The Evolution of

Western European

Women's Clothing in

SCA Period:

Part 1

Antiquity to the 13th century

3 archetypal

methods of

making clothing:

1) Draped – used in a shape

relatively unaltered from

the shape created on the

loom and draped on and/or

around the body.

2) Loom Shaped

(Geometrical) –

constructed of loom

shaped rectangles and

simple geometrical cuts

and sewn to create loosely

body-shaped garments.

3) Cut & Sewn – the fabric

is intricately cut and

shaped to the body by

being cut into pattern

pieces and then sewn

together.

What’s the difference

between “clothing”

and “fashion”?

• Clothing – Coverings for

the human body.

– Amount and type of

clothing worn depends on

the physical needs, social

position and geographic

location of the wearer.

• Fashion – A system in

which change is the most

desirable commodity.

– Clothing is not fashion,

but it is the means through

which fashion is created

and expressed.

When clothing

styles change very

slowly, the changes

are driven by

necessity rather

than fashion.

When clothing

styles change

quickly, the changes

are driven by

fashion rather than

necessity.

In order to have

“Fashion”, society must

bring together 4

elements:

1) Change is Valued

Positive value must be placed on change

& “newness”; the “old” becomes

devalued.

2) Choice and Complexity

Range of choices available: multiple

types of garments, increased numbers of

garments, expanded combinations of

garments, & a wider range of colors,

decorations, fabrics, etc.

3) Commercialization

Growth of a commercial society;

moving cloth & clothing production out

the home, increased trade, faster travel,

expanded access to a wider variety of

goods, & improved economies. Results

in a rise in luxury consumption.

4) Circulation

Rise in luxury spending & increased

choices for all levels of society so styles

trickle down into the middle and lower

classes. Circulation drives the elite to

seek new & different styles to maintain

social & fashion superiority.

Rome

116 AD

Present day countries were either

part of the Empire or fell under

Imperial influence:

The fullest extent of the

Roman Empire

Albania

Algeria

Andorra

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belgium

Bosnia-Herzegovin

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Egypt

Macedonia

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iraq

Israel

Italy

Jordania

Kuwait

Lebanon

Lichtenstein

Luxembourg

Lybia

Malta

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

Palestine

Portugal

Romania

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sudan

Switzerland

Syria

Tunisia

Turkey

United Kingdom

Vatican City

Yugoslavia

Roman Weaving

Technology

• Clothes woven individually

on vertical looms

• Transition to horizontal

looms began in the later 3rd

century

• Vertical looms were not

limited to the span of the

weaver’s arms - fabric can

be much wider

• Fabric woven to the shape

of the garments as much as

possible (neck openings &

sleeves on T- tunics, curved

edges of togas)

• Clothing is rarely cut and

sewn to shape

Clothing of the Early

Roman Empire

Garments:

• Underwear – (Subucula )sleeved or un-

sleeved straight garment. Sleeves

would be either woven to shape or sewn

on.

• Gown – (Tunica) unshaped; could be

made with solid shoulders or “gap

shouldered” and fastened with

brooches/fibula or other means.

• Overgown – (Stola) sleeveless

overgown worn over the Tunica by

married women. Several different

shoulder treatments.

• Outer Garment – (Palla)long wrapped

garment roughly equivalent to the toga

worn by men.

• Hair & Headdress – Hair is put up in

various ways, ranging from simple to

very complex. Very high status women

might wear a diadem or coronet. The

head was normally veiled with the Palla

when in public.

• Accessories – Cloth or cord belt called

a Singulum; earrings, necklaces,

bracelets, rings, brooches.

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Hemp

• Cotton

• Silk

• Ramie - cloth made from nettles

• “Sea Silk” - a rare luxury cloth

with a golden sheen made from the

long silky filaments, or byssus,

produced by the Pinna nobilis

mollusk

Clothing worn in

Romanized Areas:

• Characteristic element of women’s

dress in the areas absorbed into the

Roman Empire - sleeveless dress

suspended from the shoulder by

brooches of some kind

• Called a “Peplos Dress” due to its

similarity to the ancient Greek

Peplos

• One of the most basic forms of a

draped garment

• Dates to at least the Iron Age

throughout Europe

• Peplos dresses appear to have been

worn by themselves in warm

weather, or over a long-sleeved

tunic in colder weather or formal

occaisons

• Peplos dresses evolved into various

forms of sleeveless overgown (ie,

norse apron dress)

• Difficult to determine when the

Peplos Dress evolved into a status

garment worn primarily by married

women, or if that held true for all

the Romanized cultures

The Disintigration of

Rome

• Attila the Hun’s empire

has driven Rome back.

• The Roman Empire has

been split into two halves -

the Western Empire & the

Eastern Empire.

• Britain has been abandoned

to the Saxons and the

Netherlands have been

abandoned to the Norse.

• The Burgundians, & the

Visigoths are separate but

allied kingdoms.

• The Ostrogoths have taken

control of part of the

Balkans, & the Vandals

took Africa but failed to

maintain control.

The Roman Empire in 450 AD

Major Changes:

• A new form of tunica

adopted from Dalmatia in

the late 2nd

century – the

Dalmatic.

• The Roman Empire is now

Christian, which changes

the attitude towards

women’s dress and

modesty.

• Respectable women now

expose no skin above the

wrist or ankle & are almost

completely obscured when

out in public.

The Dark Ages

(Migration Period)

• Rome has fallen to the

German Odoacer who rules

the Italian peninsula as an

independent kingdom allied

to the Eastern Empire.

• The Visigoths ended their

alliance with Rome and

took over all of Hispania.

• The Franks expanded their

empire rapidly, coming to

control all of the territory

within the heavy black line

by the 9th

century.

Europe in the 5th

Century

The Merovingians

(Franks)

• Underwear layer –Probably

a long, long-sleeved linen

tunic.

• Gown Layer – Ankle or

above-the-ground length

tunic with short or long

sleeves.

• Overgown Layer – Peplos.

• Outer Garment – Simple

cloak.

• Hair & Headdress – Vitta

(tablet woven band worn like

a filet), possibly a veil pinned

to the vitta at the temples.

• Accessories – Fabric

leggings/stockings with

tablet-woven cross garters,

and tablet-woven belt with

utilitarian items hung from it

(knife, toiletry set, keys, etc).

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk

• Hemp

• Some blends

Germans &

Ostrogoths

Garments:

• Underwear layer –

Unknown. Probably a tunic.

