Medieval Clothing

Early Medieval 400 -1000
Medieval clothes history traditionally begins with the fall of the Western Roman
Empire in AD 476. The transition from classical to the medieval clothing was
more gradual. The Byzantine Empire continued for another thousand years, with
both sexes of the upper classes wearing the tunic as the basic garment. In the
West, the invasions from the north brought trousers, fitted tunics, and hoods, but
it was nearly three centuries before any recorded Western style evolved from the
interaction of Roman and northern European forms of dress.
After the Carolingians established political supremacy in a large part of Europe
and Charlemagne became Holy Roman emperor in AD 800, he essentially wore
the dress of a Byzantine emperor. Unlike Byzantine emperors, Charlemagne only
wore robes on state occasions. His everyday attire consisted of an under tunic,
an over tunic with a colored silk border, and breeches or trousers cross-gartered
to the knee. He also wore a semicircular cloak fastened at the shoulder and a
round cloth cap. Illuminated manuscripts show other European monarchs
wearing similar styles.
Court ladies wore a long tunic put on over the head with a super tunic worn over
it and hitched up by a girdle to show the tunic beneath. The super tunic was often
bordered at the neck, sleeves, and hem. A cloak, fastened in front below the
chin, was worn, usually full length, and a cloth veil concealed the hair. These
garments essentially made up the basic wardrobe of the European aristocracy
throughout the Middle Ages and survived with few changes in the lower classes
into the Renaissance clothing ages. Charlemagne did not wear the hood, the
characteristic head wear of the people, which has origins far back in the Bronze
Age and survives today mainly in ceremonial form and foul-weather gear.
Fashion did not change much over the next three centuries. The catalyst for the
change in costume that marks the division between the early medieval period
and the Romanesque period was the first of the Crusades, which began in 1095
Later Medieval, Romanesque and
Early Gothic 1000-1350
Some influences from the East, mainly a diversity and richness of material,
reached Europe with the Moorish invasion of Spain and south-western France
and through the Norman conquest of Sicily, but changes in fashion were
infrequent during the larger part of the Medieval clothing period. The great and
startling effect on fashion occurred in the 12th century, after the start of the
Crusades.
Crusaders, including women, brought back new materials and new styles.
Luxurious Oriental fabrics such as silks, satins, damasks, brocades, and velvets
were introduced, in bright colors and elaborate weaves. Wood-block printing of
fabrics was adopted and buttons also arrived from the East.
Although a fitted tunic remained the basic item of apparel for both men and
women, hose took the place of trousers, and garments were embellished with
jewels, embroidery, and fur trimming. Men wore breeches and hose (trousers
and stockings). The hose became so long in the High Gothic period as to almost
eliminate the breeches. Until the advent of knitted material hose were made of
wool or linen cut to shape for a relatively tight fit.
In the 12th Century the hose reached mid thigh and were made to cover the short
breeches or drawers. Earlier, the breeches of the wealthy were cut narrower and
those of laborers fuller, both usually cross-gartered below the knee.
The over tunic was replaced by an Oriental garment known as the bliaut. By
1200 AD, tight lacing drew the women's bliaut into a form fitting shape which,
girdled at the hips, created a long-waisted appearance. A mantle, hung from the
back of the shoulders and descending to the ground, was worn outdoors.
Everything, including the sleeves, was long, full, and trailing.
Men's medieval clothing in the remainder of the 12th century and during the 13th
century fullness, and decoration and different names for what were essentially
the same clothing. The hood became a separate garment.
In the 14th century the tunic was narrowed and shortened to a more tailored look
and evolved into what came to be called the doublet. Over the doublet, the old
over tunic, now with a collar and called a cotehardie, was still worn. The
cotehardie could be parti-colored with contrasting colors appearing on either
side and with the colors often alternated in the parti-colored hose. It was
sometimes fur lined with the sleeves dagged, or scalloped, at the ends, and often
hanging to the ground. Heraldic devices added color to the breast area.
Headdress for men included hoods or close-fitting caps tied under the chin.
Women also adopted the bliaut, as well as an Oriental garment with long wide
sleeves, the surcoat. The bliaut, made of fine material crimped or pleated, was
long, full, and trailing like the men's costume. A new development of the period
was an early form of the corset that emphasized the female figure. Throughout
the medieval period the ankle was never exposed to view. Through most of the
period, skirts fell long on the floor in front. Skirts were carried in front of the body
when walking. Until the <u>15th century,</u> women's garments were less
extravagantly shaped than men's, the costume being tight-fitting and full-skirted
with tight sleeves. Over the gown a cotehardie and then the sideless gown was
worn.
Through the 11th century, women's hair was worn free-flowing or braided,
although it was veiled in church. By 1200 AD married women covered their hair
with veils or wimples, a cloth draped over the head and around the neck up to the
chin. A crown-like headband called a barbette secured veils. Headdress for men
included hoods or close-fitting caps tied under the chin. A tall cap with a pointed
brim appeared after 1300.In cold weather and for state occasions a very full
three-quarter round or even full circular cloak was worn.
Late Gothic 1350-1500
In the 14th century, women's medieval costume, like men's medieval clothes,
became tighter fitting and more tailored and, in the <u>15th century,</u> more
elaborately fitted and padded. New and elaborate methods of weaving also were
developed in the 15th century, and a whole range of new fabrics and materials
became available.
By 1400 the houppelande was worn as an outer garment over a man's doublet or
over a woman's;tunic or girdle. Buttoned from collar to hem, the houppelande
had sleeves and a high standing collar. The wide sleeves were often scalloped at
the cuffs. Men's hose, fully exposed under the houppelande, ended in leather
shoes that were extremely pointed at the toes. Wooden clogs, called patterns,
were worn outdoors to support the shoes. Tiny bells were added to belts and
hoods. Men wore liripipes which were hoods with long trailing ends. The liripipe
could be drawn up and padded to create a turban like headgear with scalloped
edges. By 1450, tall felt hats were adopted. Women's headdresses became
even more extravagant. Around <u>1350,</u> women wore their hair coiled on
either side of their face and fitted into metal baskets. By the end of the century,
the fashion was to draw the coiled hair up with rolled pads creating a bicorne that
supported a veil. About 1420, a steepled hat called a henin was worn with the
veil wound around it and left trailing. Women's hair was hidden under their
henins. Women also plucked their eyebrows and painted their cheeks with rouge.
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