The First Fashion Icon

For my first real entry I wanted to explain the meaning behind the name of my blog. For the uneducated, Versailles is the palace just outside of Paris where Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, lived. Marie Antoinette was one of the world's first fashion icons. She is one of my ultimate idols. Marie Antoinette was known for her extravagent tastes in fashion, and for squandering the country's money on clothes, parties and gambling. If you're going to be squandering money, I really cannot think of anything better to squander it on.

Apparently the Queen had a servant whose only job was to take care of her vast shoe collection. Personally, I commend her for providing someone with a job. Another somewhat awesome diva move on the part of Marie Antoinette was the rumour that she refused to use the court hairdresser, and instead spent more money to get a more fashionable sylist to power her wig.

The Queen and her husband the King were both popular subjects in the tabloids of the time. Marie Antoinette was spashed over the pages because of her fashion addiction and her supposed sluttiness. Her husband on the other hand, found his way into the rags as well, being accused of being weak leader and possibly a homosexual. It was rumoured that Marie Antoinette found the idea of sex with her husband repulsive. I'm going to assume that she got nice and tipsy before comsummating the marriage. Supposedly the king was only interested in hunting. What good is a gay husband if he is more interested in hunting than your shoe collection?

I commend Marie Antoinette for having the guts to be herself amidst intense scutiny. I admire her for finding ways to enjoy herself, despite being stuck in a loveless marriage. Tragically, Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was beheaded during the French Revolution. This led to the end of the oppressive monarchy, and so in a way, her life was sacrificed for the greater good of France. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France died on October 16, 1793. On the same day, 193 years later, I was born.