Write a short note on the costumes of the medieval period
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Female dress
Around the year 1300 there was a change in
well-off women’s clothing, to tighter-fitting
garments, lower necklines, and more
curvaceous silhouettes; “very tight lacing was
used on women's clothes to create a form-
fitting shape which, girdled at the hips,
created a long-waisted appearance”. [1]
Clothing was over-lapped and tightly bound;
“The female chest was frequently exposed,
yet the true structure of the female body was
visually distorted…”. [2] The open surcoat , a
garment with an open bodice and a skirt that
trailed to the ground, became “one of the
most elegant inventions of the Middle
Ages…”. [3] In fact, by the end of the 14th
century, the gown had replaced all garment
items aside from the surcoat.
The basic garments for women consisted of
the smock, hose , kirtle , gown, bra, belt,
surcoat, girdle , cape, hood, and bonnet. [4]
Each piece had designated colours and
fabrics, for example “Materials used in the
middle ages were woolen cloth, fur , linen,
cambric , silk, and the cloth of silver or gold…
the richer Middle Age women would wear
more expensive materials such as silk, or
linen”. [5] The development of the skirt was
significant for women’s medieval clothing,
“The more fashionable would wear very large
or wide skirts”. [5] The petticoat made way for
the skirt, which quickly became a popular
garment because it “wraps rather than
enclosing, touches without grasping, brushes
without clasping, coasts, caresses, skims,
strokes”. [6]
The headdress , in various forms culminating in
the hennin was an important element in
women's dress, often complicated
arrangements of hair and fabric, sometimes
including veils over the face or hanging
behind the head, this is were the bridal veil
originated from. [7] The importation of
luxurious fabrics increased over the period,
and their use widened somewhat spread from
the top of the elite downwards, [7] but clothing
remained very expensive and relatively few
items were owned except by very wealthy
people.
Medieval clothes provided information about
the status of the person wearing them, most
peasants wore garments made of goat wool
and woven grass.
Male dress
Fifth and sixth centuries
Main article: Anglo-Saxon dress
Common attire
Early Anglo-Saxon , regardless of social rank,
wore a cloak, tunic , trousers , leggings, and
accessories. The short, fur-lined cloak was
designed so that the skin of the animal faced
outward and the fur brushed against the
undergarmets. However, woolen cloaks have
also been found. The garment opened either
at the front or at the right shoulder. A single
brooch , usually circular in shape, fastened the
square or rectangular cloak. Other means of
fastening the cloth together included tying,
lacing, or using a clasp; often made of natural
materials such as thorn, bones, wood, or
horns. The less prosperous wore woolen
cloaks. [8]
The tunic ended between the hip and the
knee and had either long or short sleeves.
Clasps were not needed to hold the tunic
together because when pulled over the head it
would sit snugly around the neck without the
use of lacing or ties, indicating that the
garment was one continuous piece. A belt or
girdle was usually worn with the tunic and
might have had a buckle, and, as Gale Owen-
Crocker states, “pouched over the belt”. [9]
Multiple tunics were worn at once so that the
lower one, often short sleeved, served as a
shirt. [10]
Around the year 1300 there was a change in
well-off women’s clothing, to tighter-fitting
garments, lower necklines, and more
curvaceous silhouettes; “very tight lacing was
used on women's clothes to create a form-
fitting shape which, girdled at the hips,
created a long-waisted appearance”. [1]
Clothing was over-lapped and tightly bound;
“The female chest was frequently exposed,
yet the true structure of the female body was
visually distorted…”. [2] The open surcoat , a
garment with an open bodice and a skirt that
trailed to the ground, became “one of the
most elegant inventions of the Middle
Ages…”. [3] In fact, by the end of the 14th
century, the gown had replaced all garment
items aside from the surcoat.
The basic garments for women consisted of
the smock, hose , kirtle , gown, bra, belt,
surcoat, girdle , cape, hood, and bonnet. [4]
Each piece had designated colours and
fabrics, for example “Materials used in the
middle ages were woolen cloth, fur , linen,
cambric , silk, and the cloth of silver or gold…
the richer Middle Age women would wear
more expensive materials such as silk, or
linen”. [5] The development of the skirt was
significant for women’s medieval clothing,
“The more fashionable would wear very large
or wide skirts”. [5] The petticoat made way for
the skirt, which quickly became a popular
garment because it “wraps rather than
enclosing, touches without grasping, brushes
without clasping, coasts, caresses, skims,
strokes”. [6]
The headdress , in various forms culminating in
the hennin was an important element in
women's dress, often complicated
arrangements of hair and fabric, sometimes
including veils over the face or hanging
behind the head, this is were the bridal veil
originated from. [7] The importation of
luxurious fabrics increased over the period,
and their use widened somewhat spread from
the top of the elite downwards, [7] but clothing
remained very expensive and relatively few
items were owned except by very wealthy
people.
Medieval clothes provided information about
the status of the person wearing them, most
peasants wore garments made of goat wool
and woven grass.
Male dress
Fifth and sixth centuries
Main article: Anglo-Saxon dress
Common attire
Early Anglo-Saxon , regardless of social rank,
wore a cloak, tunic , trousers , leggings, and
accessories. The short, fur-lined cloak was
designed so that the skin of the animal faced
outward and the fur brushed against the
undergarmets. However, woolen cloaks have
also been found. The garment opened either
at the front or at the right shoulder. A single
brooch , usually circular in shape, fastened the
square or rectangular cloak. Other means of
fastening the cloth together included tying,
lacing, or using a clasp; often made of natural
materials such as thorn, bones, wood, or
horns. The less prosperous wore woolen
cloaks. [8]
The tunic ended between the hip and the
knee and had either long or short sleeves.
Clasps were not needed to hold the tunic
together because when pulled over the head it
would sit snugly around the neck without the
use of lacing or ties, indicating that the
garment was one continuous piece. A belt or
girdle was usually worn with the tunic and
might have had a buckle, and, as Gale Owen-
Crocker states, “pouched over the belt”. [9]
Multiple tunics were worn at once so that the
lower one, often short sleeved, served as a
shirt. [10]
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