18th Century Women’s Neck Ribbons

Last updated: Sep 08, 2025

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).

• Before by William Hogarth, 1730-1731 (possibly a beaded necklace?)
• The Return from the Market by Jean-Simeon Chardin, 1738 (oval gold pendant)
• The Governess by Jean-Simeon Chardin, 1739
• Marguerite Saintard by Jean Baptiste Siméon Chardin, 1740? (large gold cross pendant)
• The dancing-master, 1745; see also this version and this version
• La liseuse (Marianne Lavergne) by Jean-Etienne Liotard, 1746 (small gold cross pendant)
• Magdaleine Pinceloup de la Grange, née de Parseval by Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, 1747 (pearls over the ribbon)
• Madame de Sorquainville by Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, 1749
• Serving Girl Knitting by André Buoys, 1750
• The vegetable peeler
• A girl wearing a bonnet, looking at herself in a mirror with a chocolatière and a cup on the table, c. 1750 (silver cross pendant)
• Mrs Grosvenor Laundry Woman to the Queen
• Portrait of a lady, c. 1750-1780 (silver pendant - heart? flower?)
• Portrait of a woman by Pietro Antonio Rotari, after 1750 (clasp-like silver ornament at front)
• Lady with a Lute by Pietro Antonio Rotari
• Anne Marie Louise Nicole de Lamoignon de Malsherbes, Countess of Senozan by Jean Valade, 1751
• Young Girl Writing a Love Letter by Pietro Antonio Rotari, 1755
• Portrait of a Woman in a Rose-Colored Gown (La Dame en Rose) by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, 1755
• A Dutch girl at breakfast by Jean-Etienne Liotard, c. 1756
• Young Russian Woman by Pietro Antonio Rotari, c. 1756-1762
• Sarah, Lady Innes by Thomas Gainsborough, 1757
• The Artist’s Wife by Thomas Gainsborough, 1758
• “RUN away on the 19th of September laſt, at night, from William Hamilton Wig maker, in Philadelphia, an Iriſh Servant Girl named Sarah M^cLaughlin, about 18 Years of Age, of a fair Complexion, a likely Girl, not tall, but well ſet, and hand on when ſhe went away, a red and white striped Cotton Gown, Check Apron, white Handkerchief, blue quilted Petticoat, and a brown ſingle one, and often wears a black Ribbon about her neck” (The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 28, 1768)
• Catherine II in a tricorn by Pietro Rotari, 1760
• Anna Vorontsova by Pietro Antonio Rotari, 1760
• Portrait by Pietro Antonio Rotari, 1760
• Mrs. Philip Thickness by Thomas Gainsborough, 1760
• Julie de Thellusson-Ployard by Jean-Étienne Liotard, 1760
• A young girl wearing a mop-cap, seated half-length, in a chair, c. 1760?
• The Four Seasons by Johann Christian Fiedler, c. 1760? - Spring and Summer
• Mrs. Charles Tudway by Thomas Gainsborough, c. 1760-1765
• A young lady painting by Paul Sandby, c. 1760-1770
• A young woman in rustic dress, c. 1760-1783
• Dr Oliver and Mr Peirce, the First Physician and Surgeon Examining Patients Afflicted with Paralysis, Rheumatism and Leprosy by William Hoare, 1761
• Lady Anstruther by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1761
• Tavern interior by John S.C. Schaak
• Study for a portrait of a lady with a rose by Thomas Gainsborough, c. 1763-1765 (neck ribbon appears to have pearl-like ornaments)
• Concert in an Interior by Jan Jozef Horemans II, 1764 (there seems to be a pendant on at least one of these ladies, but this image is not detailed enough to determine what it is)
• Patrician Interior by Jan Jozef Horemans II
• Caroline Cox (Lady Champneys) (gold pendant) by Joshua Reynolds, 1764
• “WHEREAS the ſeveral Perſons hereinafter deſcribed, have been lately committed, and are now confined in the Jail and Houſe of Correction at Durham … ANN WHEATLEY, is a tall ſlender Woman, and rather lowers in her Walking, about twenty Years of Age, of a ſwarthy Complexion, much pitted with the Small Pox, brown Hair, round hazel grey Eyes, a ſhort Noſe, and a large Cut on her Forehead; had on when committed, a ſmall ſtripp’d blue and white Cotton Gown, a Woollen Petticoat ſtripp’d with Yellow and REd, a white Linen Apron, a white Kenting Handkerchief, a black Ribbon about her Neck, and a light drab-coloured Cloth Cloak, with a Hood upon it; ſays she was born in the Army, and came along with her Mother to Darlington, in this County, about ſixteen Years ago, and was hired and lived with John Beck, of Darlington aforesaid, and hath ſince ſtrolled about the Country as a Ballad Singer.
