The Costumer's Manifesto is written by Tara Maginnis, and proudly hosted by William Baker.

THE MANIFESTO IS MUTATING!  IT IS TURNING INTO A WIKI THAT CAN BECOME THE HIVE MIND OF ALL COSTUMERS, FINALLY LIVING UP TO IT'S SLOGAN: "COSTUMERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!" YOU CAN HELP IN THIS PROCESS BY MOVING PAGES TO THE NEW SITE AT THECOSTUMERSMANIFESTO.COM, HELPING TO EDIT THE PAGES THAT ARE THERE ALREADY, AND ADDING YOUR OWN ORIGINAL INPUT.

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 The fan was the most essential accessory in a fashionable woman’s wardrobe. With it, she could gesture encoded messages using one of the numerous "fan languages" published by enterprising print shops, or simply use it as a natural adjunct to her hand gestures.

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Above photos taken at the Royal Art and History Museum, Brussels, Belgium.

Fan Series 18th Century
Fan Series
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com 

Visual History of Costume Accessories : From Hats to Shoes : 400 Years of Costume Accessories

Fans

The most common fan in the 18th Century was the folding variety based on Chinese models. Unlike their Asian counterparts, however, European fans had elaborately carved and decorated sticks, made of ivory, mother-of-pearl, horn, wood, and tortoise shell. Fan leaves were made of vellum and paper and were both hand painted and printed. Lace fans were extremely unusual and fabric fans were not used at all until the 19th Century.

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Above photos taken at the Royal Art and History Museum, Brussels, Belgium.

Print of a fan design "The Ball of the Nations" mid 18th Century

Fan with painted Miniatures, 1st half of the 18th Century (Kohler)