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HISTORY OF COSTUME European Fashion Through the Ages

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Comments2012 in   Review

December 31, 2012 by abigailwestover94

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

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4,329 films were submitted to the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. This blog had 52,000 views in 2012. If each view

were a film, this blog would power 12 Film Festivals

Click here to see the complete report.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »Rococo [ruh-KOH-koh]: florid or excessively   elaborate

May 14, 2012 by abigailwestover94

A significant shift in culture occurred in France and elsewhere at the beginning of the 18th century, known as the

Enlightenment, which valued reason over authority.  In France, the sphere of influence for art, culture and fashion

shifted from Versailles to Paris, where the educated bourgeoisie class gained influence and power in salons and

cafés.  The new fashions introduced therefore had a greater impact on society, affecting not only royalty and

aristocrats, but also middle and even lower classes.  Ironically, the single most important figure to establish Rococo

fashions was Louis XV’s mistress Madame Pompadour.  She adored pastel colors and the light, happy style which

came to be known as Rococo, and subsequently light stripe and floral patterns became popular.  Towards the end

of the period, Marie Antoinette became the leader of French fashion, as did her dressmaker Rose Bertin.  Extreme

extravagance was her trademark, which ended up majorly fanning the flames of the French Revolution.

 

Fashion designers gained even more influence during this era, as people scrambled to be clothed in the latest

styles.  Fashion magazines emerged during this era, originally aimed at intelligent readers, but quickly capturing

the attention of lower classes with their colorful illustrations and up-to-date fashion news.  Even though the fashion

industry was ruined temporarily in France during the Revolution, it flourished in other European countries,

especially England.

 

During this period, a new silhouette for women was developing.  Panniers, or

wide hoops worn under the skirt that extended sideways, became a staple.  Extremely wide panniers were worn to

formal occasions, while smaller ones were worn in everyday settings.  Waists were tightly constricted by corsets,

provided contrasts to the wide skirts.  Plunging necklines also became common.  Skirts usually opened at the front,

displaying an underskirt or petticoat. Pagoda sleeves arose about halfway through the 18th century, which were

tight from shoulder to elbow and ended with flared lace and ribbons.  There were a few main types of dresses worn

during this period.  The Watteau gown had a loose back which became part of the full skirt and a tight bodice. 

The robe à la française a lso had a tight bodice with a low-cut square neckline,

usually with large ribbon bows down the front, wide panniers, and was lavishly trimmed with all manner of lace,

ribbon, and flowers.  The robe à l’anglais featured a snug bodice with a full skirt worn without panniers, usually cut

a bit longer in the back to form a small train, and often some type of lace kerchief was worn around the neckline. 

These gowns were often worn with short, wide-lapeled jackets modeled after men’s redingotes.  Marie Antoinette

introduced the chemise à la reine(pictured right), a loose white gown with a colorful silk sash around the waist.  This

was considered shocking for women at first, as no corset was worn and the natural figure was apparent.  However,

women seized upon this style, using it as a symbol of their increased liberation.

Women’s heels became much daintier with slimmer heels and pretty decorations.  At the beginning of the period,

women wore their hair tight to the head, sometimes powdered or topped with lace kerchiefs, a stark contrast to

their wide panniers.  However, hair progressively was worn higher and higher until wigs were required.  These

towering tresses were elaborately curled and adorned with feathers, flowers, miniature sculptures and figures.  Hair

was powdered with wheat meal and flour, which caused outrage among lower classes as the price of bread became

dangerously high.

 

Men generally wore different variations of the habit à la française: a coat, waistcoat, and

breeches.  The waistcoat was the most decorative piece, usually lavishly embroidered or displaying patterned

fabrics.  Lace jabots were still worn tied around the neck.  Breeches usually stopped at the knee, with white

stockings worn underneath and heeled shoes, which usually had large square buckles.  Coats were worn closer to

the body and were not as skirt-like as during the Baroque era.  They were also worn more open to showcase the

elaborate waistcoats.  Tricorne hats became popular during this period, often edged with braid and decorated with

ostrich feathers.  Wigs were usually worn by men, preferably white.  The cadoganstyle of men’s hair developed and

became popular during th e period, with horizontal rolls of hair over the

ears.  French elites and aristocrats wore particularly lavish clothing and were often referred to as ”Macaronis,” as

pictured in the caricature on the right.  The lower class loathed their open show of wealth when they

themselves dressed in little more than rags. 

Fashion played a large role in the French Revolution.  Revolutionaries characterized themselves by patriotically

wearing the tricolor—red, white, and blue—on rosettes, skirts, breeches, etc.  Since most of the rebellion was

accomplished by the lower class, they called themselves sans-culottes, or “without breeches,” as they wore ankle-

length trousers of the working class.  This caused knee breeches to become extremely unpopular and even

dangerous to wear in France.  Clothing became a matter of life or death; riots and murders could be caused simply

because someone was not wearing a tricolor rosette and people wearing extravagant gowns or suits were accused

of being aristocrats.

 

The Rococo era was defined by seemingly contrasting aspects: extravagance and a quest for simplicity, light colors

and heavy materials, aristocrats and the bourgeoisie.  This culmination produced a very diverse era in fashion like

none ever before.  Although this movement was largely ended with the French Revolution, its ideas and main

aspects strongly affected future fashions for decades.

 

Posted in Baroque/Rococo 1650-1800 | Tagged Bourbon monarchs, europe, fashion,french revolution, history, madame

pompadour, marie antoinette, rococo, versailles | 6 Comments »Fashions of the Middle Classes, as Portrayed by Paper   Dolls

April 9, 2012 by abigailwestover94

These lovely paper dolls by Tom Tierney show the fashions of the middle/merchant class of the Baroque and Rococo

periods.  Styles worn by the nobles and royalty were similar in structure, but much more extravagant and

exaggerated.

 

PLATE 1

c. 1650    The woman wears a high-waisted dress with a falling, wide lace collar and turned-back lace cuffs common

during the early Baroque era.  The man wears a cavalier-style outfit with a high-waisted jacket, wide lace collar,

lace cuffs, and high boots.  Decorative canes became very popular during this period and many men would carry

them around as an accessory.

 

PLATE 2

c. 1660    The woman on the left wears the German fashions of the period, with puffed sleeves, a small hooped

skirt, and a fur hat.  The woman on the right is dressed in the Scandinavian style, with a

brocade palatine or capelet over her shoulders and a white cap.  Both women wear decorative aprons and a

“housewife” hanging from their waists.

