When it comes to the Sun King’s actual height, accounts put Louis XIV’s height at 5 feet, 4 inches (1.63 m). Perhaps Louis felt the need to hide his diminutive stature as a monarch by always donning towering heels and a full wig. Royal artists had to find a happy medium between idealizing their subjects and making them seem likeable in order to please their patrons. That’s why Louis XIV’s stature shown in artwork may not correspond to his actual height. But he was still likely much shorter than Julius Caesar’s height.
Louis XIV gained 4.5″ from his heels and 6″ from his wigs.
They allegedly allowed Louis XIV to appear 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.88 m).
How Tall Was Louis XIV Compared to Others?
Let’s see how a height of 5 feet, 4 inches (163 cm) stacks up against the typical height of his contemporaries. According to records, the median male height in Europe dropped to its lowest point in the 17th century. At the time, the typical Frenchman was little more than 162 centimeters (5 feet, 4 inches) tall. Therefore, Louis XIV’s height was rather standard for the era.
Height dropped from an average of 5’8″ (173 centimeters) in the early Middle Ages to a low of around 5’6″ (167 centimeters) in the 17th and 18th centuries. Louis XIV was around the same height as males in his own day and somewhat shorter than the typical man in the early Middle Ages.
At Douai in the War of Devolution in 1667, he was intentionally depicted as tall.
According to other historians, Louis loved high heels not to make himself seem taller but because they were in style at the time. For the Palace of Versailles, Louis XIV was “above average for his time,” but it appears that the king was still below average in stature for a medieval man.
Louis XIV Wore High Heels to Appear Taller
The Sun King, Louis XIV, ruled France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His 72 years and 110 days in power are officially the longest in any monarch’s history. He played a huge role in the evolution of Western clothing. During his rule, haute couture (a high-end fashion design, as we know it now) emerged and he established France as a global leader in aesthetics.
Louis XIV wore high heels more than anybody else in history. Historiographers think he wore heels to give the impression of being taller. Some members of Louis’ court were given permission to wear red-soled heels beginning in the 1670s, when the king designated them a badge of honor. This trend became a symbol of prestige throughout his rule.
Wigs Also Helped Louis XIV Appear Taller
Wigs were a prominent part of Louis XIV’s everyday style, and the ornate wigs used by Louis XIV were said to give him a noticeable height boost. At an early age, he saw his hair fading and engaged 48 wigmakers to help him with that. During his rule, wigs were a fashionable fashion item.
Shorter wigs, often five to six inches in height and worn with a curly toupee, were popular when Marie Scorailles entered Louis XIV’s court in 1690. This would have made Louis XIV much taller than he already was.
Apparently, Louis XIV’s wigs made him seem around 6 inches taller (15 cm). His wigs were gargantuan, with a full fringe of unruly hair framing the face and cascading in curls down the back and breast. Louis XIV’s hairstylist, Binet, created a wig for every event, and the king kept them all in a dedicated closet.
Together with Wigs and Heels Louis XIV Was 6’2″ in Height (1.88 m)
Louis XIV’s wigs were an integral element of his wardrobe; he used them to draw attention to himself and establish an air of superiority by appearing taller. Shoes with heels of 3–4.5 inches (8-11 cm) were also popularized by Louis XIV and worn by his courtiers in addition to wigs.
The 4.5 inches of height (11.5 cm) he obtained from his wooden heels, together with the 6 inches he gained from his wigs, created the appearance that Louis XIV was a 6 feet 2 inches tall man in height (1.88 m).
Women and courtiers wore wigs as well, although they were often larger, taller, and fancier than those worn by Louis XIV. Wigs were an extension of both aristocratic luxury and population need, with different styles denoting different economic, cultural, and social standings.
So, although it’s hard to say for sure how much height Louis XIV’s wigs and high heels contributed, it’s possible they made a huge difference for one of the sex addicts kings of France.
The Impact of His Fashion Choices
The decisions Louis XIV made in the realm of fashion were about more than simply his own sense of taste; they were also calculated economic moves. His astute minister of finance, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, once made the comparison that “fashions were to France what the mines of Peru were to Spain” in terms of their potential profits from both internal sales and exports. During Louis’ time in power, the garment and textile industries in Paris grew to employ around one-third of the working population.