• Gown Layer – Ankle or

above-the-ground length

tunic with short or long

sleeves.

• Overgown Layer – Peplos.

• Outer Garment – Simple

cloak.

• Hair & Headdress – Vitta

(tablet woven band worn like

a filet), possibly a veil pinned

to the vitta at the temples.

• Accessories – Fabric

leggings/stockings with

tablet-woven cross garters,

and tablet-woven belt with

utilitarian items hung from it

(knife, toiletry set, keys, etc).

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk

The Anglo -Saxons

Garments:

• Underwear – Probably a linen underdress

with long sleeves, sometimes pleated

• Gown – Ankle length gown with long,

somewhat fitted sleeves sometimes

trimmed with silk

• Overgown – Ankle length (or slightly

shorter) gown with somewhat shorter

and looser sleeves than those of the gown

worn beneath. An overgown was not

always worn.

• Outer Garment – ¾ circle mentel

(mantle or cloak) reaching to mid-shin

• Hair & Headdress – A brightly colored,

draped headrail similar to a wimple and

secured with pins, a metal filet or a

length of tablet-woven braid. Wealthy

women sometimes also wore a hood over

the wimple.

• Accessories – All free women (except

very young girls) carried a Seax as a sign

of their freedom. Earrings in the shape of

a loop with one or more beads on it. A

single large brooch in the center of the

chest, and sometimes pin “suites” (two

or more ornamental pins connected by

chains) that may have been used to pin

the edge of the veil to the gown.

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk (extremely expensive

and only used by the very

rich for trim and

decoration)

Eastern Roman

Empire (Byzantium)

Garments: Virtually identical to those worn in the late

Western Roman Empire. Modesty was extremely important

• Underwear Layer – Undergown still referred to

frequently as a subucula. When worn it could be seen

peeking out from under the Tunica at wrists, hem and

neck.

• Gown Layer – Long-sleeved floor length gown called a

Tunica or a Chiton. Necklines on both the Tunica and

Dalmatica/Stola layer continued to use the slit and V-

neck styles, but a new rounded “scoop” neckline also

appears at this time.

• Overgown Layer – The overgown, called Dalmatica (or

Dalmatic), is shorter and heavier than the

Tunica/Chiton. It is also more ornate than earlier

versions and the gown worn under it. Nearly always

worn by men but seems to be optional for women, worn

primarily on formal occasions. The hems often form a

distinct curve. It is possible that this layer is actually

the married woman’s Stola – text sources reference it

but text descriptions that directly relate to surviving

images are extremely rare.

• Outer Garment – Women continue to wear the Palla

and other rectangular veils and shawls, but for formal

occasions they wore a version of the men’s Cope which

had replaced the Toga. The Cope was a semi-circlular

mantle that men wore secured with a brooch on the

right shoulder and folded back across the body.

Women, except the Empress, did not drape it like the

men. Instead they either secured it on both shoulders or

draped it sideways over the left shoulder. Copes were

worn indoors and out and were decorative rather than

functional.

• Hair & Headdress – Upper-class women mostly wore

their hair up in elaborate shapes. Curls were much

admired. Outside of the court itself, women kept their

hair covered with veils with out in public, especially if

they were married.

Fibers:

•Linen

•Wool

•Cotton

•Silk

•Cloth of gold & cloth of silver

•Cloth embroidered with silk, gold

and appliqued with jewels

•Samite is introduced (a heavy silk

satin)

•Patterns for garments (not just

veils/pallas) become common

among the nobility – dots, stars,

circles, etc.

•A fashion developed for sewing

small gold, silver, jeweled or

enameled plaques all over the

outermost layer of clothing.

• Accessories – Women usually belted their

garments with cloth or leather belts, or tasseled

fabric sashes. Belts could be worn under the bust,

at the natural waist, or on the high hips. Jewelry

includes rings, earrings, armlets, brooches, girdles,

coronets & crowns. The Superhumeral, which

became an iconic part of Byzantine dress, appears

now. Sometimes it’s part of the Pallium, but

usually not. Worn by the Emperor, Empress and

the members of the nobility, it was made of cloth of

gold or silk, heavily embroidered and studded with

jewels. It was usually divided into compartments

by verticals lines on the collar. The edges were

embellished with up to 3 rows of pearls in varying

sizes and there were sometimes drop pearls hung

from the edge at intervals. The large round collar

covered the entire shoulder area and part of the

upper chest.

• Notes – As in Roman times, purpura (royal purple)

is reserve exclusively for the use of the royal family.

Other colors used in various garments and contexts

conveyed information about the social class and/or

clerical or governmental rank of the wearer. The

distinctive garments of the Emperor & Empress

were the crown and the heavily jeweled Pallium

(also sometimes called the Loros). Descended from

the Imperial Toga , the Pallium was a stiff 6-8”

heavily decorated and lined band of fabric worn

around the neck and hanging down or wrapped

around the body in various ways.

The Norse

Garments:

• Underwear – Long-sleeved linen

undergown reaching to the ankles

• Gown – Long-sleeved woolen gown

reaching to the ankles, with a high

round or key-hole neckline. On cold

weather it was possible that a second

gown was worn underneath.

• Overgown – A wool or linen sleeveless

overgown suspended by straps fastened

with brooches called a “hangeroc” or

Apron Dress. Early Apron dresses

were probably made as simple pieces of

un-shaped cloth, possibly worn in pairs,

or a similar garment made with a closed

side seam and gathered onto a band

running around the chest.

• Outer Garment – Square or triangular

shawls were worn around the shoulders.

A less common item is a caftan, or loose

coat made similarly to the gown but

open down the entire center front.

• Hair & Headdress – During the pre-

Christian era women appear to have

gone bareheaded, though they probably

covered their heads with scarves or caps

similar to the men’s in cold weather.

Converted Norse women began to

wear scarves or simple caps.

• Accessories – Brooches, strings of

beads

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk (extremely expensive

and only used by the very

rich for trim and

decoration)

8th – 9

th Centuries

The Norse Expansion The Frankish Empire

The Merovingians

Garments:

• Underwear Layer – Long-sleeved

tunic.

• Gown – Long-sleeved tunic

reaching to the ankles and worn

with belt.

• Overgown – Long-sleeved caftan

or coat closed at the chest with a

brooch

• Outer Garment – Cloak, shawl

or half-round mantle.

