Antoinette that she was no longer pretty, and had lost all her grace.

Hat by milliner Philip Treacy

An early illustration of Marie Antoinette

So, to make up for the lack of affection from her husband and her mothers constant criticism, Marie Antoinette did what most of us do when we have a stressful situation or a bad day. She shopped! She was expected by tradition to outshine the other women at Court and did so by spending outrageous amounts of money on her attire, pomade, shoes, and rouge. After all she was the IT girl of Versailles!
Marie Antoinette finally gave birth to a daughter after seven years of marriage, and later on gave birth to a male heir to the throne. Unfortunately, because of her spending on clothes and gambling the French people generally came to dislike her, accusing her of being promiscuous and being sympathetic to Frances enemies, Austria in particular. She became known as Madame Deficit. Marie Antoinette was tried and convicted of treason,and was executed by guillotine on October 16th 1793.
Some academics have deemed her frivolous and superficial, and have attributed the start of the French Revolution to her; however, others have claimed that she was treated unjustly and that views of her should be more sympathetic.
Marie Antoinette did not have the easiest of lives, she was married at the age of fifteen, and then became queen at the age of 19. ( I know people in their thirties that still cant balance their bank accounts!) In her death Marie Antoinette became a legend, one that still inspires us today. For all that she was, may god bless the queen!!! And for those that feel differently toward this amazing woman. well then , "Let them eat cake"

Kirsten Dunst as "Marie Antoinette" in Sofia Coppolas film of the same name