 

PLATE 3

c. 1670    The woman wears a wide collar trimmed with ermine fur, a muff, a hood, and a velvet mask to keep out

the cold.  Her underskirt is trimmed with gold embroidery and her bodice and sleeves are trimmed with ribbons. 

The man wears a long coat, breeches with hose underneath, and a wide-brimmed hat with feathers on it.  He also

carries a cane.

 

PLATE 4

c. 1690    The man wears Rhinegrave breeches under a long, buttoned coat, a lace jabot, and large boots.  His hair

is worn long and free in the style of Louis XIV.  The woman wears a high fontage headdress and the stiff stomacher

that returned to fashion in the latter part of the Baroque period.  Her decorative apron, headdress, and sleeves are

all lavishly trimmed with lace.

 

PLATE 5

c. 1720    This period was a transition from Baroque to Rococo fashions, and so incorporated styles from both eras. 

The man wears a long coat buttons at the middle, knee breeches, hose, and buckled shoes.  His sleeves are loose

and cuffed, showing the undershirt underneath.  The woman wears a flowered robe à l’anglais with large cuffs and a

lace collar.

 

PLATE 6

c. 1730    Both women wear a robe à la française in the “Watteau” or “flying” style, in which the back hung loose

from the bodice.  Small panniers are worn, but only aristocratic women and royalty wore the ridiculously wide

panniers.  The woman on the right’s bodice is adorned with ribbon bows down the front and has large cuffed

sleeves.  The woman on the left wears a lace cap common during the period.

 

PLATE 7

c. 1750    The woman on the left wears a hooded capuchin cape trimmed with fur and ribbons.  The woman on the

right wears a gown with large cuffed sleeves and a fichu around the neck and shoulders.  She also wears a mobcap

tied under the chin with a ribbon.

 

PLATE 8

c. 1770    The woman wears a solid colored gown with embroidery at the opening of the overskirt and bodice.  A

quilted underskirt is worn underneath.  She also has sleeves flared at the elbow and wears her hair powdered and

curled, common during the last part of the Rococo era.  The man wears a brocade silk vest under a long coat lined

with silk with large buttonholes down the side, as well as a tricorn hat and buckled shoes.  His hair is also powdered

and is tied back with a ribbon.

Posted in Baroque/Rococo 1650-1800 | Tagged baroque, colonialism, europe, fashion,history, middle class, paper dolls, rococo | 3

Comments »The Baroque Period in all its   Grandiloquence

April 7, 2012 by abigailwestover94

The rise of Louis XIV, the Sun King, and his court at Versailles, signaled the dawn of the Classical Baroque era in art,

architecture, music, and fashion.  It was defined by natural, curving silhouettes, flowing lines, gold filigree, rich

colors, and overall voluptuousness.  Clothing contained an abundance of lace, pearls, ribbons, and gold embroidery,

and was refreshingly free from the excessive decoration of the Renaissance.  Fashion changed rapidly:  the growing

middle class would copy the styles of the nobles, who would in turn create new fashions to stay more “refined” than

the middle class.  Unlike earlier periods, where bodices, sleeves, skirts, jackets, and breeches were made to mix

and match, clothing during this period was made as separate and entire matching outfits, often made of the same

fabric.  This was referred to as en suite, and was the predecessor for our modern-day “suit.”  Seasonality also

began to be widely used, a grateful relief from yearlong, heavy gowns and doublets as worn during the

Renaissance.  The most important development of this period was the rise of fashion designers after Louis XIV

certified the establishment of a dress-makers guild.  This profession contained both men and women.  The most

popular designers were well-pursued by the nobility and even the middle class. 

 

Women.  Women’s clothing became much less restricting.  Flexible stays

replaced hard, tight-fitting corsets.  Flowing lace collars replaced stiff ruffs.  Large farthingales were abandoned and

skirts were merely layered or padded at the hips to produce a full, flowing look.  Usually two skirts were worn, the

overskirt (manteau) open at the front and usually forming a train or bustle at the back, and an underskirt. 

Decorative aprons became popular with the middle classes.  The plunging neckline called the décolletage became

common, often accompanied with wide lace collars.  Waistlines were also high during the first part of the period,

though long, pointed bodices and stiff stomachers came back during the latter half of the period.  Sleeves were

large, gathered at the wrist or elbow and often with turned-back lace cuffs.  They progressively became more and

more ruffled and segmented as the period progressed.  Solid-colored silks and brocades were used more often than

patterned fabrics, and usually decorations consisted only of lace, tied  or rosetted ribbons, limited embroidery, and

simple pearl jewelry.

Women wore their hair in tight curls at the forehead and on both sides of the head, called “heartbreakers,” during

the first half of the period.  However, hairstyles progressively became higher (fontage hairstyles).  Lips and cheeks

were often rouged, something previously only done by courtesans.  Face patches made of silk and velvet and cut

into small shapes became very popular.  Since people believed water was bad for the skin, bathing was not a

regular activity.  To cover up body odor, people wore profuse amounts of perfume and carried around scented

purses.  Shoes acquired pointed toes and high heels, but women’s shoes were ironically much simpler than men’s. 

Jewelry was very simple during this period, consisting of single strings of pearls or diamonds or sometimes a ribbon

tied around the neck.

Common fashions during the second half of the period

 

Men.  During the early half of the Baroque period was when the cavalier style

for men emerged (see right image).  It was much less restrained than Renaissance fashions and copied

women’s styles of the earlier period with its high waists, wide lace collars, and lace cuffs.  This style also featured

knee-high boots, often turned down with lace, wide-brimmed hats with feathers, long, loose hair, pointed beards

and moustaches, and capes thrown over one shoulder.  Pantaloon breeches fell to or below the knee and were

loose.  These were the kind of fashions you would associate with the “Three Musketeers.” 

Further into the reign of Louis XIV, however, men’s fashions became more extravagant. Rhinegrave breeches, or

long, loose, overly decorated pants ending just below the knee (which really looked like skirts) became popular and

were worn with lace ruffles called cannons just below them.  Large collars were replaced with long lace ruffles

or jabots at the opening of the neckline.  Square-toed, high-heeled shoes with rosettes replaced boots.  Men curled

their hair and grew it past the shoulders or simply wore wigs of the same style.

Before the death of the Sun King, men’s fashions underwent yet another

change (see left image).  Breeches became close-fitting and either tied, buttoned, or buckled at the knee, with hose

worn underneath.  Long coats with braid-trimmed buttonholes (brandenburgs) and large, folded-over sleeves were

worn (think Captain Hook here).  Scarf-like steinkirks replaced the jabot.  This suite was refered to collectively as

the Persian style and still serves as the base of a man’s suit–the coat, waistcoat, and breeches.   Wigs became

larger and were usually powdered white, still elaborately curled and even longer than before. 