• Hair & Headdress – Married

women wore the vitta (tablet-

woven band worn as a filet) with

a veil worn over the top and

pinned to the temple with small

brooches or decorative pins.

Unmarried women may have

worn the vitta without the veil,

or may have worn their hair loose.

• Accessories – Tablet-woven

garters over cloth stockings and

tablet-woven belt. Bow brooches

area replaced by iron disk

chatelaines.

Fibers:

• Linen

• Wool

• Silk

• Hemp

• Some blended fabrics

Germans & Ostrogoths

Garments:

• Underwear layer – Long-

sleeved tunic.

• Gown Layer – Ankle or above-

the-ground length tunic with

long, straight sleeves.

• Overgown Layer – Caftan or

coat with long straight sleeves.

• Outer Garment – Cloak or

half-round mantle.

• Hair & Headdress – Vitta

(tablet woven band worn like a

filet), possibly a veil pinned to

the vitta at the temples.

• Accessories – Fabric

leggings/stockings with tablet-

woven cross garters, and

leather or tablet-woven belt,

sometimes double-wrapped.

Brooches and other jewelry.

Fibers:

• Linen

• Wool

• Some silk

• Some Hemp

The Norse

Garments:

• Underwear – Long-sleeved linen

undergown reaching to the ankles.

• Gown – Long-sleeved woolen gown

reaching to the ankles, with a high

round or key-hole neckline. On cold

weather it was possible that a

second gown was worn underneath.

• Overgown – A wool or linen

sleeveless overgown suspended by

straps fastened with brooches called

a “hangeroc” or Apron Dress. Mid

period Apron dresses show some

basic attempts to fit them to the

body.

• Outer Garment – Square or

triangular shawls were worn around

the shoulders. Caftans become more

common.

• Hair & Headdress – Pagab women

appear to have gone bareheaded,

though they probably covered their

heads with scarves or caps similar to

the men’s in cold weather. Christian

women wear scarves or simple caps.

• Accessories – Brooches, strings of

beads

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Some silk

• Some cotton

10th & 11

th Centuries

• The Norse become

Normans

• Foundation of Cluny, first

federated monastic order

• In 917 the Bulgarians

destroyed the Byzantine

army in the Battle of

Anchialus, one of the

bloodiest battles in the

Middle Ages

• Vladimir I, Prince of Kievan

Rus, baptised a Christian

in 988

• Reindeer and Bearsbecome

extinct in Britain. Lions

become extinct in Europe.

The century of lead & iron…

described as the darkest period

of the middle ages

The Normans

Garments: Wealth was demonstrated through

the use of large amounts of high-quality fabric

and elaborate embroidery rather than a

profusion of jewelry

• Underwear Layer – Assumed long, long-

sleeved linen tunic with a high round

neck

• Gown Layer – Very full, ground length

gown of linen or wool with long, narrow

sleeves that are worn ruched up on the

forearms.

• Overgown Layer – A ground length, very

full gown fitting somewhat close to the

body, possibly brought in by means of

side lacings. The sleeves are ¾ length

and flair out at the end of the sleeve.

Necklines can be scooped or key-hole

shaped.

• Outer Garment – Semi-circular, full

length mantles fastened on the chest

with a brooch

• Hair & Headdress – Hair is entirely

hidden. The hair is braided and twisted

into a bun at the nape of the neck. A cap

or filet is worn under the wimple which is

secured to the cap/filet by pins. One

style of wimple is made like a hood, the

other is like a long scarf that is wrapped

around the head and neck.

• Accessories – Sewn cloth stockings with

leg bindings worn over the stocking from

knee to ankle.

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk

• Hemp

The Anglo-Saxons

Garments:

• Underwear Layer – Assumed ankle

length, long-sleeved linen undergown

• Gown Layer – Long linen or wool

gown with long, form-fitting sleeves

that are cut very long and pushed up

on the arm to form ruching. The

wrists have embroidered cuffs.

• Overgown Layer – Slightly shorter

wool gowns with very wide sleeves

trimmed at the wrists and hem with

wide bands of contrasting fabric and

embroidery. Sometimes there are

similar bands running down or across

the front of the garment.

• Outer Garment – ¾ circle cloaks

fastened with a brooch in the center of

the chest, or a new, poncho-style cloak

with no visible openin.

• Hair & Headdress – Veils worn over

a cap, as in the previous era. Veils are

sometimes ornamented with fringe or

beads, or trimmed with braid or

embroidery across the top of the head.

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk

• Hemp

The Norse

Garments:

• Underwear – Long-sleeved linen

undergown reaching to the ankles.

Some areas have highly pleated linen

undergowns that may have been

imported from the Near East.

• Gown – Long-sleeved woolen gown

reaching to the ankles, with a high

round or key-hole neckline. On cold

weather it was possible that a

second gown was worn underneath.

• Overgown – The apron dresses are

now fairly well fitted to the body and

are relatively complex in

construction but begin to lose

popularity, disappearing by the end

of the century.

• Outer Garment – Square or

triangular shawls and Caftans.

• Hair & Headdress – Pagab women

appear to have gone bareheaded,

though they probably covered their

heads with scarves or caps similar to

the men’s in cold weather. Christian

women wear scarves or simple caps.

• Accessories – Brooches, strings of

beads

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk

• Some Cotton

The 12th

Century

Garments: A new fashion emerges in Europe which is most

commonly referred to as the “Bliaut” though it was likely only

called that in France. The common characteristics of the

Bliaut-style are: a more fitted bodice that had been previously

worn, a wider skirt than had been previously worn, and sleeves

that are fitted in the upper arm and expand into long hanging

cuffs. Contrary to popular costuming mythology, the bliauts-

style was not worn just in France and England – it was worn

throughout western Europe and probably resulted from the

transmission of the late 11th

century Byzantine fashions into

Western Europe.

• Underwear Layer – In all places, a long-sleeved, ankle

or floor length white linen undergown with a

moderately high rounded neckline (possibly key-hole)

was worn. Variously called Chemise (French),

Smock (English), etc.

• Undergown Layer – In all places, a long-sleeved,

close-necked, floor length colored undergown of linen,

wool, silk, or possibly cotton the very rich, was worn

under the outer, fashion gown, layer. The sleeves are

close fitting at the forearm and wrist and in some

places and times are made overly long and pushed up

to form wrinkles on the forearm. The neckline is

usually a close-fitting key-hole and the body must be

fairly fitted in order to work with the fitted fashion

gown worn over it, there is some speculation that this

layer may also have been laced to the body in places

and times with extremely fitted overgowns.

