L’habit de livrée dans la Maison civile du roi : entre prestige et servitude

Abstract

Liveries in the King’s Civil Household were particular clothes. Their appearance, finally codified in the 1660s, showed, by their colours and braids, the affiliation of their owner to the King’s service. They also reflected the hierarchy that existed inside the Royal Household: the variation of fabrics, but essentially the variation of materials and width of the braids, enabled contemporaries to clearly identify the different charges existing in the Royal Household. In addition, royal liveries held a prestigious dimension of their own: the luxury of their braids, the sums devoted to them, the number of people who wore them at Court and beyond, or conflicts of interest they aroused showed this dimension. They were even asked to be worn on out of the Royal Household. The strict regulations, which framed both their appearance and the steps of their conception, shows the care devoted to them and how this outfit, so usual, took such an importance at Court, becoming a reflection of the royal power. So, liveries were a junction between Court dress and usual clothes.

Keywords

• Bâtiments du roi
• braid
• outfit
• costume
• Court
• fabric