MIDDLE AGE FASHION

The European Middle Age is divided in two major periods, concerning the evolution of dressing gowns.

The first one, from about 400 to 1100, is to be considered a time of gradual change. The main feature is the meeting of the old Roman style with that of the invading people which crossed Europe over this time. Therefore, during this period, people would dress differently depending on the geographical positioning of their settlements. Those living in Romanized regions that did not face invasions of the new people would only later (near the end of the mentioned period) meet a change in costumes, whereas the western parts of the continent which suffered the consequences of the invaders’ passing would adopt a new dressing style. The patterns were directly influenced by those of the Franks, Anglo-Saxons or Visigoths. The difference between the two styles was mainly visible in men’s gowns: the invading people wore short tunics with belts, visible trousers and hose or legging, while the others preserved the old Roman formal costumes which consisted of a long tunic coming below the knee sometimes reaching the ankle. By the end of this period the differences were gone and the Roman vestments were only worn by the clergy whose nowadays clothing has barely changed since then.

The second period which lasted from 1100 until the end of the Middle Ages was characterized by the development of the same style all over the continent with small regional variation of the pattern.

We all are probably familiar with Mark Twain’s quote which states that “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Back then, garments were also a statement of social status.

In those times most people had low living standards and both the material from which the clothes were manufactured and the vestments were home-made. Their garments were of wool or hemp, usually undyed (grey and brown were common colors) with simple patterns. Fur or leather was for winter coats. Men’s clothes consisted of a tunic above the knee with a belt worn over it and leggings or hose. Women’s dresses did not differ much from their male counterparts, except for the tunic which was considerably longer; they too would wear a belt in which they tuck the skirt in order not to drag it in the mud. Married women covered their head with a veil while the maidens let their hair loose. As for shoes, they were made of wood as leather was not affordable to peasants, and were worn only in winter.

The privileged classes wore more sophisticated designed gowns made of silk and cotton imported from the Byzantine, and later, from the Moslem world. They could afford to buy dyed linen and wool woven patterns; embroidered decoration was very common also.

Men’s gown consisted of a light shirt wore beneath a heavy decorated tunic made of velvet, most of the time, which could be sleeved or not. The tunic became longer and longer as time passed. They wore hose or leggings, which were strips of clothes wound around the leg and held in place by leather laces called cross-gartering. A belt with jewelry applied to it was worn over the tunic along with another belt to which a purse was attached. In winter they would wear a fur lined cloak or a mantle. The widespread hat among the lords was the chaperon also known as “cappa”, a one-piece hood with long tails called liripipes. Pointed shoes were preferred which were made of leather. They were called turn- shoe because they were put together inside-out and were turned the right side once finished.

The ladies wore long bright-colored tunics with long sleeves that could reach the ground. They had their clothes embroidered and often jewels were attached to their dresses especially around the waist and the borders. In winter their garment was completed by a coat or mantle lined with fur. Christian women were expected to cover their hair with a veil.

Jewelry was very common among the aristocracy and was worn equally by both men and women.

Free people were allowed to carry upon themselves a sax or a knife to use for all purpose.

As for medieval Asia, the styles differ so much from a region to another that we shall take into discussion three countries and present their medieval gowns, starting with India. Here women used to wear a”sari”: a piece of cloth wrapped around them in different ways. There were many ways of draping a sari: most women wore them as skirts with a top part covering their shoulders or their head (like a veil). Working women used to pull their sari up between their legs to create a sort of trousers. In India there were women fighting in the army: in order to free their arms they would remove the upper part of the sari.

The sari comes in many shapes and colors: young women wore very colorful sari while the widows were dressed only in the white ones. The material from which the sari was made is silk, for those rich enough to afford it, and cotton, which was the main material from which ordinary women made their clothes. As for the length of the garment, it varies between six and nine yards. Those who afforded wore gold and silver jewelry, especially ring, earrings and nose rings.

The man also wore a piece of cloth called dhoti: this was wrapped around their legs in order to create a sort of trousers. The dhoti was shorter than the sari so the men did not have the part that covered the shoulders like the women. They wore also turbans over their heads which were made of a long piece of material. Their clothes were most of the time white and made of cotton.

Later both women and men began to wear trousers (churidar) and over them a long tunic reaching their knees.

We now turn our attention towards China where the medieval costume for women is named Quipao/Cheongsam. The term Quipao is used in the northern part of China, while the name Cheongsam is mostly known in Europe and means “long dress.” This is an elegant dress with a high neck and slits on the sides. The legend says it was invented by a fisherwoman who could not cope with her long loose dress. She decided to make herself a more comfortable one and thus the Quipao was born. Later she became a queen and the pattern of her gown was spread all over the country. The materials used for the Cheongsam are silk, silk brocade, satin, satin brocade and velour’s. All colors can be used; these kinds of dresses usually follow a certain pattern such as Chinese dragons, different kinds of flowers and birds. Common motives in Quipao designs are: the peony (symbolizes richness and prosperity), the lotus (represents beauty and purity), chrysanthemum (signifies longevity), the fish (is the symbol of prosperity), the dragon (is the sign for “supreme power” and was often worn by the queen) and the phoenix (also symbolizes beauty and purity).

Though quite similar at first sight the Quipao is different from the Japanese medieval and national costume: the kimono.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages a type of kimono known as Jun-hitoe was very popular among Japanese women. It consisted of twelve differently colored kimono layers placed one over another in such way that shades of each layer could be seen at the collar and sleeves. As for the members of the royal family, the kimono could be composed of up to sixteen layers. The material from which it was made is silk. The kimono styles can be classified in two main categories: young, unmarried women wear very colorful kimonos with long sleeves named furisode, whereas the married ones wear more dim colored kimonos with short sleeves called tomesode. Nowadays every woman has a kimono which is worn for the coming of age ceremony (at the age of19).