• Fashion Gown Layer – This is the layer with the long

pendant sleeve cuffs and the visible lacings (when

present). Generally worn belted.

• Hair & Headdress – Generally the bliauts-style is

worn with the hair in two long braids at the sides of

the head and a variety of veils. Some places and

times also wear the style with wimples or the barette

and filet.

• Accessories – Brooches, belts, rings, veils, possibly

braid weights in some places, and crowns or coronets.

Fibers:

• Wool (primary fabric for clothing of all

classes)

• Linen (increasingly used by all but the

very poorest as undergarments)

• Silk (used for entire garments only by the

extremely wealthy and as trimming by

those with less wealth)

• Fur (used as an inner lining for warmth).

Vair (the white belly and blue-gray fur of

the gray squirrel) was especially popular.

France

Bliaut Gironé – c. 1130-1160, but retained into the early

12th

century as emblematic courtly costume for high

ranking noblewomen.

• Made in two pieces with a tight bodice (cors) and

a separate, pleated or gathered on skirt (gironé).

• The selvages of the fabric are use for the waist

edge and hem, with the skirt falling in tight

vertical pleats that run parallel to each other.

• The sleeves are tightly fitted on the upper arm and

flare abruptly at the forearm to an extremely wide

hanging sleeve that reveals the ruching of the

sleeve worn beneath.

• The Cors/Bodice tends to be made overly long and

is cinched up to form wrinkles or pleats around the

torso from hip to underbust with the same lacings

that pull it close to the body. This bodice style is

usually tightly fitted and is usually laced at the

sides.

• The undergown usually has a high, key-hole

neckline while the outer, fashion gown usually has

either a deep V-neckline created by using a long

vertical slit (like that used in Byzantine fashions

from the 6th

– 10th

centuries) or a heavily

ornamented key-hole neckline.

• Most women wearing this style wore a double

wrapped belt (ceinture) with tassels or decorative

metal tips on the ends.

• The style probably developed to take advantage of

silks coming out of the East that had decorative

borders woven into them that ran along the

selvages. These gowns were made of light silk or

very fine wool.

Two different styles of “bliauts”,

both of which are imitated in Spain,

Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, and

England:

Bliaut – c. 1100-1180

• Cut in one piece from hem to

shoulder with sewn on sleeves

and a number of gores let into

the skirt to create the desired

fullness. These gowns also

generally achieve their tight fit

through the use of lacings at the

side seams.

• The sleeves are fitted to the

forearm and then flare into

moderately wide cuffs that

reveal the ruching of the sleeves

worn underneath.

French Bliauts

Polish Bliaut Southern France

Spanish Bliaut French Bliaut Giorne

French Bliaut English Bliaut

Italian Bliauts

Swiss Bliauts

Austrian Bliaut Swedish Bliaut

English Bliauts Spanish Bliaut

German Bliaut Italian Bliaut

Italian Bliaut Tuscan Bliaut

German Bliauts

German Bliaut

English Bliaut

Late 12th

century

A transitional style - fashion

moves away from the tight

fitting styles to looser, less

fitted gowns that are often

worn unbelted, but which retain

the wide pendant cuffs of the

bliauts-style. A sort of hybrid

between the bliaut and the 13th

century style.

The 13th

Century

• The 13th

century is the height

of the Medieval Warm

Period, where temperatures

in Europe rose to a level not

seen again until the 20th

century.

• Parti-colored garments using

two contrasting fabrics or

colors, one on each side of

the body, are first seen.

• Fashion changes begin to

move faster, with distinct

style differences visible

between early and late 13th

century fashions.

1200 - 1250

• Hair & Headdress – There is some variety possible

here, with the simpler headdresses seen primarily

around the turn of the century being gradually replaced

by the more structured styles. Queens at their

coronation and unmarried ladies are often shown with

their hair loose, though possibly covered by a veil or

worn with the barbette and filet. Married noblewomen

wore their hair up, generally in two bunches or buns at

the back sides of the head which creates a distinct

shaping to the head and frame for the face. The

hairstyle was usually then covered by a net made of

netted silk which could be almost any color, including

gold or silver, and could even be richly embellished. A

barbette and fillet (almost always white linen) were

worn over the net, or the filet might be replaced with a

crown or coronet. In some places, especially Germany,

the linen filet might be worn inside the crown or

coronet. German ladies are also known to have worn

their hair down and loose, or braided back into a single

braid running down their back, rather than in the two-

bun style favored by the English and French ladies.

• Accessories – Linen or wool hose, cut on the bias and

reaching to the knee or just above. Ladies hose were

supported by tablet-woven garters. Noble women did

not wear belts at this time, though working women

might. The only visible jewelry were rings and the large

brooches used to close the neckline of the gown.

Contemporary art does not show noblewomen wearing

necklaces, though some extant pieces have been dated

to this time.

• Notes – Stripes or bands of patterned silk/fabric, tablet

woven trims, or embroidery are commonly used to

embellish gowns and overgowns. In addition to placing

these bands in familiar places (necklines, wrists/cuffs,

and hems) bands can also be placed to form stripes

throughout the body of the garment. Horizontal stripes

are the most common, but vertical stripes can also be

seen. Entire garments made of brocades and other

patterned fabrics also begin to be seen. The focus is on

the display of costly fabrics and embellishments while

maintaining great modesty, rather than on showing off

the figure.

Garments:

• Underwear – White linen shift with high round

neck and long sleeves.

• Gown Layer – Floor length, or longer, linen or

wool gown with long sleeves. The sleeves have a

distinctive shape created by enlarging the arm

scye and tapering the sleeve to a very fitted wrist.

The Gown is fitted at the shoulders but is cut

and expanded with long gores to create fullness

from the neck through the body and into the skirt.

The elegent puddle of fabric at a noblewoman’s

feet was a way of displaying her wealth.

• Overgown Layer – Floor length, or longer, linen,

wool or silk gown with long straight sleeves that

end just above the wrist. The sleeves are cut very

full at the arm scye like the gown below, but are

not fitted at the wrist. The Gown can be

constructed with the front seam of the arm scye

left open, allowing the sleeves to be worn hanging

behind the arm and looking, from the front, as if

one is wearing a sleeveless cyclas. The elegent

puddle of fabric at a noblewoman’s feet was a

way of displaying her wealth.