 

Although the Baroque period was perhaps not as extravagant in the amount of decoration used as during the

Renaissance, it was just as lavish in its display of wealth.  Fine ribbon and lace replaced copious amounts of jewels. 

Elegant embroidery replaced methods such as slashing and puffing.  Rich silks replaced highly decorated fabrics. 

These patterns would continue into the following Rococo period.

Posted in Baroque/Rococo 1650-1800 | Tagged baroque, Bourbon monarchs, cavalier,europe, fashion, history, louis xiv, the sun

king, versailles | 1 Comment »Intro to the Age of French   Dominance

March 31, 2012 by abigailwestover94

1650-1800.  The eras of Baroque and Rococo in fashion, art, music, and culture.  Their main similarity: practically

defined and definitely dominated by the French court centered at Versailles.

Both eras shared their obsession with bright colors, lavish elegance, lots of gold, and all things French.  The French

court, and more notably the Bourbon monarchs (Louis XIV to Louis XVI), practically dictated fashions of Western

Europe during much of the 17th century and the entirety of the 18th.  France was able to take center stage of

popular culture because England was wracked by civil war and Italy’s days of Renaissance glory were over and the

country’s influence was fading quickly.  France became the center for lace-making and silk and brocade

manufacturing and its many goods were in high demand in other European countries.  Even European newspapers

would publish the latest fashions from France.  Little did anyone know that France would remain the fashion icon for

hundreds of years to come.

These fashions did not only influence Western Europe.  This age was the zenith of European colonialism, especially

in the Americas.  With the English, French, and Dutch in North America, Spain and Portugal in South America, and

France and Spain in the Caribbean, European styles were running rampant throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

There were also many European colonies in Africa, Asia, and Australia.  France could legitimately say that they

controlled popular fashion all over the world, from that comparatively small, yet huge and lavish palace known as

Versailles.

It’s amazing to think the French Revolution didn’t occur sooner.  The ridiculous separation from the lavish wealth of

the aristocrats and royalty and the devastating poverty of the lower and even some of the middle class was obvious

to all involved.  The wealthy perhaps didn’t realize the enormity of poverty around them, or simply chose to ignore

it.  Either way, the seeds of the Revolution were planted during the reign of the Sun King and simmered under the

surface for over a century before boiling over in the bloody events that changed history forever.  And the court at

Versailles, as well as the excess the population there displayed with their clothes, became the symbol of the

tyranny the rebels fought against.

And just in case the first painting of Versailles didn’t impress you enough, here is the groundplan of the palace and

the surrounding gardens.  That little rectagularish building towards the right?  Yes, that is the palace with over 700

rooms in it.  Lets you know just how expansive the grounds are surrounding it.  If you want to see more images, this

site has a lot of amazing, beautiful images of the palace.

Posted in Baroque/Rococo 1650-1800 | Tagged baroque, Bourbon

monarchs, colonialism,europe, fashion, history, rococo, versailles | 3 Comments »Influence of the   Tudors

March 9, 2012 by abigailwestover94

As usual in the world of fashion, people with an abundance of influence, control, and power tend to set the current

trends and styles.  This has always been true since the dawn of time.  The only difference that back in the Olden

Days the monarchs set these trends, while now it is usually celebrities.

Although numerous monarchs influenced Renaissance fashion, the Tudor monarchs of England had perhaps the

most important impact on Western European fashions of the 16th century.  And out of these monarchs, the most

influential were Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

Henry the VIII was, during the younger part of his life, active and reportedly handsome, extremely vain, and a

symbol for all things manly.  The Venetian ambassador described him in 1515 (when Henry would have been 24) as

this: “His majesty is the handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on; above the usual height, with an extremely fine

calf to his leg, his complexion very fair and bright, with auburn hair combed straight and short,…his throught being

rather long and thick.”  He also had a wide girth and large proportions that he enjoyed accenting with doublets

stuffed at the shoulders, duckbill shoes, and codpieces.  He was also never lacking in an abundance of fur and

jewels to showcase his wealth.  He reportedly spent 16,000 ducats on clothing annually, which would be about

$3,140,000 today.  He was also described as being “the best-dressed sovereign in the world: his robes [were] the

richest and most superb that [could] be imagined: and he [put] on new clothes every Holyday.”

Subsequently, his styles became fashionable throughout the Western European empires.  Methods, such as slashing

& puffing and stuffing sleeves & shoulders, that enlarged the figure became wildly popular during his reign and

remained even after his death.  Even women’s clothing exhibited more fur and larger sleeves.

His six wives also made some considerable contributions.  Katherine of Aragon from Spain introduced the Spanish

farthingale to England.  Anne Boleyn made French fashions of crescent caps/French hoods and tight, square-necked

bodices popular in royal courts (although not French herself, she spent a few years there serving as maid of honor

to Queen Claude and lady-in-waiting to Archduchess Marguerite).  Anne of Cleves introduced Flemish styles the

English court, including leg-of-mutton sleeves.

King Edward VI, Henry VIII’s only son and heir, continued in the fashions of his father.  However, he used those

styles to attempt to hide is small, slight figure rather than to accentuate his manly features as his father did.  All

though the rule of Lady Jane Grey lasted only nine days, she did manage to bring more high-necked, Spanish-style

surcoat gowns into style.  Queen Mary was not particularly popular, so did not have much influence on fashions of

the time, although she was reported as wearing very ostentatious, bejeweled clothing.

And now we come to Elizabeth I.  She was very fond of clothing, so much so that when she died she had over 3,000

gowns and headpieces in her wardrobe.  Although she was never considered a great beauty, her style was widely

admired and mimicked.  She was a tiny woman–small-breasted and small-waisted.  consequently, fashions

accented a silhouette of a long, flat, narrow torso.  Even men wore corsets to try to make their bodies fit this mode. 

Her pale complexion and high forehead caused women to wear even more white powder/paste on their faces than

before and pluck their foreheads and eyebrows (Elizabeth actually died from lead poisoning from the lead that was

in the white makeup she used to cover her smallpox scars).  She also loved elaborate clothing just as much, if not

more, than her father.  Her outfits were always lavished with jewels, embroidery, ribbons, and lace.  Her particular

favorites were pearls, representing her image as the “Virgin Queen.”  The below painting is her “Rainbow Portrait”

and depicts the color and embellishments always decorating her gowns and headdresses.

