noun
- Young female shop assistants or seamstresses in Paris, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Usage: historical; chiefly French context; plural form
Examples
- The midinettes of Paris were known for their fashionable style and social gatherings.
- In early 20th-century literature, midinettes were often depicted as lively and independent young women.
- The term midinettes originally referred to girls who worked in the dressmaking shops of the Marais district.