Marie Émilie de Joly de Choin

What people wore

Standard Men's Attire

In the late 17th century, ordinary men wore a three-piece suit consisting of a justaucorps (coat), veste (vest), and culotte (breeches), often made from simple, durable wool fabrics.

Daily life

Demanding daily household labor

Water had to be hauled manually from fountains or courtyards, and heating required constant manual labor to manage wood, fire, and ash disposal.

Work

Memorable facts of everyday work life

Laborers commonly adopted coffee with milk for breakfast as an economical way to sustain energy until the evening. Additionally, many workers in that era enjoyed about 80 to 85 days of complete rest per year due to various religious and local feast days.

Music

Everyday musical tools and maintenance

Portable violins called pochettes were used by dance masters to teach dance lessons in homes. Harpsichords in palaces required regular maintenance, where staff spent one-third of their time just removing wax drippings from candles.

At the table

Bread as the Foundation of Daily Meals

Bread was the staple of the ordinary diet, often eaten as "soup" by soaking slices in a liquid like water, broth, or vegetable potage. These large, dense loaves were baked to last for one or two weeks at a time.

Getting around

Walking as common travel

Ordinary people, such as peddlers and pilgrims, typically traveled on foot at a pace of 20 to 30 kilometers per day. Walking was so common that travelers frequently wore out a pair of shoes every 15 days.

What it cost

Laborer daily wages dropped in mid-17th century

During the period from 1651 to 1675, the daily wage of a common laborer in France fell to 1.60 livres, significantly lower than the levels seen earlier in the century.