On that last point, the House of Bourbon would probably disagree. They had rulers all over the world, and UK aristocrats adopting their fashion was arguably a n

On that last point, the House of Bourbon would probably disagree. They had rulers all over the world, and UK aristocrats adopting their fashion was arguably a nod to their ascendency, and as a way to distinguish themselves with with signals of the global and exotic. After the revolution/terror, french fashion was out until the rise of the industrial middle class. It was during/after the restoration that French brands like Charvet and Hermés were founded (c. 1830's) and still later, Louis Vuitton, and they once again became ascendent on the global stage. Themes in fashion are a pretty good macro signal for where growth is going.