This next portrait is her “Armada Portrait,” painted shortly after the defeat of the Spanish Armada.  It portrays the

styles she made fashionable, including the ruff, wasp waist, and leg-of-mutton sleeves, as well as her love of pearls.

Queen Elizabeth was one of the most loved monarchs of all time, and her influence in the realm of fashion is a good

example of her influence over people, as well as their devotion to her.

Posted in Renaissance 1450-1650 | Tagged Elizabeth I of England, elizabethan fashion,europe, fashion, Henry VIII of

England, history, renaissance clothing, tudor clothing | 7 Comments »Glossary of Renaissance   Fashion

January 19, 2012 by abigailwestover94

Once again I shall make a glossary of clothing terms, this time from the Renaissance.  Some of the terms I defined

for Medieval clothing were also used during the Renaissance and I will most likely use some of those terms in

current posts, so their definitions can be found here.

basquine — boned bodice made of whalebone and leather, gave the appearance of wider shoulders tapering to a

tiny waist (women)

beret— thin, loose hats that usually tilted towards one side of the head

Renaissance beret

bombasting — stuffing for trunk hose, peascod-belly, and leg-of-mutton sleeves, composed of rags, flock, and other

materials

bourrelet — wider version of the farthingale adapted in France, more cylindrical in shape rather than conical

(women)

bum roll/bolster — roll of padding tied around the hip line to hold the skirt out from the body, less restrictive than

the farthingale (women)

camicia — undershirt usually made of white linen (men)

canions — upper stocks worn from the doublet to the knee (men)

chopines — shoes that elevated the wearer, eventually developed into high heels

crescent cap — circular/heart-shaped cap worn towards the back of the head with a velvet veil covering the rest of

the hair

codpiece — padded triangle of fabric worn laced to the front of the trunk hose over the groin (men)

copotain — high bell-shaped hat

doublet — man’s bodice

duckbill shoes/scarpines/ox-mouth shoe — large, wide, square-toed shoes often decorated with jewels or slashes

(men)

enseigne — disc-shaped hat ornament, usually extremely detailed with jewels/carvings (men)

farthingale — topmost petticoat, hooped to give shape to the skirt (women)

finestrella sleeves — sleeves where the outer fabric was slit horizontally and the sleeves of the undergarment were

pulled through (women)

flat cap — flat hat with soft crown and moderately broad brim (men)

funnel sleeves — sleeves that were fitted at the upper arm and ballooned out, fitted tightly around wrist

gorget— neck ornament

Kennel or Gable Headdress

jerkin— short velvet or leather jacket, usually sleeveless (men)

kennel/gable headdress — pentagonal piece worn over the top of the head with veil/bag cap of dark velvet attached

to the back and covering hair (women)

leg-of-mutton sleeves — puffed sleeves that extended the entire length of the arm

neck wisk — a falling ruff that was open at the front, resembling a collar

nether stocks — trunks worn under breeches, long enough so that the bottoms could be seen (men)

pantofles — wooden platforms attached to the sole of the shoe with pieces of fabric to protect them from rain,

snow, and mud

peascod-belly doublet — doublet rounded at the abdomen to give the appearance of a filled-out belly (men)

points — resembled shoelaces, used to attach trunk hose to doublets or sleeves to doublets or bodices

(lacing/trussing)

pokes — apron-like pockets tied to the doublet (men)

ruff — starched (often with different colors) and wired collar pleated into ruffles, could be made of lace or jeweled,

usually had matching cuffs

shoe rose — decoration usually made of lace or jewels that was worn at the front of the shoe

slashing and puffing — slits cut in a garment with fabric from the undergarment pulled through to form puffs

stomacher — stiffened triangular piece worn at the front of the bodice, reaching from neckline to lower abdomen

(women)

supportasse — frames of silk-colored wire pinned underneath the ruff to keep it in place

trunk hose/pumpkin hose — ballonish-looking breeches that extended from the end of the doublet to about mid-

thigh (men)

Venetians— full breeches that reached the knee

Wings on the Shoulders

verdingale/farthingale frill — stiff wheel of fabric, often pleated, worn between the bodice and the skirt (women)

wasp waist — deep V-shaped waistline that extended over the skirt

wings — rolled fabric worn vertically around each shoulder, between the sleeve and the bodice

wisk/Medici collar — fan-shaped pleated collar, stiffened with wire and open at the front

zipone — buttoned tunic that reached the knee worn over the doublet (men)

zornea — cape with wide sleeves, belted at the waist (men)

Posted in Renaissance 1450-1650 | Tagged clothing terms, dictionary, elizabethan fashion,europe, fashion, history, renaissance

clothing | 3 Comments »And So the Renaissance   Begins

January 16, 2012 by abigailwestover94

In about 1450, when the printing press was invented, a new era was ushered in, an era of quickly circulating

information that allowed for new inventions, new styles, and new discoveries: the Renaissance.  This colorful era

began respectively in Florence, Italy, but soon spread to the rest of Europe and music, art, and literature

flourished.  The subsequent fashions that came with this were still deeply influenced by late medieval fashions, but

they also had a personality of their own.  Sometimes these fashions in England are referred to as Tudor or

Elizabethan fashions because they were heavily influenced by the English monarchs, especially Elizabeth I.  Just as

Italy began as the center of the arts, so it began as the center of new fashions.  As the middle class expanded,

fashion became an important pastime to them as well as the nobility.  Fashions around Europe also became more

unified as transportation and communication improved (again, thanks to the printing press) and costume ideas and

materials were able to spread throughout the area. 

Some of the styles that endured throughout the Renaissance includedslashing**, where the outer clothing was cut

in slits and the underclothing slightly pulled through, the ruff, a circular collar of starched and pleated fabric (these

continued to get larger and more elaborate as the era progressed), and detachable sleeves, which allowed for a

more affordable method of changing one’s outfit.  Fans also became very popular accessories (especially in the

court of Elizabeth I) after Columbus brought the first feather fan to Queen Isabella from the Americas.  They were

mostly more for decoration than for practical use and were decorated with jewels and made of ivory and expensive

feathers.  Catherine de Medici made the folding fan popular which was usually attached by small chains or ribbons

to the girdle.  Handkerchiefs also became important in signifying wealth and power.  Sumptuary laws were passed

prohibiting the lower class from using them.  They became increasingly decorative, edged with lace and

embroidered exquisitely.  Lace and perfume made their first appearances during the Renaissance.

