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18th Century Women’s Neck Ribbons

Last updated: Jan 5, 2024

The following images show women – ranging in age from young girls to elderly ladies – wearing a ribbon tied around the neck. There seems to be a fairly wide range of styles employed here – tied at the front, tied at the back, wide or narrow ribbon, slightly embellished ribbon, pendants dangling from the ribbon.

I've arranged these in roughly chronological order, and have made notes when there is something particularly unusual or noteworthy (mostly so I can go back and pull them out later as interesting or relevant examples of a variation in the style).

While this style is sometimes lumped in with the French Revolution, it seems fairly clear that this sort of ribbon choker necklace is a much earlier style that continues to be fashionable throughout the 18th century, both in Europe and in North America, and at various socioeconomic levels. While the predominant color of the ribbon necklace is black, other colors also appear (blue, green, and occasionally red).