• Outer Garment – Half-round and ¾ round

mantles with a cord or strap across the chest are

seen most commonly for nobles. For traveling,

extremely cold weather, or occasions when the

mantle is impractical, wool gowns made like those

described above but lined with fur were available.

1250 - 1300

Other changes occur in cut and

construction. There is a

gradual shift from Loom

Shaped/Geometrical

construction to true cutting

and fitting.

• The 10-gore type

construction can be found

in late 13th

century

sculptures in Europe.

• This is not intended to be a

tightly fitted gown or a

substitute for the kirtle or

cotehardie, but rather a

radical shift in the way

clothing is made to fit the

body.

The main changes occur in the

overgowns:

• The cyclas, the precursor to the

sideless surcote, appears now. The

cyclas is a sleeve-less surcoat that

is made like the earlier overgown

with hanging sleeves, but without

any sleeves attached at all. The

common theory is that the cyclas

descended directly from the surcoat

men wore over their armor, however

it is more likely descended from the

earlier hanging-sleeved overgown

with some influence from the

military garment. Like the earlier

13th

century styles, for noblewomen

the Cyclas is made longer than

floor-length. The elegant puddle of

fabric at a noblewoman’s feet was a

way of displaying her wealth.

Spain & the Iberian

Peninsula

Garments:

• Underwear Layer – Loosely cut with wide sleeves and a key-

hole neckline, usually tied at the throat and made of thin,

gauzy white linen or cotton. Men, women & children also

wore loose pants cut long and fitting snuggly at the ankle.

These pants were made of the same fabric as the smock, and

could have a richly embellished drawstring. Text sources also

indicate the women might have also worn leg wraps that cover

the leg from knee to ankle.

• Gown Layer – Loosely cut floor-length tunics with long,

moderately wide sleeves and high, round necklines with no

obvious closure at the neckline. The richer you were, the more

generously you cut your robes. The tunics of the nobility were

embellished with gold and pearls at the neckline and cuffs, as

well as tiraz bands on the upper arms. The tiraz bands could

have Arabic script or geometric designs. Extremely expensive

tunics were made out of patterned silks and brocades.

• Outer Garment Layer – There were two types of outer

garment: the practical Burnus and the decorative Rida. The

Burnus was a semi-circular cloak with a hood, generally made

of wool. The Rida was a rectangular wrap of richly

embellished silk directly descended from the Palla and usually

worn in the same way. Although some authors classify long

rectangular veils worn over the head and held before the face in

outdoor scenes as “veils”, I believe that these are simply

Pallas being used as they were since the early days of Rome.

• Hair & Headdress – According to text sources, it was very

common for Moorish women to veil their faces when out in

public but images with veiled faces are very rare. One

miniature from the Book of Games shows two women wearing

tall turban-like hats of wrapped scarves with white face veils

that look almost like modern surgical masks covering the

mouth, nose and chin. Regular head veils are commonly

shown, with black & white being the most common. They are

usually fastened under the chin by a small pin and held in

place on the top of the head by a fabric or tablet woven filet or

another scarf. There is also some evidence for some women

going with their hair uncovered and no hat or headdress,

though I don’t know the reasons for it.

There is a shift taking place here from

purely Islamic styles to more

European styles of clothing. The

clothing of Moorish Spain in the 13th

century shares much in common with

the styles worn elsewhere in Western

Europe while retaining Islamic

elements.

Fibers:

• Linen

• Cotton

• Silk

• wool

End of

Part I

The Evolution of

Western European

Women's Clothing in

SCA Period:

Part 2

The 14th

Through

the 16th

centuries

3 archetypal

methods of

making clothing:

1) Draped – used in a shape

relatively unaltered from

the shape created on the

loom and draped on and/or

around the body.

2) Loom Shaped

(Geometrical) –

constructed of loom

shaped rectangles and

simple geometrical cuts

and sewn to create loosely

body-shaped garments.

3) Cut & Sewn – the fabric

is intricately cut and

shaped to the body by

being cut into pattern

pieces and then sewn

together.

What’s the difference

between “clothing”

and “fashion”?

• Clothing – Coverings for

the human body.

– Amount and type of

clothing worn depends on

the physical needs, social

position and geographic

location of the wearer.

• Fashion – A system in

which change is the most

desirable commodity.

– Clothing is not fashion,

but it is the means through

which fashion is created

and expressed.

When clothing

styles change very

slowly, the changes

are driven by

necessity rather

than fashion.

When clothing

styles change

quickly, the changes

are driven by

fashion rather than

necessity.

In order to have

“Fashion”, society must

bring together 4

elements:

1) Change is Valued

Positive value must be placed on change

& “newness”; the “old” becomes

devalued.

2) Choice and Complexity

Range of choices available: multiple

types of garments, increased numbers of

garments, expanded combinations of

garments, & a wider range of colors,

decorations, fabrics, etc.

3) Commercialization

Growth of a commercial society;

moving cloth & clothing production out

the home, increased trade, faster travel,

expanded access to a wider variety of

goods, & improved economies. Results

in a rise in luxury consumption.

4) Circulation

Rise in luxury spending & increased

choices for all levels of society so styles

trickle down into the middle and lower

classes. Circulation drives the elite to

seek new & different styles to maintain

social & fashion superiority.

The 14th

Century

Fibers & Fabrics:

• Wool

• Linen

• Silk imported from the East of from

the silk mills in Italy

• Cotton imported from Egypt was

used for padding, in quilting, and in

serviceable cloth like buckram and

fustian, but rarely as a fashion layer

• Woodblock printing of fabrics becomes

fairly common by the end of the

century

• Italian brocaded and damasked silks

featured repeating patterns of

roundels and animals in imitation of

the Chinese and Ottoman silks.

• Parti-colored garments become very

popular.

• Checkered and plaid fabrics are

occasionally seen used for garments,

such as the plaid cotehardie from the

St. Vincent altarpiece in Catalonia.

• Fur is primarily used for lining and

trimming garments

Hundred Years’ War between England

& France, and their allies, begins in 1337

1300-1350

• Women’s hemlines continue to

shrink back to floor-lenth, at least

in front, though there could still

sometimes be a train at the back.

• Fashion begins to evolve and

change at a much faster pace than

it had ever done previously but

styles are still “pan-European” with

only relatively minor variations

between regions.