  ELEANOR HOLT, a ſtrong made middle-ſized Woman, broad Features, of a freſh Complexion, brown Hair, full grey Eyes, and pitted with the Small Pox; had on when committed, a black Crape Gown, a white Apron, a white Handkerchief, a black Silk Hat, a black Ribbon about her Neck, and the like about her Head, and a red frized Cardinal: — Says ſhe is the Wife of John Holt, a Soldier, in General Napier’s Regiment, and that ſhe left him at Norwich about nine Months ago.”(The Newcastle Weekly Chronicle, June 2, 1764)
• A Lady Copying at a Drawing Table by Paul Sandby, 1765
• Portrait of a lady by Alexandre Roslin, 1765 (cruciform pendant)
• A Lady's Maid Soaping Linen by Henry Robert Morland, c. 1765-1782
• Lady Elizabeth Montagu, Duchess of Buccleuch and Queensberry by Thomas Gainsborough, 1767
• Élisabeth of France by Joseph Ducreux, 1768
• “an Engliſh woman, this country born, named AMY SMITH … Said woman is fair and freſh coloured, wears a black ribbon round her neck, and her hair tied behind with it, a linſey ſtriped petticoat, and a ſtriped linſey ſhort gown, the ſtripes of the gown a good deal bluer than the petticoat, a check apron, and white handkerchief” (The Pennsylvania Gazette, February 25, 1768)
• Mrs. Michael Taney (Monica Brooke) by Charles Willson Peale, 1770
• The Borris family by Anton Wilhelm Tischbein, c. 1770-1775 (bow front, pendant)
• Portrait of a lady, c. 1770-1780
• Free Women of Color with Their Children and Servants in a Landscape by Agostino Brunias, c. 1770-1796
• Lady Grenville by George Romney, 1771
• The Wiley Family by William Williams, 1771
• Elizabeth de la Vallée de la Roche by Michel Pierre Hubert Descours, 1771 (long pendant front?)
• Princesses Davydova and Rzevskaja by Dmitry Grigorievich Levitzky, 1771-1772
• Dorothy Quincy by John Singleton Copley, 1772
• Mrs. Richard Skinner (Dorothy Wendell) by John Singleton Copley, 1772
• The Artist’s Daughter Margaret by Thomas Gainsborough, c. 1772
• A City Taylor’s Wife Dressing for the Pantheon, 1772
• A student of the Empress School for Noble Maidens Ekaterina Ivanovna Nelidova by Dmitry Grigorievich Levitzky, 1773 (gold cross pendant)
• Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mifflin (Sarah Morris) by John Singleton Copley, 1773
• An evenings invitation, with a wink from the bagnio, 1773 (heart-shaped pendant)
• Goods to be sold by Benjamin Villepontoux (from an advertisement in The South-Carolina Gazette, September 21, 1773) include “neck ribbons”
• Several in the Cris de Paris, 1774-1775, including women in images 18, 24, 28, 32, 50, 54, 56, 58, and 81. Several of these have dangles and/or pendants.
• Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Izard (Alice Delancey) by John Singleton Copley, 1775
• Madame Chardin by Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, 1775
• Portrait of a woman by Charles Willson Peale, 1775
• Mrs Anne Carwardine and Her Eldest Son, Thomas by George Romney, 1775
• “THE under-named perſons are now confined in the Houſe of Correction at Durham, as vagrants and diſorderly perſons, having been apprehended in the townſhip of Barnardcaſtle, in the ſaid count, viz. … ANN DIXON, aged about 26 years, of a middle ſize, ſtrong made, broad features, dark-brown hair, grey eyes, pitted with the ſmall-pox, and a cut in her left arm a litte above the wriſt; had on, when committed, a red and white ſprigged linen bed-gown, a handerchief checked black and white about her neck, an old green gown, and a drab half-jerſey petticoat, two pockets, the one in blue and the other ſtriped, and a black ribbon round her neck; ſays she was born at Dalkeith in Scotland, and married one William Shaddock, a ſoldier in the 22d regiment of foot, now abroad, and that ſhe came to Newcaſtle about three weeks ago, and engaged herſelf as a ſervant” (The Newcastle Weekly Courant, September 30, 1775)
• Elizabeth Ann Timothy by Henry Benbridge, 1775-1785
• Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna of Russia by Alexander Roslin, 1776
• Mrs. Grace Dalrymple Elliott by Thomas Gainsborough, 1778
• Daria Golitsyna by Alexander Roslin, 1778
• Portrait of a lady in blue by Thomas Gainesborough, late 1770s-early 1780s (small gold cross pendant)
• Winter by John Raphael Smith
• The painter and his family by Antoine Raspal, c. 1780 (gold cross pendants on black ribbons)
• Portrait of a lady by Francis Alleyne, c. 1780-1785
• Portrait of a lady, 1780s (small gold cross pendant)
• Grace Dalrymple Elliott by Thomas Gainsborough, 1782
• Mrs. Siddons by Thomas Gainsborough, 1785
• Abigail Rose of North Branford, Conn., 1786
• Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton (Mrs. Alexander Hamilton) by Ralph Earl, 1787
• Girl shelling peas, 1787
• Portrait of Catherine Warneford by Thomas Gainesborough
• The young dreamer by Jean-François Gilles Colson
• Sarah Trimmer by Henry Howard
• The Ale-House Door by Henry Singleton, 1790
• Portrait of a Woman, possibly Barbara (1768–1829), Marchioness of Donegall by Anne Foldstone Mee, 1790
• Miniature of a lady, 1790
• Mrs. John McAllister (Frances Wardale) by James Peale, 1791
• Mary Hawksworth Riddell by Charles Peale Polk, 1791-1795 (pendant/brooch with a miniature portrait of her father, Colonel Hawkesworth)
• “COMMITTED to the Jail of the Borough of Carliſle, on Sunday, the 29th of April inſtant, a Negro Wench who calls herſelf Sall, and ſays taht ſhe belongs to a certain John Whreay, living about 2 miles from Mercerſburgh, in Franklin county; ſhe appears ot be about twnety years of age, about five feet three or four inches high, has on a light coloured linſey short-gown and petticoat, a tow linen apron, a black ribbon about her neck, and one of her toes ſore.” (The Carlisle Gazette, May 30, 1792)
• “morning dresses. Straw-coloured Gypſey Hat, trimmed with light blue feathers, forming a large bow in the front, tied under the chin with a white lawn handkerchief, with an embroidered border; two white oſtrich feathers, placed on the right ſie. — Round Gown of muſlin, flounced at the bottom, ſhort ſleeves; plain white handkerchief; on it a blue ſilk one, with a ſriped border. — A ſtriped ſash, of blue and yellow. — A gold anchor, ſuſpended by a blue ribband round the neck. — Shoes and gloves of yellow.” (Fashions for July, reported in The Caledonian Mercury on August 4, 1794)
• “mourning dresses. THE fron hair dreſſed low, and full upon the forehead: the hind hair turned up plain. Black and grey muſlin cap trimmed with pearls. Black and grey oſtrich feather placed in the front, the back part ſet with pearls. Petticoat of lawn, richly embroidered in black. Robe of black muſlin, trimmed round the neck down to the girdle with pearls; ſhort ſleeves with full tops, and white cuffs, trimmed alſo with pearls. Silver girdle. Black velvet ribband, with a medallion round the neck. Black-bead ear-rings. Grey gloves, black ſhoes, black bear muff, with two white roſes in the front.” (Fashionable Dresses for February in The Lady’s Magazine, 1797)
• Portrait of Elizabeth DePeyster Peale by Charles Willson Peale, 1798 (pendant with a miniature portrait of her husband)
• Mrs Maltby by Isaac Robert Cruikshank