a man of letters. He was a most gifted and dedicated sportsman whose favorite reading was the racing and the gossip columns in the daily papers. Most important of all the equine pursuits at Royallieu was the racing timetable. From Royallieu, it was possible to visit a racetrack most days of the week, and Gabrielle did so with Etienne and his friends. Mondays at Saint-Cloud, Tuesdays at Enghien, Wednesdays at Tremblay, on through the end of the week to Sunday at Longchamp, the most elegant of racecourses, in the Parisian park of the Bois de Boulogne.
Spectating at the races had become an immensely popular pastime across the social spectrum. One writer went so far as to say that in France, sport was the turf. As an activity with great social prestige, racing had quickly become a stage on which to vaunt oneâs social position. This, of course, included the competitive spectacle of fashion. Indeed, many of those who regularly attended the races were far more interested in the promenade of fashion and society than the racing itself. A microcosm of Parisian society, racetrack meetings attracted enormous crowds, and by the early 1900s, the Longchamp racecourse was one of the most fashionable public venues in France. A huge draw for other forms of entertainment, race days were rich pickings for prostitutes of all kinds.
While a respectable woman was obliged to be escorted in public, the demimondaine usually arrived unaccompanied and was consequently forbidden access to the enclosure. Yet as the most seductive celebrities of the day, these women were also major attractions. The Second Empire had flourished, and with it the demimonde had flowered, and the grandest of its denizens met with society women, with whom they now frequently shared the same couturier. âAt first glance they were the same women dressed by the same dressmakers, the only distinction being that the demi-monde seemed a little more chic. â 14
By contrast with the worldly image of these exotic fin de siècle creatures, Gabrielle always appeared unadorned, modest and neat; without exception, her dress was very simple. At the racecourse, intent on watching one of Etienneâs horses in training, she might wear a loose, mannish coat over a tailored jacket, collar and tie, with an undecorated straw boater. She made a practical, sporty look appear most desirable.
A good many American women appear to have adopted tailored outfits for practical activities as far back as the 1880s. This fashion was well ahead of France. As late as 1901, the influential French magazine Les Modes was still describing the female suit as âa revolutionary development,â adding the caution that âgentlemen have not fully appreciated the tailored costume. They have found it too closely resembling their own.â 15
Gabrielle would say in the future that she had been unaware of being watched and gossiped about as Etienne Balsanâs mistress at the races. She also said, âI looked like nothing. Nothing was right on me . . . Dresses didnât fit me and I didnât give a damn.â 16 Gabrielle didnât wear the traditionally exaggerated female getups for the races, and instead stuck to her simple tailored outfits. Again, it wasnât that wearing a tailored outfit was unheard of, but it was seen as unconventional for a woman to wear it to the races.
Despite her belief that if she didnât dress like a kept woman, she wouldnât be seen as one, Gabrielle was, nonetheless, a mistress. As for her looks, opinion was divided. While some didnât find her particularly attractive, others were in thrall to her unconventional beauty. She was told she âlooked nobleâ and that she possessed an âauthentic exoticism.â 17 Gabrielle was never very adept at the simpering demeanor of many contemporary women; with hindsight, her manner was an intimation of the future.
She had chosen to leave behind her previous servitude by becoming a
Spectating at the races had become an immensely popular pastime across the social spectrum. One writer went so far as to say that in France, sport was the turf. As an activity with great social prestige, racing had quickly become a stage on which to vaunt oneâs social position. This, of course, included the competitive spectacle of fashion. Indeed, many of those who regularly attended the races were far more interested in the promenade of fashion and society than the racing itself. A microcosm of Parisian society, racetrack meetings attracted enormous crowds, and by the early 1900s, the Longchamp racecourse was one of the most fashionable public venues in France. A huge draw for other forms of entertainment, race days were rich pickings for prostitutes of all kinds.
While a respectable woman was obliged to be escorted in public, the demimondaine usually arrived unaccompanied and was consequently forbidden access to the enclosure. Yet as the most seductive celebrities of the day, these women were also major attractions. The Second Empire had flourished, and with it the demimonde had flowered, and the grandest of its denizens met with society women, with whom they now frequently shared the same couturier. âAt first glance they were the same women dressed by the same dressmakers, the only distinction being that the demi-monde seemed a little more chic. â 14
By contrast with the worldly image of these exotic fin de siècle creatures, Gabrielle always appeared unadorned, modest and neat; without exception, her dress was very simple. At the racecourse, intent on watching one of Etienneâs horses in training, she might wear a loose, mannish coat over a tailored jacket, collar and tie, with an undecorated straw boater. She made a practical, sporty look appear most desirable.
A good many American women appear to have adopted tailored outfits for practical activities as far back as the 1880s. This fashion was well ahead of France. As late as 1901, the influential French magazine Les Modes was still describing the female suit as âa revolutionary development,â adding the caution that âgentlemen have not fully appreciated the tailored costume. They have found it too closely resembling their own.â 15
Gabrielle would say in the future that she had been unaware of being watched and gossiped about as Etienne Balsanâs mistress at the races. She also said, âI looked like nothing. Nothing was right on me . . . Dresses didnât fit me and I didnât give a damn.â 16 Gabrielle didnât wear the traditionally exaggerated female getups for the races, and instead stuck to her simple tailored outfits. Again, it wasnât that wearing a tailored outfit was unheard of, but it was seen as unconventional for a woman to wear it to the races.
Despite her belief that if she didnât dress like a kept woman, she wouldnât be seen as one, Gabrielle was, nonetheless, a mistress. As for her looks, opinion was divided. While some didnât find her particularly attractive, others were in thrall to her unconventional beauty. She was told she âlooked nobleâ and that she possessed an âauthentic exoticism.â 17 Gabrielle was never very adept at the simpering demeanor of many contemporary women; with hindsight, her manner was an intimation of the future.
She had chosen to leave behind her previous servitude by becoming a
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