At the beginning of the Renaissance, clothing started to become rounder and fuller.  Women’s clothing began with

high waistlines, square necklines, andfinestrella sleeves.  However, waists continually lowered until they became

extremely low, tapered, and v-shaped by the end of Elizabeth’s reign.  Sleeves became rounder and had to be

stuffed.  Necklines remained square, though in the second half of the period they were often risen to the neck to

accommodate the ruff.  The farthingale was perhaps the biggest contribution of the Renaissance.  When first used,

is was conical in shape with wire hoops graduated in size (often called a “Spanish farthingale”).  However, by the

end of the era it had widened into a conical barrel shape (“French farthingale”).  The increasing size of the

farthingale needed a lot of material to furnish it, and laws were passed to try to curtail their use (these laws were

very much ignored).  Skirts also became shorter so they might show pretty high-heeled shoes and even glimpses of

stockings.  Needless to say, during the entire Renaissance the desired female figure was shifting to a silhouette of

wide shoulders, a long, narrow waist, a flat chest, and full hips, which was mostly modeled after the slight but ever

so influential figure of Elizabeth I.  Another interesting phenomena with women’s fashions was that women would

pluck their foreheads and sometimes entire eyebrows to have the appearance of a high forehead, and therefore

intelligence, which was so worshipped during the Renaissance.

   

Fashions progressive chronologically, the first image with fashions typical of the early Renaissance in Italy, with

high waists and finestrella sleeves.  Second image of fashions towards the middle of the Renaissance, influenced

mostly by the Tudor court, with a square neckline, funnel sleeves, and a conical Spanish farthingale.  Last image of

fashions by the end of Elizabeth’s reign, with leg-of-mutton sleeves, long v-shaped waistline, ruff, and barrel-shaped

French farthingale.

 

Men’s clothing began with accentuating the shoulders and chest.  They wore tunics and doublets reaching the knee,

belted at the waist and stuffed in the chest and upper sleeves.  Usually jerkins, often fur-lined, were worn over. 

Flat, wide hats were worn.  Shirts were cut full and gathered at the wrists and necks.  However, by the end of the

period, short, pumpkin-shaped trunk hosewere worn with tight hose to show off a man’s legs and men began

wearing corsets to slim the torso.  They also acquired the v-shaped waistline as women did.  Peascod-belly doublets

became popular, as well as leg-of-mutton sleeves, short capes, and more vertical caps often decorated with

feathers.  Ruffs and matching cuffs were essential.

 

The first image is of men’s fashions towards the middlish of the Renaissance (before this men’s fashions had stayed

the same as late Medieval fashions), with padded shoulders, jerkin, knee-length tunic, flat cap, and duckbill shoes. 

Second image from later Renaissance, with leg-of-mutton sleeves, short cape, short trunk hose, ruff, and v-shaped

waistline of doublet.

The occupation of a tailor became much more prestigious as nobles and even middle-class would hire personal

tailors to create their day-to-day wardrobes.  Tailor guilds and businesses spread and increased in power and many

tailors created their own shops.  The less successful tailors traveled around and worked for people who lived in the

country and thus farther away from established tailor shops.  Second-hand clothing was also a successful market as

it was in the Middle Ages.  Since clothing was so expensive due to the elaborate decorations required to be

fashionable, many people, especially those of the middle class, had to resell clothing already worn to second-hand

shops to regain enough money to buy new clothes.

Overall, Renaissance fashions were characterized with a new scale of opulence and extravagance never quite

reached in the Middle Ages.  Jewels, pearls, gold, lace, and techniques such as slashing and puffing were used

unscrupulously.  Jewelry became very important during this time period to denote wealth and position.  Fashions

truly reflected the love of art, discovery, and new inventions that defined the Renaissance.

**Note:  all terms in italics will be defined in my next post

Posted in Renaissance 1450-1650 | Tagged elizabethan fashion, europe, fashion, history,renaissance, tudor clothing | 3 Comments »Laver’s   Law

January 15, 2012 by abigailwestover94

In my research I came across this theory developed by James Laver and thought I would share it.  It is very

interesting to think about, both in a modern context and historically.  Theorists also developed the principles of

fashion and dressing: the Hierarchical Principle (dressing to indicate one’s position in society), the Utility Principle

(dressing for warmth and comfort), and the Seduction Principle (dressing to attract the opposite gender).  Of

course, these are more applicable to history because nowadays there would be a few more to add, perhaps

including the Expression Principle (dressing to express one’s personality) and the Cultural Principle (dressing

according to one’s culture, traditions, or lifestyle).  Anyway, here is Laver’s theory:

 

James Laver’s Law of Fashion 10 years before its time:  indecent 5 years before its time:  shameless 1 year before its time:  daring current fashion:  smart 1 year after its time:  dowdy 10 years after its time:  hideous 20 years after its time:  ridiculous 30 years after its time:  amusing 50 years after its time:  quaint 70 years after its time:  charming 100 years after its time:  romantic 150 years after its time:  beautiful

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged fashion, history, james laver, principles of fashion,theory of fashion | 2 Comments »Art from the Late Middle   Ages

January 7, 2012 by abigailwestover94

To wrap up my posts about Medieval fashion and before I move on to Renaissance costume, I decided to share

some illuminations from the Middle Ages that colorfully depict the fashions worn then.  Most of these are

from the later Medieval period because there are little detailed images from the early Middle Ages.

The image below is from Jacques de Longuyon’s Vows of the Peacock, an illuminated manuscript from around 1350,

and depicts nobles playing chess.  It shows the dagged chaperons and buttoned cotehardies as well as the pointed

poulaines worn by men.  The women wear cotehardies, some with sideless surcoats over them and some with

dalmation sleeves.

 

The following image is from an illuminated calendar from around 1410 called Les Très Riches Heures du duc de

Berry.  This specific illumination is for the month of April and depicts noble men and women with the Chateau de

Dourdan in the background.  The men wear large houppelands with dagged dalmation sleeves.  The women wear

fashionable high-waisted gowns with large dalmation sleeves as well as rolled hennins in various styles.

 

This next image is a painting called “The Arnolfini Portrait” from 1434 and is by Jan van Eyck.  Although his painting

style is much more similar to Renaissance art, the fashions depicted are still Medieval.  The man wears a fur-lined

tappert over a black cotehardie and a wide-brimmed hat.  The woman wears a wimple over her hair as well as a

green, fur-lined, high-waisted gown with slashed sleeves over a blue cotehardie.

