Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the romantic costume style which has become a big trend before and after the 21th century. For this purpose, I examined the development plans and characteristics of women's costume in France in the Romantic period from the 1820s to the 1850s and analyzed the aesthetic characteristics of romantic costume style The aesthetic characteristics of romantic style in the 19th century were defined by the feminine and elegant beauty, exoticism, and sensuality. Since the 1990s, the characteristics are classified into Feminine & Elegant Style, Ethnic & Fusion Style, and Sensual Style. Feminine & Elegant Style is characterized by delicate, splendid lace and frill decorations that have become more ornamental and technical since the 1990s. They create greater romance and express gentler and more elegant femininity away from the artificial silhouette. Ethnic & Fusion Style use more diverse ethnic patterns, colors, accessories, and details since the 1990s and shows more varieties and creativity in convergence with modern fashion. Sensual Style exposes the physical curve of female body. In the 19th century, cuffs and collars were exaggerated and shoulders were exposed for sensuality. After the 1990s, however, see-through materials have been used to show the beauty of natural physical curves or corsets have been worn as the outerwear. Studying romantic costume style, which arose as a concept of postmodernism, the cultural ideology that exists as a breakthrough of our time, is signified by the understanding of the latest cultural phenomenon and fashion trends.
