painting of Mme de Pompadour by François Boucher, 1758-59"Stomacher" is perhaps not the loveliest word, but it can be a lovely fashion accessory. Recently I've become obsessed with a very specific style of this rococo must-have.
Dresses in the 18th century are often designed like a robe which does not quite reach all the way around, so there is an open strip down the front of the dress. This front opening is filled on the bottom half by a petticoat skirt, and on the top half (bodice) by a panel called a stomacher.
Échelle is the french word for ladder, and describes the "ladder" of ribbon bows that scale the bodice of this particular style of stomacher. The bows seem designed to emphasize the alluring swell of the feminine figure, as they gradually increase in size from the smallest (at the tiny corseted waist) to the fullest at the bust.
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