In the first decade of the twentieth century Rio de Janeiro went through an important urban reform. Paris was taken as a model in the city’s modernization process. The habits of the European bourgeoisie had determined the new costumes adopted by the elites settled in the Brazilian capital. This study intends to analyze the relationship between changes in the physical space of the city and transformations in dress codes and behaviors. For this purpose, concepts of civilization and modernity found in articles about fashion, in social columns and in publicity have been studied. Such concepts had a decisive role in the configurations of urbanism, architecture and personal appearance that came to define some of the most salient carioca’s features.