Fashion in the Middle Ages
The ingenuity of the poor and the excesses of the wealthy
dually contribute to the story of clothing. Status symbols,
possessions by which one’s social or economic prestige
is measured, are in every crevice of our culture. They are
so numerous that society can hardly keep track of what is
“in” or “out”. In Medieval Europe
status symbols were much easier to decipher. The story of
clothing was new and uncomplicated and is a story of the haves
and the have-nots.
 When
the Roman empire fell, the only large power left in Europe
was the Church. This was reflected in the modest dress of
the age. During this time “barbarian” tribes such
as the Goths, the Vikings, and the Huns dominated Europe.
Fear and ignorance governed the Western world. Europeans were
concerned with survival and clothing had to be functional.
But by the year 1000 AD, people began to concentrate on things
other than the afterworld. The first Crusade successfully
captured Jerusalem in 1099 AD. This brought new fabrics and
construction techniques to all of Europe. By the 13th century
cities were being settled and a prosperous merchant class
was rising. For the first time in Medieval history, a disposable
income was possible. Because cloth was such a highly prized
commodity, wealth was best showcased through clothing.
The
Middle Ages can be defined in three parts. The Dark Ages lasted
from 500 to 1000 AD. This portion was characterized by the
Christianization of Europe. It was the time of Charlemagne’s
rule and the Viking raids. The Middle Period covers 1000 AD
to 1300 AD and begins with the Battle of Hastings and the
Crusades. Clothing began to change in this time because of
the increase in trade routes. The high Middle Ages, from 1300
AD to 1500 AD, encompass the black death. The black plague
killed one third of Europe’s population, make people
a more valuable commodity. The Middle Ages end with the fall
of Constantinople and the beginning of a time of discovery,
the Renaissance.
Historians must rely on paintings, manuscripts, and sculpture
for accurate descriptions of Medieval clothing because very
few garments survive prior to the 16th century. During the
Middle Ages, very detailed images of both commoners and nobles
were rendered. The Bayeux tapestry, which tells the events
that lead up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is the oldest
source for clothing of the everyday man of the Middle Ages.
From these items, one can gage what was worn and how it was
worn.
Dark Ages
Representations of European dress before 900 AD are rare.
It is difficult to actually tell what was worn in the Dark
Ages, but we do know that the clothing worn around 500 AD
was very basic. The bliaut, a long overgarment, was worn by
both sexes. It was loose enough to be put on over the head
and had bell sleeves for women and was straight to the wrist
for men.
As technology progressed women began lacing the bliaut up
the back and sides to achieve an hourglass shape but this
mainly appeared after the crusades. Men wore leather belts
and leg warming fabric wraps. A mantle, or cloak, was worn
by both sexes. It was a basic rectangle of fabric that was
pinned at one shoulder. There is no evidence to suggest that
women wore underwear at all during the Middle Ages, but both
sexes wore a basic long sleeved linen undershirt or chemise
that was knee length for men and ankle length for women. It
was in the style of the basic, no-frills modern poet shirt.
This garment became longer as women eventually began tucking
the bliaut into a high belt. This was followed by the ladies
of the court who wanted to show off their wealth in the undergarment.
Men’s underwear was a folded garment that wrapped between
their legs and belted or tied at the waist. Women were expected
to cover her hair after marriage with a veil. This sign of
Christian chastity and modesty lasted for all of the Middle
Ages and is still seen in some parts of Europe today. A young
woman would either fashion two plaits on either side of her
head or wear her hair loose.
Fabrics were hand woven by most peasant women from scratch.
If a women was good at it, she could use these fabrics for
barter and sale. In this time period cloth items were naturally
colored and often not very comfortable. Linen was used for
undergarments because it was more comfortable than wool and
it was easily washed. Contrary to popular belief, Medieval
people washed these linen garments on a regular basis. Whether
people took regular baths or not is questionable. The very
wealthy could afford imported silk from Asia. Heavily embroidered
or richly patterned fabrics were prized. Card weaving and
group finger weaving were popular all over Europe. Women would
use long strands of this weaving for belts and trimming garments.
English women were considered the best Medieval embroiders
and these items were traded all across the continent.
During the Dark Ages, wealth was shown with jewelry. The broach
used to hold the mantle together was the main decorative item.
Gold, pearls, and uncut stones were incorporated in the designs.
Fine fabrics, good weapons, and armor all indicated wealth.
Fur pelts of ermine and gray squirrel were used as lining
and trim for garments. Rabbit and sheepskin lined the garments
of the less affluent. Throughout much of Western history pale
skin has been an indicator of wealth. Peasants working outside
could not avoid the sun. It is only in the 20th century that
tan skin became popular in the Western world.
Romanesque and Early Gothic
In the 11th Century, we see the construction of garments improving;
shearing scissors had been used in Europe to trim animals
as well as cut fabric but they were cumbersome and made for
uneven cloth. After the Crusades the soldiers brought back
scissors made exclusively for fabric. These smaller scissors
made a vast improvement in the construction of garments. Sumptuous
fabrics, such as damasks, velvets, and satin, were also brought
to Europe along with better weaving techniques.
The French have always been known for setting fashion trends,
but around 1000 AD, it was the Italians who added a third
garment for women. The surcoat had a long round neck and long
wide full sleeves. It was slit up each side to the waist and
this was used to accentuate the colors of the cotehardie or
under dress. The surcoat replaced the blait, which became
the cotehardie, as the outer garment in the 12th Century.