• The so-called Little Ice Age begins

in the early 14th

century and an

increasing desire for warmth and

tolerance of multiple heavy layers

begins.

Garments:

• Underwear Layer – Called the smock or shift, documentation

exists for two styles: a sleeveless “tank-top” style made famous

as the “bath house shift” and possibly worn during hot weather,

and a long sleeved version normally worn. Both styles were at

least mid-calf to ankle length and made of white linen.

• Gown Layer – The Kirtle was an ankle or floor-length gown that

laced up (usually down the center front or back) and had long early

in the century, with short sleeves becoming common by the end of

the century. The Kirtle was usually tightly fitted and acted as the

supportive layer for the fashion gown worn over it. Later in the

century it might be worn on its own, but only informally. For

formal occasions it was always worn under nother fashion layer.

• Overgown Layer – The Cotehardie is the fitted fashion layer

worn over the kirtle. The cotehardie could lace up the front,

button up the front (with buttons reaching to the hips or all the

way to the floor), or more rarely it could lace up the back. The long

sleeves were tightly fitted and usually buttoned from the elbow to

the wrist with the cuff frequently extending down over the hand.

Sometimes the wearer left the sleeves of the cotehardie

unbuttoned, allowing them to hang down from the elbow and the

sleeve of the kirtle worn underneath to be seen. Gradually the

cotehardie developed sleeves that were deliberately cut to imitate

this fashion, and eventually evolving into the tippet. The tippet

was a cuff that attaches to the edge of the short cotehardie sleeve

forming a band around the bicep and supporting a streamer – the

last remains of the old hanging sleeve with its buttons. Tippets

are typically depicted as being made of white and are probably

made of linen to allow them to be washed and bleached.

• Overgown Layer #2 – The Cyclas of the 13th

century evolves in

the early 14th

century into the elaborate sideless surcoat.

• Outer Garment Layer – When outdoors, women wore cloaks or

mantles lined with fur, or later in the century, they wore a looser

fitting fur-lined garment called the Houppelande that would

evolve into an elaborate style of fashion gown in the early 15th

century.

• Accessories – Stockings coming up to or just over the knee, sewn

from wool, sometimes linen, usually cut on the bias and supported

by tied or buckled garters. Cotehardies were often worn with

decorated belts made of tablet weaving with metal mounts or

metal links.

The 15th

Century

Fibers:

• Wool

• Linen

• Hemp

• Silk

• Pomegranate & artichoke

patterned silks, richly

colored velvelts and

wools and nearly

transparent linen and silk

were characteristic of the

period

• The fashion for slashing

begins in mid-century in

Italy and Germany

• Hundred Years’ War between

England & France finally ends in

1453

• Immediately followed, in England,

by the dynastic battle between two

branches of the royal House of

Plantagenet (Lancaster vs. York)

which was fought sporadically

between 1455 and 1485 and ended

with the victor of Henry Tudor over

Richard III and married Edward IV’s

daughter, Elizabeth of York, to unite

the houses and found the Tudor line.

• For the first time since Dark Ages,

fashion becomes more regionally

oriented rather than pan-European

with the rise of distinct fashions in

Italy, Germany and Spain around

the middle of the century

1400 - 1425

Transitional Cote-Houp Gowns:

• Fitted like a Cotehardie through the

body, but often with a hidden closure

so probably back lacing

• The Cotehardie hanging sleeve

lengthens and broadens into the

Houppelande sleeve

OR

• Narrow sleeved with a loose fitting,

pleated body and high buttoned collar

• Can be worn with or without a belt,

but the belt is normally worn just

under the bust when present

High-Collared Houppelande:

• High collar can be worn standing up

or laying down on the shoulders

• The undergown or smock also has a

high collar and, when the collar is

worn folded down onto the shoulders

the undergown collar can be seen as a

second layer on top of the gown collar

• Wide, open sleeves or voluminous

sleeves with a fairly narrow wrist –

sleeves become progressively larger

towards c.1415 then begin to shrink

again

• Pleated and belted under the bust

Transitional Cote-Houp Gowns

&

High-Collared Houppelande

By this time the kirtle is

generally short sleeved. When

doing strenuous or dirty work,

the sleeves of the smock are

allowed to show but are usually

rolled up to keep them clean.

Generally false sleeves of rich

fabric are worn pinned to the

short sleeves of the kirtle to cover

the smock sleeves. These false

sleeves are what show

underneath the fashion gown

layer.

1425 - 1450

Collarless & Open-Collar

Houppelandes

• Relatively narrow, to almost non-existent,

collars

• Neckline is usually open to the belt, but

narrow so only a small triangle of the

underdress shows

• Worn over a kirtle, sometimes the lacings at

the center front of the kirtle show

• Necklines are sometimes filled in or covered

with a white linen cloth worn around the

neck and tucked into the bodice

• Sleeves are wide and loose fitting, but not

bagged though they gradually become more

and more fitted as you approach c.1450

• Pleated and belted but the cut is

progressively less full as you approach

c.1450

Germany 1439

Portugal 1445 Italy 1440

Italy 1438

Flemish 1443 Flemish 1450

1450 - 1475

The ‘Burgundian” or V-neck Gown

• Worn over another dress layer (the Kirtle)

• Popular in France, England and the Lowlands

• Worn in multiple variations by multiple classes

• Often trimmed and/or lined with fur

• Wide neck opening sits at the point of the shoulder,

with a collar several inches wide and has a high cut back

neckline

• Front neckline and center front seam use the selvage so

the neckline will not stretch and curves around the bust

(continuous straight line)

