Myth of the Arlesian women

"L'Arlésienne" The Arlesian : a myth, a costume, an expression??

Myth of the Arlesian women

Literature and poets teach us that the beauty of the Arlesian woman in French "les Arlésiennes" was famous even in antiquity.
Myth and reality, celebrated by zealous fans, combine to reinforce her specific charm.
The women of Arles, in return, are proud to be part of the legend and wear their sumptuous costume in a more regal manner than elsewhere. Learn about the Queens of Arles.
Daudet, Mistral, Léo Lelée and others have brought to life the magnificent silhouette of the proud, graceful and elegant Arlesian women, incarnated by the Queen of Arles, who changes regularly.
The loveliest of the "Arlésiennes", elected for three years, acts as ambassadress of the city, and the standard-bearer of this singular Arlesian tradition so popular among the inhabitants of the Rhône River delta.

The arlesian costume or folk dress
The Arlesian women’s costume dates back to the middle of the 18th century and results from the desire of the women of this region to dress differently from others.
It changed according to Parisian styles and at different periods : the “droulet” or short-sleeved jacket, the “Louis-Philippe”, the style of Napoléon III. Léo Lelée immortalized the stricking silhouette of the graceful Arlesian woman.
It adopted its final, simplified form at the end of the 19th century.
Today this costume is worn for festive occasions in Arles. The headdress with its famous velvet ribbon appeared around 1835.

L'Arlésienne may also refer to:
- L'Arlésienne (Bizet), musical works based on Georges Bizet's incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play of the same name
- L'Arlésienne (Daudet), a play by Alphonse Daudet written in 1872
- L'Arlésienne (painting), a series of paintings by Vincent van Gogh

And finaly l'Arlésienne is a French expression:
Arlésienne is a person, a principal subject about which one speaks, but that one never sees (as in the news of Daudet, In french we are used to say "Jouer l'Arlésienne" that means to "play the Arlesian". By extension, it became a type of character of fiction.