 

The below image is a painting called “Philosophy Presenting the Seven Liberal Arts to Boethius” from the

manuscript The Consolation of Philosophy.  It is from around 1450, at the end of the era of Medieval fashion and

just before the Renaissance started changing clothing.  The women wear a variety of gown styles, including sideless

surcoats over cotehardies and the v-necked, high-waisted ”Burgundian” gown.  They all wear either wimples or

hennins in different fashions, some veiled.

Posted in Medieval 1100-1450 | Tagged arnolfini portrait, clothing terms, europe, fashion,history, illuminations, jacques de

longuyon, jan van eyck, les tres riches heures du duc de berry, Medieval art, medieval clothing, the consolation of philosophy, vows

of the peacock| 1 Comment »Medieval Movies…and their   Accuracy

December 29, 2011 by abigailwestover94

Someone suggested to me that for one of my posts I should examine the historical accuracy of costumes from

movies set in the medieval era.  So, as something fun, that is what I shall do.  However, I do not think it is

completely fair to critique a film’s costumes on historical accuracy alone, for many designers choose to make

costumes UN-historically correct for the purpose of the film.  Therefore, I shall examine and give two ratings per

movie: accuracy (based on clothing actually worn during the era portrayed) and relevancy (based on how well the

costumes enhance the purpose and style of the movie).

 

Ivanhoe (1952):  This movie is based on Sir Walter Scott’s fictional novel.  It is set in the 1190s during the reign of

Richard I, more commonly known as Richard the Lionheart, and includes the character of Robin Hood.  Overall it is a

fun watch, combining medieval legends with historical facts.   

   

Accuracy:  4 stars.  Its costumes are actually very accurate.  The men characters wear the tunics with

looser sleeves and fur-edged mantles commonly worn during the period.  The women wear the fashions brought

into style by Eleanor of Aquitaine in the latter part of the twelfth century, fashions that were also common a century

before.  These included vertical tunics with fitted sleeves, girdles worn at the hips, cloaks, and veils worn around

the neck and hair and topped with coronets.  The colors used are also very accurate, with abundant blues, grays,

burgundys, and earth tones.  The one fault is that the women’s gowns are very tight-fitting, whereas during that

time they were much more loose, intending to accentuate the vertical.  I also noticed that the crowns and coronets

worn by both the men and women were worn incorrectly.  They should be worn straight on top of the head so that

they cross the forehead, but in the film they wore them tilted so that they centered on the back of the head.

Relevancy:  5 stars.  I think for the purpose of this film accurate costumes aided in the portrayal of the

story.  It gives the entire plot a more genuine feel, taking the mystical and almost fairy-tale aspects out of the

medieval legends.  However, the small details that are not completely accurate allow the movie to retain the

romantic ideal of the Middle Ages portrayed by Sir Walter Scott in his novel.

 

The Court Jester (1956):  This is a very fun comedy set generically in medieval times.  It includes singing, plots, a

character resembling Robin Hood, wooing, bewitching, and plenty of tongue twisters.  Although there is no specific

century or year assigned, it is most likely modeled after the late 14th/early 15th century.

   

Accuracy:  3.5 stars.  The costumes in the film are not the most accurate.  They stem from a much

more romanticized view of medieval times, castles, knights, and princesses.  The colors are one aspect that show

this view; not only are they much brighter and plentiful than they would be realistically (especially the pink), but

they pervade almost every article of clothing.  Historically, women’s wimples and veils were almost always white or

gray.  In this movie, however, they usually always matched in color the gowns worn with them.  There was also

bountiful amounts of bare shoulders and uncovered hair.  These things were not uncommon in the 1400s, but off-

the-shoulder dresses were made in a different style than those shown in the film.  Hair was usually contained in

elaborate headdresses (which were surprisingly missing and I think they should have added more of), and if

exposed was usually plaited or bound up.  The male costumes were actually a lot more accurate; the extravagance

of some of the male costumes (especially the jester’s) matched the styles of the period.  The king also managed to

always be clothed in the royal colors of red, purple, and gold, (along with plenty of fur) which may seem

stereotypical but was actually very appropriate in the period.  Despite some inaccuracies, the general idea of the

costumes was more or less correct and there were some details that were surprisingly accurate, including the

girdles, coronets with veils, and cloaks lined with fur. 

Relevancy:  5 stars.  Although the costumes were very much exaggerated, they went together with the

style of the film perfectly.  The movie was definitely a parody/overplayed/extremely romanticized version of the

middle ages, so of course the costumes fed this nicely.  I thought the overall effect was very enchanting and did

add to the humor and nostalgic feeling emanating from this movie.  Also, since the movie is based generally on the

middle ages and not a specific time frame from that era, the fact that the costumes were also generic and taken

from a few different times added to the atmosphere.

 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975):  This movie is a parody of the middle ages and the legends of King Arthur. 

The time frame can be assumed to be around 1350, the first time the black plague swept through England and

wiped out a substantial amount of the population, because this phenomena is prevalent throughout the film.

 

Accuracy: 2.5 stars.  Despite the fact that almost everything in this movie is over-the-top and

completely ridiculous, the costumes are mostly painfully plain and simple, almost devoid of color.  This is usually

appropriate for the peasants, but the nobles and even upper-class would have worn clothing much more elaborate. 

It is obvious that the women’s costumes especially had little attention paid to them.  All of the styles are more

similar to styles worn fifty years, even a century prior, especially the long, more shapeless gowns, circular coifs

worn with chinstraps and wimples, as well as the straight unadorned tunics worn by the men.  The helmets and

armor worn by the knights are also of a very simple type that would have been worn around 1200, 150 years before

the plague ever hit England.

Relevancy: 3 stars.  Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, but I think it would have benefitted the

style and purpose of the movie better to have more elaborate costumes, which also would have been more

accurate.  I can see why they might have chosen the plain, outdated costumes, perhaps to portray the middle ages

as a generally bleak time, but more overdone costumes would have also added to the parody aspect of the film. 

Overall, I thought the costumes were definitely not a strong spot of this movie.

 

Braveheart (1995):  This movie is set during the Scottish rebellions around 1300, during the rule of Edward I

“Longshanks.”  The story is centered on the bravery and leadership of the famous William Wallace, and though

well-made with an interesting story, this film is notorious for being historically inaccurate. 

