Medieval Clothing Patterns

The clothing patterns or fashion changes along with time. The costumes or dresses of a particular time period are influenced by the changes taking place in the society at that time. Economic prosperity also has an important role to play in defining the clothing patterns. The medieval period holds importance from the point of view of the world of fashion, since the time or period preceding it was characterized by a stagnant socio-economic condition. By the end of the medieval period, the economy and culture of Europe was fast changing and it accepted new traditions and customs. Thus, the medieval period is considered to be a time frame in the history that witnessed transition and change.

Medieval Clothing Patterns

The medieval clothing patterns or costumes can be classified into many categories. The classification could however be done properly by classifying clothing patterns in three broad categories: the 13th, 14th and the 15th century medieval clothes. The medieval costumes for women and men are classified and explained in separate paragraphs in the following article.

Thirteenth Century Fashion: During the period between 1200 and 1300 AD, the clothing patterns across the continent of Europe were simple, since the changes took place at a slow pace. Most of the costume types in use were three to four centuries older. The century however witnessed development in the field of wool working and dyeing. Wool was commonly used in making garments during this period.

Men's Clothing: Men used to wear a tunic and surcoat over a linen shirt. The 'cyclas', a type of surcoat in its basic form was a rectangular piece of cloth with a hole in its center for the head. After adding sleeves to the cyclas, it became a 'ganache'. Men used to wear shoes, hose and a headdress.

Women's Clothing: Women used to wear a long and loose gown with tight sleeves. The cyclas was worn over the gown. Rich women used to wear costumes with embroidery, and the mantle was one such costume.

Fourteenth Century Fashion: A lot of experimentation was done in the clothing patterns during this century. In the words of James Laver, a costume historian, the middle of the 14th century witnessed the beginning of recognizable 'fashion'. Earlier, the clothes had straight seams and most of them were draped garments. The art of tailoring developed during this period, and the clothes that were designed had a snugger fitting and were decorated with buttons and lacing.

Men's Clothing: The men's clothing included garments (shirts) made of linen. The chausses or hose were used to cover the legs and were made of wool. Men also wore a tunic, gown or kirtle over the doublet or shirt. Men used to wear a hood or cloak over the tunic.

Women's Clothing: The women of this time period used to wear fitted or loose gowns known as kirtle or cotte, which had a floor-length or ankle length. Women used to wear a costume known as 'train' during formal events.

Fifteenth Century Fashion: The fifteenth century was a period of prosperity, and it was marked by the extravagances and extremes. The clothes used during this period had complex patterns and reflected the prosperity of the urban middle class and skilled workers. The doublets and houppelandes were the main clothing patterns or costumes of the fifteenth century.

Men's Clothing: The doublet, shirt and hose were the basic costumes of men during this time period. The shirt used to be covered with an overgown. The headgear was a common component used by men along with almost all the dresses. A range of different types of hats having long crowns and short brims, low crowns and wider brims, and many other varieties were used by men during this period. The brimless scarlet cap was also in fashion in those days.

Women's Clothing: Long gowns were the main costumes used by women in the fifteenth century. These gowns had sleeves and were used along with an undergown or a kirtle. The V-neck clothes were in vogue as they replaced those with a shallow scooped neckline.

Renaissance Clothing Patterns

The clothing patterns that evolved during the Renaissance period were marked by excessiveness. Different European countries adopted different styles of costumes. The countries like Italy, France and Britain took a conservative approach in accepting the changes. The influence of medieval costume patterns remained for a long time in these countries. Germany on the other hand made great improvements in this field. The use of large puffs in the costumes; at the head, thighs and shoulders, and small puffs over the chest, arms, back and legs were some of the prominent features of the Renaissance period.

Fashion and costumes have changed a lot over the course of time. The changes would continue to take place in the future too. The medieval clothing patterns are a good example of the transitions that take place in a society: its culture, economy and of course the clothing patterns.