• The front opening is laced or hooks closed, may extend

down onto the abdomen, sometimes hidden by the wide

belt

• A few examples of side laced gowns exist for both the

overgown and kirtle layers

• The bodice and sleeves become very fitted by c.1470

• The waist is just under the bust to high-ish waist

• The skirt is very full at the hem but is made as a circle

skirt, rather than pleated or gathered onto the bodice

• Usually has fitted sleeves

• Usually trimmed with fur at the collar, cuffs and hem

though these can be made of velvet or brocade

• The collar forms a V-shaped flap on the back that

generally hangs down over the belt

• Back of the neck can be a V-shape or a deep scoop

• Can be worn with or without the wide belt

• Usually worn with a hennin of some style

• The front lacings of the kirtle are usually hidden by a

Placket that is pinned over the kirtle and under the

overgown. The Placket creates a look like a square

necked undergown but the neckline of the kirtle retains

the rounded shape from the 14th

century

• Sometimes worn worn the neckline filled in with sheer,

or more rarely, opaque, fabric

• Large jeweled collar-type necklaces are common

Italy 1480 England 1470

German 1470 Italy 1470

Italy 1485

Italy 1490

Italy 1490

Italy 1493

1475 - 1500

Shaped-Cut Neckline Gown & Transitional Tudor Gown

• Transitioning a very straight V-neckline of the Burgundian

gowns to a more rounded neckline that is wider and shallower

• The collar meets at a higher point on the bust

• Collar is probably cut separately & applied to the gown now

• Approaching c.1500 the collar begins to disappear and the

wide, shallow V-neckline come back onto the shoulders and

begins to become a square neckline

• Retains the center front opening

• A style common in German areas but nowhere else looks

very much like the V-necked “Burgundian Gown” but the

sides of the bodice don’t meet – the gown is laced into place

over the kirtle, which shows through the deep open V of the

lacings.

• In Italy, the low rounded neckline becomes a high, round

neckline in front with a lover V-neck at the back by mid-

century. Later it becomes a V-neckline in front that

displayed the kirtle, called a Gamurra, in front. Sleeveless

overgowns were popular & the gamurra sleeves were

displayed. In the summer a lighter weight undergown, called

a Cotta, was worn. A sideless overgown, like a long

elaborate tabard, called a Giornea could also be worn with

the Gamurra or Cotta. By the end of the century sleeves

were made in sections that tied to each other and to the gown

at the shoulder. These sleeves might also be slashed,

allowing the chemise sleeves to puff through the slashes

along the arm & at the shoulder and elbow. Sheer partlets,

often heavily decorated were sometimes worn over the gown.

• In Spain the Verdugada was a gown with a bell-shaped skirt

stiffened with hoops made of reeds became popular. The skirt

of the Verdugada displayed the lines of casings for the reeds,

often highlighting them by using contrasting fabric or ribbons

for the casings. Another distinctively Spanish style also

appeared at this time – trumpet shaped sleeves that flair out

from the shoulder to create a very wide wrist. These are

sometimes slashed along the top of the sleeve.

Italy 1475

The 16th Century

Commonalities:

• Linen smocks/chemises worn

as the underwear layer, often

elaborately embroidered and

banded wrists and necks

ending with a linen and/or

lace ruffle or frill that would

eventually become the ruff.

• Slashing gained in popularity

and in formality

• Lace slowly becomes a

prominent feature of clothing

• Guards (bands of contrasting

fabric) are used to ornament

skirts, sleeves and necklines

• Outer fashion gowns

continue to be worn over a

kirtle that provides the

supportive layer

• Necklines are almost

universally square

• Temperatures reach the low point of

the Little Ice Age in the mid-16th

century

• The fashion in the first part of the

century is dominated by the rivalry

between Henry VIII of England and

Francis I of France, with Charles V

of Spain, Naples & Sicily as the

rising power. Charles became the

Holy Roman Emperor in 1530.

• The regional variations in fashion

that arose in the 15th

century become

more distinct in the 16th

century.

Germany, Scandinavia & the Low

Countries developed a unique style,

while Spain & Portugal developed a

more restrained style, Italy followed

Italian styles before developing a

unique Italian style, and England &

France continued to influence and

compete with each other.

France

• The high waist of the 15th

century moves down to the natural

waist and then continues to descend until it becomes a V-shaped

point in front.

• Gowns opened down the center front at first and were

somewhat loosely fitted through the body before flaring from the

hips into a full skirt with a train that was often left open to

reveal the skirt of the kirtle worn beneath.

• Bodices have a moderately low, square neckline which could be

filled in with a Parlet in a variety of styles. Black velvet partlets

lined with white and having a high flared collar were popularly

worn over top of the gown. Some partlets were made in the same

fabric as the gown and give the appearance of a high-necked

gown. Sheer or opaque linen partlets might be worn over the

smock or chemise and under the gown.

• Sleeves on the fashion gown become larger, with large turned

back cuffs (often lined with fur) worn over elaborate false sleeves

worn over the kirtle sleeves or chemise sleeves.

• As Spanish influence increased, gowns become more tightly

fitted and bodices began to be cut separately and sewn to the

skirt. These new, more fitted bodices laced at the side or side

back seams, or used hooks & eyes in those locations.

• The Spanish Farthingale also became a feature of French dress

as a result of increasing Spanish influence. By 1530 the

farthingale was a standard part of court dress in both England

and France.

• Kirtles had been made with decorative fronts and plain back but

as decoration on the kirtle skirts became more elaborate, the

kirtle began to be covered with a Forepart.

• By 1530 the earlier cuffed sleeves evolved into Trumpet Sleeves,

which are tight on the upper arm and flare out below into very

large turned back cuffs worn over very large, highly decorated

false under-sleeves that often matched the forepart. These

turned back sleeves disappeared around 1550 in favor of full

Round Sleeves.

• Black velvet or silk hoods with veils at the back worn over linen

undercaps were popular in France, England and the Low

Countries. These hoods became more complex and evolved into

the structured French Hood.

Germany

• The high waist remains fairly high.

• The fashion gown generally has a closed skirt.

• The neckline of the bodice gradually gets lower and

lower, with the bust area filled in with a decorate

placard called a Brustfleck. Gradually the front

neckline descends to the waistband of the skirt and

the area below the Brustfleck is secured with

lacings over the kirtle and/or a white placard worn

over the Hemd (smock). This style combines the

characteristics of the late 15th

century laced gown

and the early 16th

century one in style.

• The sleeves of the German gowns rapidly develop

elaborate puffing and slashing as well as being

decorated with bands of contrasting fabric and rows

of panes or strips of fabric over puffed linings.

• Partlets, called Gollers (collars), of various styles

were often worn to cover the neck and shoulders.

The most popular style was a round capelet of black

velvet lined with silk or fur and a standing

neckband.

• Skirts are trimmed with bands of contrasting fabric

and could be tucked up into a belt to display an

underskirt as they were closed all the way around.

• After Charles V became the Holy Roman Emperor

in 1530, elements of Spanish dress were quickly

adopted.

• German ladies favored a variety of hats, often

adorned with large feathers, worn over highly

decorated cauls to the hoods worn elsewhere.

Unmarried girls in Germany continued to wear

their hair loose.

