his conflict between the two fashion forces means little without also understanding Caillebotte's place in the conflict. Caillebotte was born into a wealthy upper-class family. His father, a successful judge, died in 1873 and left his heirs, including Caillebotte, very rich (Wildenstein 7). Caillebotte's benefits included receiving the sum of 4,000 francs a year and use of apartment properties along the Rue des Deux-Gares, a fashionable and expensive area of Paris (Broude 33). So financed, Caillebotte lived his life as a characteristic flâneur: socially observant, well-dressed and wealthy. For example, Caillebotte often bought and commissioned the paintings of his less wealthy contemporaries, such as Cézanne and Renoir, amassing a huge collection by the time of his death. A photograph taken of Caillebotte wearing a top hat in traditional flâneur dress in 1876 also provides a visual confirmation of Caillebotte identity as a flâneur (Lightstone 762). Indeed Robert Herbert cites him with only two other Impressionists as an example of a true flâneur (Herbert 33). As a flâneur, it is apparent Caillebotte would stand to personally gain from any positive change in social attitudes toward his chosen lifestyle. Justifying feminine clothing as a way to connect romantically with women, because it was so intricately tied to the flâneur trend, for instance, might be an excellent way to achieve that end.