Directoire
See also: directoire
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From French directoire.
Proper noun
[edit]Directoire
- (historical) The ruling executive of revolutionary France, from 1795-1799, or the period governed by this body.
Adjective
[edit]Directoire (comparative more Directoire, superlative most Directoire)
- Pertaining to a style of dress common during this period, characterised by extravagant, Classically-inspired designs.
- 1956, Ursula Bloom, Victorian Vinaigrette:
- My great-grandmother wore a brief empire bodice, and close-fitting Directoire skirt made of cream silk with a golden stripe running through it.
- 2009 August 30, Sarah Mower, The Guardian:
- Leafing through them now, I notice how orderly the early ones are: drawings of boxy Jasper Conran Chanel-esque jackets and gauzy Galliano directoire dresses, annotations on how "Patsy Kensit showed her bum!" at a Westwood show [...].
- Pertaining to a style of furniture, decoration etc. prevalent during this period.
- 1964 December 4, “The New Elegants”, in Time:
- They prefer concerts and auctions to canasta and golf, are likely to spend the time their mothers relegated to ladies' luncheons to tracking down a Directoire commode for the foyer, just the right bronze for the living-room mantle.
- 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 243:
- The only change was in his hair which he was now wearing in the Directoire style, the points coming down over his forehead.