England

• A style of hat unique to England was the

English Hood, which was a wired headdress

shaped like the gable of a house. Early English

Hoods had long, embroidered lappets that hung

down and framed the face and a loose veil that

covered the hair in back of the hood. Later

versions were worn over several layers of

undercaps that completely hid the hair and

allowed the veil and lappets to be pinned up in

various configurations.

• The French Hood gradually replaced the English

Hood in England as the style was more

flattering and allowed some of the hair to show.

Towards the 1540s hats worn over elaborate cauls

also became popular as an alternative to the

Hoods. In winter, fur hats in various shapes

were also worn. One, called the Lettice Cap, is

shaped like an English Hood made out of fur.

Spain & Italy

Italy:

• Generalizing 16th

century

Italian clothing styles is

nearly impossible because

each Italian city-state had its

own style that was unique to

that time and place while

sharing some common

elements with other Italian

and Spanish styles

• Sleeves could take a wide

variety of shapes, waistlines

could be extremely high to

quite low, skirts could be

open or closed.

• Italian women use a variety

of neckline shapes, including

both rounded and squared.

In the warmer climates, it was more common to

leave the hair uncovered. Hair could be braided or

wrapped with ribbons and pinned up or confined in a

net. A variation on a Spanish style from the 15th

century was still worn in the early part of the 16th

century – the hair was pulled back from the face and

braided down the back. The 16th

century variation

added a type of Hood called a Corazon over the

hairstyle. The Corazon was shaped very much like

the early French Hood in front, but instead of a veil

in back, it formed a tube that the braid was placed

inside. The tube, with the hair, could then be

wrapped in ribbons or left plain.

England 1502

Flemish Hood 1500

Italy 1503 Germany 1502

Germany 1507 Italy 1508

Germany 1506

Spain 1505

Spain 1510

Germany 1514

Germany 1513

Italy 1514

Germany 1516 Italy 1516

England 1516

Spain 1518

Germany 1525 Italy 1527

Germany 1526

England 1527 Germany 1525-30

England 1527 Germany 1526

England 1533

Spain 1530

England 1535

Germany 1539

England 1536 Italy 1536

England 1540

Italy 1540

England 1544 Italy 1545

England 1545

Spain 1548

England 1546

Germany 1545

1550 - 1600

Generalities:

• The later 16th

century sees the

introduction of the corset, more often

called Stays, in period. The earlier

version laces up the back and uses a

stiff wooden busk at the center front to

create a very flat line from bust to

waist. A very late version, which closes

with laces up the front but could

sometimes be adjusted in size via

additional lacings at the back. In

England this late period Stays removes

the wooden busk and replaces the

straight angle with a shallow curve

from the bust to the abdomen.

• The job of the corset was not to squeeze

the waist to a smaller size, but to

support the bust and reshape the torso

into an inverted cone-shape.

• The bodices and sleeves of later 16th

century gowns are actually meant to

replicate the body shape of men – with

broad shoulder and a narrow waist.

Padding on the hips, combined with the

reshaping of the torso makes the waist

look proportionally smaller by means of

contrast.

Fibers & Fabrics:

• Wool and linen for the lower

classes

• Silks, velvets, satins, furs,

lace, cotton and taffeta for

the wealthy.

• Increased availability of

dyes means the rich have a

wealth of colors to choose

from

Spain

• The increased wealth brought in from the New

World brought about many new areas of

conspicuous consumption in dress, such as the use

of massive quantities of lace, embroidered and

even jeweled fabrics, and the introduction of ruffs

and collars.

• Spanish style was known in 16th

century Europe

for its elegance. The Spanish people typically

wore black for daily wear, but donned bright colors

for festive occasions. Even after Charles V

divided his empire between his two sons in 1558,

the Spanish continued to influence fashion for the

rest of the century.

• Spanish clothing was severe and very rigid, with

black being the predominant color. The Spanish

farthingale settled into a formal contraption made

of wire hoops supported on a specially shaped skirt

giving the wearer a distinctive cone shape by 1545.

• Bodices and skirts appear to have been made

separately and skirts were made without trains.

Necklines in Spain are quite high, generally with

tight standing collars topped with ruffs.

• Spanish sleeves gradually became extremely tight

from the shoulder to the wrist with the hanging

over-sleeves giving way to padded rolls over the

shoulders.

• Linen ruffs rapidly grew from a narrow frill around

the wrists and neck to broad cartwheel ruffs that

required wire platforms to support them by the

1580’s.

France

• French Farthingale, which appeared first in

France and later in England, was similar

to the Spanish farthingale in that it was a

structure of fabric and wires intended to

provide a specific shape to the skirts. The

French farthingale formed a cylindrical, or

“drum shaped”, skirt. To soften the outer

edge of the French Farthingale, the

overskirt was pulled up and pinned to the

edge of the structure underneath, forming

first a small poof and later a more formal

ruffle all around the edge.

• A version of the French farthingale worn

on informal occasions or by the lower

classes was a large padded roll that added

width to the skirts around the hips.

• French bodices continued to be laced or

hooked up the back sides as in earlier

styles.

England

• English gowns continued to be

primarily fastened with hooks and

eyes down the center front, as in

earlier fashions.

• English partlets were generally made

of embroidered linen and often had

matching sleeves that would be worn

over the smock sleeves. Sets were

often given as gifts.

• English sleeves tended toward the

“demi-cannon” shape – wider at the

shoulder and tapering to a fitted

wrist. By the end of the century

these sleeves were often so large they

had to be supported internally using

inner-sleeves stiffened with reeds

called Farthingale Sleeves.

• Long loose coats, with short sleeves

or no sleeves at all, and worn over a

full bodice and gown, also became

very popular.

Germany

As the result of the Spanish influence,

German fashions became a melding of the

Spanish and German styles.

Italy

• Italian bodices retained the

front-lacing of the previous

period, with the ties laced in

parallel rows.

• Italian gowns featured a

broad U-shape at the waist

in contrast to the V-shape

seen on nearly all the other

regional styles.

Italy 1550-5

Italy 1557

Italy 1560

England 1562

Flemish 1560

Italy 1565

Italy 1565

England 1572

French 1571

Italy 1570 Spanish 1571

England 1575

Spanish 1571

England 1578

German 1579

England 1580

French 1580

Spanish 1584

England 1585 Spanish 1585

England 1589

Italy 1590

England 1592 Spanish 1593

England 1592

The End