 

Accuracy: 4 stars.  Despite this movie’s reputation for historical inaccuracy when it comes to events and

people, the costumes are for the most part surprisingly correct.  It is obvious that the costumes of the nobles were

well-researched and well-made, for they usually correspond directly to the fashions brought into style around 1300,

including Isabelle’s hair cauls, veils, and gowns with both tight and trailing sleeves.  The only fault would be that the

princess’s hip belts and girdles are more similar to those worn half of a century later.  However, the peasants

costumes are not quite accurate because the belted kilts worn by the main characters were actually not worn until

the 1700s.  They especially became popular then as Scottish nationalist costumes.

Relevancy: 5 stars.  Correctness in costume really enhanced the atmosphere in the film and helped to

make the highly fictionalized story more plausible and realistic-looking.  I also thought the sharp contrast between

the Scottish peasants’ clothing and the English nobles’ attire spoke volumes into the social conflict between the two

groups, which was the basis for the entire story.  Even though the peasants’ costumes were not completely

accurate, they better defined the differences between the Scottish and English and gave off a aura of “Scottish

pride.”

 

A Knight’s Tale (2001):  This movie is set in mid-14th century Europe during the reign of Edward III and contains his

son Edward, the Black Prince of Wales, as well as Geoffrey Chaucer.  It’s a bit of a spoof of the middle ages,

containing some aspects that are much more modern, but most of the elements are medieval in both culture and

setting.

   

Accuracy:  2.5 stars.  The male costumes are very accurate in this film, including the style of the

armor and nobles’ clothing.  However, the costumes of Jocelyn and her maid are completely different from what

medieval women would have worn during that time period.  Their gowns obviously have much more of a modern

influence, as do their hairstyles.  Even the basic styles of their gowns are usually nowhere close to what women

wore in 1350 (usually tight-fitting cotehardies with hip-belts, sometimes off-the shoulder, often with loose

pelicons or cloaks worn over).  Jocelyn’s hair is often worn uncovered and styled in ways never seen in medieval

times.  Medieval women in that period usually wore headdresses with veils and if they left their hair uncovered it

was almost always plaited in some form or fashion.

Relevancy:  4 stars.  I really adore this movie, but the one thing that has continued to bother me were

Jocelyn’s costumes.  They were so out of place that they became almost an eyesore.  There were other modern

aspects to the film, yes, including the trumpets producing sounds similar to electric guitars and the nike sign

hammered on the armor (both of which I thought were quite clever), but they were much more subtle than her

outrageous dress.  While her costumes did support the modern aspects of the film, obviously had a lot of thought

put into them, and helped her to “stick out,” I think it would have benefitted the movie better if they had made her

costumes more realistic and dropped the spiky hair and neon feathers (and she still would have stuck out against

the backdrop of peasant’s clothes almost prevalent throughout the film).  Now that I think about it though, she

would have fit right in a Star Wars movie…

Posted in Medieval 1100-1450 | Tagged a knight's tale, braveheart, costumes, europe,fashion, history, ivanhoe, medieval

clothing, monty python and the holy grail, movies, the court jester | 10 Comments »Jewelry of the Middle   Ages

November 29, 2011 by abigailwestover94

Jewelry was similar to clothing when it came to portraying rank and wealth.  At the beginning of the Medieval era,

the only people wealthy enough to afford jewels and fine metals were the nobility.  However, with the expansion of

trade and commerce and therefore a more developed and larger middle class, more people could afford jewelry.  By

the fourteenth century, the wearing of it became so common that, like with clothing, sumptuary laws were passed

restricting the amount of people allowed to wear jewelry, based on amount of land owned and social ranking.  Of

course, these laws were largely ignored and many people of the middle class wore jewelry anyway.  This caused the

nobility to have to boost the extravagance of their jewelry in order to further distinguish themselves from the

middle class.  And, of course, the middle class caught on and did the same.  So the cycle continued and jewelry

became more and more lavish and embellished.  The interesting thing is that jewel-cutting was still

underdeveloped, so jewels then would have been much more dull and less colorful than they are now, and yet they

were still extremely valuable.  The main items of jewelry were brooches, belts/girdles, coronets, and

necklaces/rings.

 

Brooches.    Brooches were at first used for necessity, for pinning on cloaks or

Fig. 1 - brooch engraved with cross

fastening belts.  They were usually round, solid, and fairly small.  However, they soon became much more

decorative, at first having intricate reliefs worked in them with silver or gold.  These reliefs could be of geometric

shapes, designs taken from nature, inscriptions, or crosses (Fig 1).  In the middle of the thirteenth century, they

became circles of gold set with jewels, with a movable pin in the center (Fig 2).

Fig 2 - circular brooch with pin

During the fourteenth century, many were shaped as hearts.  Hat brooches became popular during the fifteenth

century and became even more extravagant, practically dripping with jewels and pearls.  Thus, brooches also came

to signify rank and wealth just as much as normal clothes.

 

Belts/Girdles.    The girdle was used by women for the majority of this period.

Fig. 3 - women's girdle

It was often made of leather or silk and set with jewels or ornamented with gold and silver.  The buckle would also

be well-decorated (Fig 3).  During the 14th century, girdles began to be replaced by hip belts, which were usually

made of metal and worn straight around the hips over the cotehardie.  These were much more embellished with

jewels and such since they could carry more weight.  They were usually made of separate plaques connected by

links.  Men could also wear these and attach their swords to them, on the left side if they were right-handed and on

the right side of they were left-handed.  These belts were so thick sometimes the hips would appear to be much

wider.

 

Coronets.    Crowns were perhaps the strongest signifiers

Fig 4 - coronet

of nobility, especially royalty, and so they were extremely lavish and intricate and were made of the most precious

metals and jewels.  Coronets, however, were smaller and plainer circlets.  These could be worn by the nobility and

were first worn around lords’ helmets.  Women soon adopted them to wear over their veils.  They were made of thin

gold bands or small jewels linked together (Fig 4).   During the 14th century women began wearing them much

larger, similar to the hip belts.  Cauls were also often made of gold or silver and studded with jewels.

 

Necklaces and Rings.    Rings were worn to signify betrothal, royalty, or high nobility.  They were the

only piece of jewelry to decrease in size over the years.  By the 14th century they had become smaller and less

unwieldy, and were usually just bands of gold or silver with an inscription or a few small jewels.  Signet rings were

heavier than normal rings and so they were worn on the thumb.  During the 15th century, women began wearing

rings more often than men.  Their rings were much more delicate and small than the rings men wore.  Necklaces

only began to be worn often during the 14th century.  They began as strips of fabric or ribbon that were

embellished with jewels, but developed into intricately jeweled metal chains and pendants during the 15th century. 

