What to Wear…and When to Wear It

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Madame Onesta

“The Duchess”

Contrasting Dress

The Pictures I have chosen for this blog post are all from the movie “The Duchess” starring Kiera Knightly. This first picture (above) presents two styles of dress that are starkly juxtaposed by one another yet worn by the same character. The dress in the left picture is highly feminine, lightly colored and adorned with ribbons and frills. The dress on the right however, is dark and mirrors the dress of the man behind her. It is ornamented with masculine features that are common attributes of men’s clothing, such as buckles and a neck tie.

These next two images (above) also present differing accounts of modes of dress. The dresses in the top picture are lightly colored and more practical-looking than those in the lower picture. In the picture on the top, the women are also wearing hats rather than feathers, as they are in the lower picture.

The conclusion I have come to about the way choosing an outfit worked in the 18th century, is that selecting an outfit was determined by the situation you would be wearing it in. For example, in the movie “The Duchess,” women would wear lighter-colored clothing during the day and darker-colored clothing when they would go out at night, to say the opera or a play. Also, at night, when going to town for such festivities, clothing was more ornate and rich looking and was adorned with more accessories, namely jewelry. During the day, clothing was of lighter material and more relaxed in order to, I presume, allow for freer movement and to limit the effects of heat caused by the sunlight.

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The Blissfulness of Ignorance

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Madame Onesta

O! What a felicity it is to Mankind, said I to myself, that they cannot see into the hearts of one another.

- Moll Flanders (pg.142)

In the novel Moll Flanders, by Daniel Defoe, the main character herself epitomizes the belief that man is better off when ignorant to the hearts of one another. Many times throughout the novel, Moll’s own survival depends solely on fallacies and therefore, it could be said that, the fact that human beings cannot see into the hearts of one another is what keeps Moll’s lies from being exposed. Had her brother been privy to her scheme of indirectly lying about her financial situation, he probably wouldn’t have married her and consequently, she wouldn’t have advanced in her moneyless situation. Albeit, the marriage ended up failing in light of their familial relationship however, Moll, in the long run, ended up financially benefitting from it.

Additionally, Moll’s survival as a pickpocket also depends on deception. During the event where Moll was almost caught stealing silver from a silversmith’s shop, she claimed that she had entered the store with the intention of buying some silver and in doing so convinced the magistrate and the store owner of her innocence, though she was anything but innocent. Had the magistrate and the storeowner seen into her heart to her true intentions, she would have been severely punished. Survival is Moll Flanders’ top priority in life; everything she does is to ensure her own survival. Because she was a victim of unfortunate circumstances, to ensure her survival and to advance her position in life, Moll had to lie to make herself appear more desirable to others.

Although the novel, Moll Flanders, is intended to provide an example for 18th century citizens on what not to do, it exposes the inner workings of society that makes the right thing to do also the hardest thing to do. Ideally seeing into another person’s heart should be wonderful because of the pure unadulterated view that it would provide. Supposing that hardly any people have pure intentions however, makes this ability extremely compromising to both the viewer and the viewed. No one would move forward in life lest his or her intentions are pure, and it is idealistic to think that anyone is wholly devoid of even the littlest bit of corruption or depravity. Moll Flanders is right on the mark when she says that it is a blessing to mankind that they are ignorant of the hearts of one another because it allows them to trust people with a clear conscience.

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The typical day of an undercover life coach…

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Madame Onesta

One day I found myself walking down 9th street, just past Metro 8, on my way to Things Remembered, when I came upon the figure of a crying woman. I inquired after the reason for her tears and she, being unable to immediately provide a response, looked at me like I was a most unreasonable young woman to be asking such a question. When she had calmed herself enough to talk (for she was still shaking with sobs) she said to me, why do you care?

I do not know, said I, perhaps I thought I could help.

How, asked she? Seeing that I did not know how to respond, she went on with her crying again.

How do you propose, says I, to help yourself?  How can you fix what is wrong if you remain on the floor pitying yourself and refusing an offer of help from anyone else?

This declaration set her laughing at me, as you would never assume a question of the kind would do. She looked up at me and, seeing in my face what I assume looked like utter shock (for I was staring at her with wide eyes), her laughter turned manic and eventually evolved into sobs again.

Don’t you think says she that I have tried everything already?

How am I supposed to know says I what you have and haven’t tried if you go about laughing at me or responding to me in such a way as to make me think you are mad?

She, having been brought back to reality by my response, suddenly looked as if guilt over her behavior would set her to crying yet again. She rose from her position on the curb, apologized, and began to tell me her story.

Her lover of three years, who had recently been employed with a teaching job at Pearsontown elementary school on Barbee road, believed her to be an economic inconvenience and because of it turned her out of his house with no more that 200 dollars to her name and a one satchel filled with clothing enough for one week. She gave me reason for why she proved to be such a burden to her ex lover. She was a student in school and therefore could not obtain a job (seeing as she had no time apart from her schooling to hold one).

What shall I do says she.

Well says I, I know exactly what you ought to do.

I then began to advise her on what should be done. I perceived that given her situation, she ought to request housing from her school and continue on with her studies. I told her that as studious a pupil she seemed to be it was most probable that she would go on to earn a degree and someday have an advantageous job and never want for the support of a man again.

Then says I, after you have become established in your career (she was studying to become a surgeon), you must make him sensible of his mistake. You must dress in the finest clothes at your disposal and adorn yourself with the most expensive jewels you own. Make yourself known to him. He must face his mistake and forever regret turning you out of the house you called home for three years.

I found her to be very well pleased with our discourse. She looked forward to the day she could make him sensible of his mistake to turn her away.

 

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“What’s in a name…”

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Madame Onesta

My Dear readers,

My name has passed through the lips of many men and women all throughout the world. It has been called out so often by people in need of a confidant that you would assume, by now, that it be established in the Oxford dictionary:

noun 

1. a human diary

2. a place to keep all of your secrets

I am the diary in which many a person’s secrets have been kept, a diary that I am about to unlock and publish for all to read. It is for this particular reason that I do not give you leave to know my true name. Instead, you may call me Madame Cortigiana Onesta. The reason for this article is to introduce to you the story behind my purpose and to give meaning to my name. “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” (Romeo & Juliet 2.2.46-47) yet I, by any other name, would not be me.

In Italian, La Cortigiana Onesta renders the meaning of “the honest courtesan.” In Italy, Le Cortigiana Oneste are highly respected and intelligent members of society. They are treated more or less equally to women of nobility and in many cases their educations even surpass those of the noble women. Yes, they are courtesans and must surrender their bodies to the passions of the flesh however; their duties far exceed this slight physical facet. Their appeal lies in their ability to engage their companions in various social and intellectual conversations on a multitude of topics ranging from politics to art and music.

I am not an “honest courtesan” in the typical sense and understanding of the word. Unlike Le cortigiana oneste of Italy, I surrender my body to the quill and my mind to you, my lovely companions. I am no mistress to men; I am mistress to the pen.

My business lies in befriending the world; for friends are those that know the secret desires that lurk behind eyes, dwell deep in the souls, and live in the hearts of their companions. My single friend is my quill; only he has seen the secrets, my own and those of they who befriend me, that preside in my mind. I am mistress to my quill. And soon you shall be mistress to me.

The purpose of this journal is to share with you, my new companions, the secrets of the world.

Yours truly,

Madame Cortigiana Onesta

 

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