The cotehardie began to have tight sleeves for the women and
the length was extended into a train. The surcoat was finally
made side and sleeveless, with two small strips of fabric
in the back and front holding the skirt to the collar, in
the 15th century. The surcoat was often completely trimmed
in fur.
This
fashion was not adopted by peasants, but the newly emerging
merchant class embraced them. Only wealthy women could afford
all the yards of fabric it took to create this new style.
Noble women were not allowed to expose their feet. Working
peasant women wore an ankle length dress. The man’s
tunic became shorter and his underwear became an outer garment.
These breeches were knee length and wrapped into the leg warmers.
Women in this period wore wimples, cloth veils draped over
the head, around the neck and up to the chin. The barbette,
a crown type accessory, secured the wimple.
A greater range of color was also coming into play. The brighter
the fabric, the more wealthy the owner. It took a lot of expensive
herbs as well as large quantities of other items to achieve
a bright color. Red was a favorite of the nobles in this period.
The cotehardie would be made from a bright colored fabric
so it could be seen under the surcoat. Purple fabric was reserved
for the extremely wealthy, such as a King and the Pope, because
the formula for the dye was a closely guarded Byzantine secret.
Only one family in the empire knew how to produce purple fabric
so only a small amount was exported each year.
In the 13th century, tailors began to open shops in prosperous
cities like London, Munich, Genoa, Florence, Vienna and Paris.
The wealthy could have custom made garments and the less fortunate
had access to fabric and sewing items. Buttons were brought
back to Europe after the Crusades around 1200 AD. They most
likely came from China and were used mainly as decoration.
The buttons were made of bone, antler, and cast metal. Silver,
ivory, and mother of pearl buttons were bought by the wealthy.
Large loops with toggle type horn buttons had been in wide
use to hold pieces of fabric together but no one in Europe
invented the button hole until the Renaissance. Buttons were
sewn on to the cotehardie from the elbow to the wrist. They
would also be used to embellish the hemlines, collars, and
cuffs of the surcoat.
Late Gothic
A memorable style of the Middle Ages are the elaborate female
headdresses. In the mid 1300’s, hair was braided and
worn in buns over the ears. Hair nets woven from silk and
gold thread held the buns in place. This style gave way to
a whole fashion of rolled hair coverings and wildly imaginative
headdresses. The best known headdress of this period is the
butterfly. This style incorporated a hair cap and wires with
sheer fabric draped over it; it was only in style for a short
period right before the Renaissance. A steeple shaped hennin
and the horned veil were both popular in this period. They
both completely covered the hair which gave way to the late
1400’s style of plucked eyebrows and shaved foreheads.
The hennin is a cone shaped hat that has a long trailing veil
that is wound around and left hanging long. These styles could
only be maintained by the idle rich. The elaborate preparation
time as well as the slow deliberate way a woman needed to
carry herself both lead to this conclusion. Many people, including
peasants, thought these headdresses were outrageous and chastised
and taunted the women who sported the style. Men had elaborate
hoods of their own. The basic hood became a separate garment
in the Dark Ages but it wasn’t until the late Medieval
period that it became a turban. The 13th Century liripipe
hat was a hood that extended into a long point in the back.
At one point the extension became so long that it was draped
over the arm. In Italy especially this long tail was wrapped
around the head creating a turban in the 1400’s.
Life in general was easier by this time. A prosperous merchant
class practiced trades all over Europe. Many people became
wealthy in a short amount of time. The Black Plague ravaged
the continent and left many with a clear path to this wealth.
Various ways of displaying the new found money came into play.
One obvious way was flamboyant consumption of fabric. Many
men, as well as women would be seen in yard upon yard of fabric.
Huge cloaked garments, called houppelande, were invented.
This outer garment had enormous scalloped sleeves as well
as a large train. The houppelande sometimes buttoned from
the collar to the hem and it was worn by both sexes. A thigh
length version was eventually worn as the male dress. This
was worn with a high belt, tight hose, and long pointed leather
shoes. At one point the shoe became so long that it was tied
up to the ankle. Other garments became much more tailored
and fit the body closely.
The better made the garments were the wealthier the person
was. This has remained true throughout most of history. Sumptuary
laws had to be passed by the government to keep the new merchant
class from overstepping their place in society. Everything
from the amount of fabric that could be used to the length
of the shoes point was regulated. Laws of this nature appear
all over Europe during the Middle Ages. Many people ignored
these rules and punishment was not very severe.
The tribes of early civilization bartered with each other
for what the other did not have. Luxury goods were prized
in these primitive societies because wealth was power. These
tribes were nomadic and the physical appearance was the easiest
was of showing this power. As tribes began settling Europe
they became known for the goods they could produce. Having
luxury goods from another society made one important.
The
Scandinavians produced superior wools. The Vikings were known
to be quite fashionable in their day. They actively traded
to obtain the best in cloth good. The Italians wove fine fabrics.
They gained knowledge from the East in weaving techniques
and cloth manipulation. The best European cloth came from
Florence and Venice. The French were known for setting the
trends. In the Medieval period Paris was the center of civilized
Europe. Most of Europe was settled by peasants. The basic
clothing of these poor people remained simple and functional
for all of the Middle Ages.
The
Nobles and the wealthy were few and far between and the aristocrats
were the ones who had the time and money to be excessive.
History remembers the winners and the Medieval nobles made
sure, through the arts, that they would never be forgotten.
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