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fontange
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fontange

headdress
Also known as: tower
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Quick Summary

The term "fontange" refers to a specific type of headdress popular in France and England around the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It was characterized by a tall, often fan-shaped topknot made of ribbon, linen, and lace, supported by a wire framework called a "commode".1

Legend has it that the fontange originated when a mistress of Louis XIV, the Duchess of Fontanges, improvised a hairstyle using a garter ribbon. This simple style quickly evolved into a more elaborate fashion, featuring artificial curls and streamers, and became a trend among women in the French and English courts.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. commode
  2. fontange

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