Medieval Clothing

 

The History:

Early Medieval clothing- Medieval clothing begins historically with the end and fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476. The Byzantine Empire continued for thousand years after this, and during this period, both genders of the upper classes wore the tunic as a basic garment. Invasions from the north brought trousers, fitted tunics, and hoods to the west.

 

During the later Medieval period, (1000-1350), the crusades in the 12th century brought a great and startling effect on fashion. Crusaders, including women, brought back new styles and materials. Bright colors and elaborate weaves of Oriental fabrics such as silks, damasks, satins, velvets, and brocades were introduced. Buttons arrived from the East, and wood-blocking printing of fabrics was adopted. The fitted tunic stayed the same for men and women, but the trousers were replaced with a hose. Garments were decorated with jewels, fur trimming, and embroidery.
Medieval clothing for men displayed variations of length fullness, decoration, and different names for basically the same clothing in the 12th and 13th Centuries. The hood also became a separate garment, and later on with a pointed end (the liripipe) and short shoulder cap became a hat. The head was put into the hole originally intended for the face, and the liripipe was wrapped around the head in turban fashion. Even later on, the hat was hung over the shoulder with the liripipe as a badge.

Late Gothic (1350-1500)- In the 14th century, the tunic was shortened to a more tailored look and evolved what is known as the doublet. A collar called a cotehardie was worn over the doublet, and was sometimes parti-colored with contrasting colors. The cotehardie was occasionally fur lined with the sleeves hanging to the ground, and dagged, or scalloped, at the ends.
Women’s medieval costume in the14th century became tighter fitting and more tailored, like men’s clothing. By 1400 the houppelande was worn as an outer garment. (A houppelande was a garment with buttons from collar to hem, and wide sleeves scalloped at the cuffs.)
The men’s hose was exposed under the houppelande, and ended in pointy leather shoes. Patterns, or wooden clogs, were worn outdoors to support the shoes. Belts and hoods added tiny bells, and men wore liripipes, or hoods with long trailing ends. By 1450, tall felt hats were adopted, and women's headdresses became even more extravagant. Around 1420, a steepled hat called a henin was worn with a veil wound around and left trailing. (Women’s hid their hair under their henins.) Women also plucked their eyebrows and painted their cheeks with rouge.
Later, in the 15th century, the clothing became more elaborately padded and fitted. Also in the 15th century, new and elaborate methods of weaving also were developed, and a whole new range of materials and fabric became available.

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