Women began wearing delicate necklaces made of pearls with jewel pendants (Fig 5).

Fig. 5 - women's pearl pendant necklace

Posted in Medieval 1100-1450 | Tagged accessories, brooch, coronet, europe, fashion,girdle, history, jewelry, medieval

clothing, necklace | 2 Comments »Paper Dolls   Again

November 20, 2011 by abigailwestover94

As I promised earlier, I scanned some of the best of the paper dolls to visually show the styles of the nobility/middle

class from around 1200-1450 in Western Europe, especially England and France.  They are generally shown in

chronological order.  All of the terms are defined in my previous post.

 

PLATE 1

c. 1200    The woman is wearing a black wool surcoat over a pleated chainse, and a porkpie hat over her hair.  This

style of a loose, vertical gown was frequent in the earlier Medieval period.  The man is wearing a particolored

cotehardie and a surgarloaf hat, all over his hose and leather shoes.

 

 PLATE 2

 c. 1250    The woman is wearing a pale green cotehardie with a full skirt and sleeves over a maroon chainse.  Belts

were often worn as in this picture to hold up the skirts and allow for freer movements.  Low-waisted belts would

remain the fashion until the late fourteenth century.  She is also wearing a chatelaine to carry household items. 

She wears a gorget and wimple over her hair and neck.  The man wears a fur houppeland with the leather on the

outside and a leather belt with another form of a chatelaine.

 

PLATE 3

c. 1300    Here the woman is wearing a sideless/cutaway surcoat laced up the front over a blue cotehardie.  This

style of surcoat was looked down on by the church because it accentuated the feminine figure.  Her hair is worn

loose down her back, usually only acceptable for younger women and girls.  The man is wearing a short

green cotehardie and an orange chaperon with a long liripipeattached.  The points of his shoes are a bit more

elongated, and they would continue to get more and more so throughout the period.

 

PLATE 4

c. 1350    Here the woman wears a pelicon made from a huge piece of elliptical fabric with slits cuts for the arms

and head.  A hood is attached to the neck and buttons down the front.  She also wears a wimple over her hair.  At

this point wearing hair loosely and uncovered was considered unacceptable, which eventually gave rise to

elaborate headdresses.   The man wears a short cotehardie and hose under a tabard faced with fur.  His cap is

draped with woolen cloth. 

 

PLATE 5

c. 1350    The man wears a blue tappert with padded shoulders and slashed sleeves.  His hose

are particolored white and light blue.  The woman wears a rolled and padded hennin worn over a caul and draped

with a veil.  Her surcoatis worn over a brocade cotehardie and lined with fur, as are the dalmationsleeves.  High-

waisted gowns became the fashion for the rest of the Medieval period. 

 

PLATE 6

c. 1400    The man wears a red houppeland with dagged dalmation sleeves and achaperon which is also dagged.  

The woman wears a dress with a style very popular in this period.  The neckline forms a deep V to the waistband,

with aruched bib underneath coming up higher to the neckline.  The blue gown is trimmed with red velvet.  This

style of gown was often known as a “Burgundian gown.”  She wears a hennin with a butterfly styled veil.

 

PLATE 7

c. 1450    The man wears a short pourpoint jacket lined with fur.  His hat is trimmed with a gold coronet.  The

woman wears an escoffion with a veil and gold ribbon attached.  Her brocade gown has fur-

lined dalmation sleeves.  Jewels and gold were often used to line clothing of the nobility as a means to display

wealth. 

 

PLATE 8

c. 1450  The man wears a “shockingly” short tunic that became popular in this period.  The feet of his hose are

pointed and tipped by bells.  Bells were often used on many garments, especially belts, purses, and shoes.  The

woman wears a gown with bag sleeves trimmed in fur.  Her headdress is a more modern version of the toque, worn

with a butterfly veil.

 

Posted in Medieval 1100-1450 | Tagged europe, fashion, history, medieval clothing, paper dolls, pictures | 3 Comments »Bliauds, Wimples, and Everything in   Between

November 8, 2011 by abigailwestover94

I have found in my research that I keep coming across many terms related to medieval clothing that I am not

familiar with, and I doubt most people are.  While normally I would just infer meanings of words I don’t know, most

of these are pretty critical in understanding this subject, and are usually interesting as well.  So I have decided to

make a short dictionary of sorts to increase both my understanding and yours.  These terms relate mostly to

clothing items, but some are used in methods of making clothes or in different styles. 

bliaud — overgown with either long, tight sleeves or looser, elbow-length sleeves

braies/slops — short pants gathered and tied at the waist and tucked into hose (men)

butterfly– starching veils and shaping them using wired, worn over headdresses (women)

Butterfly-styled headdress

caul/snood/crespinette – a net, usually of gold or silver, used to hold up hair, often lined with fabric (women)

chainse — under-tunic, often belted with leather or cord and worn alone in warm weather

chaperon — hood covering head and draped over shoulders

chatelaine — leather pouch or chain hanging from a belt that usually carried household tools, personal items, or

coins

chausses – hose attached at the top (men)

coif — close-fitting headdress of white linen, cotton or silk that tied under chin, usually worn under other head

coverings

cotehardie — tight-fitting tunic or gown

cottes historiées — family’s coat of arms emblazoned on garments in embroidery or appliqué

crackowes/poulaines — soft, pointed shoes, often wooden-soled, sometimes with the toes held up by gold chains

attached to the knee if they were long enough

cyclas — sleeveless tunic worn with or without belt

dagging – ornamental cutting of fabric edges, applied to all manners of clothing

dalmation/angel sleeves — large, voluminous sleeves

escoffion — double-pointed headdress (women)

gorget — square of fabric draped under chin to cover neck (often accompanying the wimple) (women)

hennin — high, pointed, conical headdress that imitated the Gothic church spire, often with veils attached to them

(women)

houppelande– long, voluminous coat with sleeves sometimes lined or trimmed with fur

Sideless surcoat worn over a chainse, with a wimple over the hair

justacorps/pourpoint/jupon — quilted garment similar to a vest or jacket (men)

liripipe – long, trailing point often added to a hood or headdress

mantle — cloak worn over clothes, sometimes lined with fur or with a hood

particolored — garments divided into sections and sewn in contrasting colors

pelicon — fur lined robe, usually made from large piece of fabric with holes cut for the head and slits for arms

points/tapes — small laces that tied hose up to slops or braies (men)

ruching — pleating or gathering

stomacher — traingular piece extending from neckline to lower abdomen (women)

sugarloaf hat — tall, rounded hat (men)