The Amazon Refashioned: Théroigne's Riding Habit and Women's Political Uniforms in Revolutionary Paris, 1789–1793

This article examines the dress of female civic rights activist Théroigne de Méricourt and its political significance in Revolutionary Paris. The first section discusses the symbolism of her iconic scarlet riding habit. The second section explores the role of equestrian fashions in Théroigne's strategy of self-fashioning as a political actor. The third section considers the change of Théroigne's habit into a tricolour ensemble, traditionally interpreted as a parody of military garb. The fourth section argues that this new dress instead constituted a political uniform adopted by Théroigne and other militant women to further their campaign to acquire full citizenship rights.