Common Language - N°14
€15.00
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This fourteenth issue of Common Language focuses on history—on our understanding of it, its transmission, and the way it shapes our view of the present.
As art historian Camille Morineau points out, writing history is never a neutral act. Recording, identifying and connecting trajectories produces information; this information in turn generates recognition, and thus a form of power. Naming, archiving, transmitting: these are all acts that determine what remains visible and what disappears.
Journalist Yvane Jacob invites us to take a closer look at an area often overlooked by official narratives: clothing. For clothing, far from being a mere aesthetic commentary, is one of the most precise languages of social change. It tells the story of the constraints and freedoms, the norms and acts of resistance, and the desires of an era.
Through our little dictionary of lingerie, a history of the female body in motion thus emerges. The invention of nylon mesh that modernised tights, the bicycle that revolutionised social mores and gave rise to modern knickers, the corset that gradually broke down to give birth to the first bra: all these technical innovations accompany, and sometimes precede, profound changes in society. These transformations are often subtle, almost invisible, yet they play a part in redefining women’s place in society, their mobility and their autonomy.
These pages explore these slow-unfolding stories, woven from gestures, materials and customs. An archaeology of everyday life that resonates particularly strongly today, as Chantelle celebrates its 150th anniversary. For a century and a half, the house has accompanied—and sometimes anticipated—these developments, observing how bodies transform, how expectations change, and how women reinvent their relationship with themselves.
Other narratives run through this issue, drawing unexpected connections between lives, continents and eras. The photocopied daily life of American artist Pati Hill thus engages in dialogue with the artistic and sociological investigation conducted by Camille Lévêque around the figure of the father. Two ways of exploring the intimate, traces and legacies. An introspective work that finds an echo in the philosophical poems—sometimes absurd, always incisive—of photographer Coco Capitán.
Through these accounts, images and fragments of thought, a conviction emerges: history is never set in stone. It is written in the archives, in works of art, but also in everyday actions, in the objects we carry, and in the forms we invent to inhabit our bodies. And perhaps this is one of the invisible threads running through this issue: understanding where the forms that surround us come from, so that we can better imagine those yet to be invented.
© Chantelle
© Common Language
Please note that colors may slightly differ between the screen and the actual product.
Shipping & Fulfillment
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We process orders from Tuesday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
- Made-to-Order Items (Photo prints & T-Shirts)
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Important Note on Combined Orders:
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Once your order has shipped, the estimated delivery times are as follows:
Colissimo (Signature Required)
France: 2-3 business days
Europe: 3-5 business days
International: 5-8 business days
Standard / Priority Mail (No Signature)
France: 2-3 business days
Europe: 5-7 business days
International: 7-14 business days
Delivengo (No Signature)
International: 7-14 business days
Disclaimer:
These delivery times are estimates provided by the carrier. Delays may occur due to high shipping volumes or customs processing in the destination country.
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Simply select the "Pick up" option at checkout.
* If you are ordering from outside of France but wish to pick up your order at our bookshop in Paris, please select 'France' as the delivery country first. The 'Pick up' option will then become available. - Preparation Time:
In-stock items will be ready for pickup within 24 hours (Tuesday-Saturday). This does not apply to made-to-order items like art prints and t-shirts. - Notification:
We will send you an email as soon as your order is ready for collection, along with instructions. - Pickup Hours:
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For more information, please visit our Shipping Policy page.
Return Policy
- 30-Day Returns: You can return any item within 30 days of delivery, as long as it's in new, unused condition.
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- Shipping Costs: You are responsible for return shipping costs. Please note that original shipping fees are non-refundable.
- Exchanges: Yes, we offer exchanges. Contact us to arrange it. You will need to cover the new shipping fee.
- Damaged Item: If your order arrives damaged, email us photos within 48 hours. If the box looks badly damaged upon arrival, you can refuse the delivery.
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For more information, please visit our Return and Refund Policy page.
Further Informations
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