An Age of Change: Examining 14th century Fashion By Duchess Aislinn Morcroft The mid-fourteenth century mar ed the true

!eginning of "fashion# trends in clothing as $e no$ it today% De&elo'ing $ealth of the mid to late 14th century left 'eo'le $ith more time to focus on fashion and more money to s'end on achie&ing the latest loo s% During the 14th century 'eriod( fads in fashion came and $ent( $ith no o!&ious 'rogression from long to short hems or tight to loose fits% Almost e&ery decade( the 'endulum s$ung( and the height of fashion changed% )estern fashion changed at a 'ace greater than other ci&ili*ations $here fashion changed +uic ly only $ith ma,or religious and 'olitical changes such as Muslim con+uest of -ndia% These changes $ere li ely a!le to see their fruiting due to rising $ealth among all classes of society and ne$ tailoring techni+ues% An examination of the modifications in dress sha'e and style loo ing at 1.-/0 year s'ans during this century( $hile not inclusi&e of the sometimes yearly changes noted in regional styles( does gi&e the interested indi&idual a &ie$ of the e&olution of the common garments most associated $ith this 'eriod of medie&al history as $ell as the e&ol&ing conce't of "high fashion#( defined as an e&er changing set of re+uirements in dress $hich had little or nothing to do $ith functionality of clothing use( and demonstrates that the only thing that remained the same in clothing styles during this 1.. year 'eriod $as change%
Figure 2-Manesse Codex c. 1304

Figure 1-Maciejowski Bible c.1300

Coming into the first +uarter of the 14th century( things $ere still &ery sim'le !y com'arison to the extra&agant fashions $e see during the latter century( and reflect modesty in garment $ear and decoration that $ere 're&alent throughout the 're&ious century and $ere 'romoted !y the religious and moral $riters of the time% 1ooser styles as $hole( the geometric sha'ed 'atterns $ith little $astage $ere 'ieced to create the sha'es $e see in these garments as these styles $ere 'rior to the ad&ent of the set in slee&e $hich is not seen until after the 12/.3s%1 )hat fitting that did occur $as done through laces or e&en se$ing the $earer into their garment% Figures one and t$o a!o&e demonstrate the loose styles noted throughout the &isual record of the time% 4e$ techni+ues in tailoring $hich allo$ed for increased fitting( li e the set-in slee&e( occurring in the 122.3s to 124.3s dramatically changed the earlier fit of clothing and allo$ed for increased fitting of the human !ody a!o&e the $aist( and &oluminous s irt !elo$ the $aist% )hile under$ear and shirts tended to continue to use rectangular construction methods/( cur&ed set-in slee&es and !ody 'anels( and
Figure 3 Roman de a Rose! c. 1340s -

use of larger triangular gores to increase s irt $idth $ithout

adding !ul to the line of the garment $ere introduced% 5ractical ex'erimentation $ith !oth the geometric construction method and the cur&ed set-in slee&e method su''orts that $hile the geometric method of the 're&ious century allo$s for &ery little $astage of fa!ric( the area $here the slee&es meet the !ody of the garment 6across the chest7 tend to !e too loose for close fitting as a result of achie&ing arm gores large enough to allo$ reach% This 'recludes a tight a fit a!o&e the $aist as noted starting in the mid-14th century% 8sing the setin slee&es and cur&ed !ody sha'es thought to !e the 'attern of 14th century construction after 122. allo$s increased comfort in fitting( the fa!rics are allo$ed to hug the !ody( and there is more range of motion in the arm%
1 /

French manuscript Miroir Historial shows set in sleeves c 1335-40. Van Buren: Illuminating Fashion, p. 44. row!oot et al., Textiles and Clothing, p.1"".

These changes allo$ the garments to !e fitted much closer to the !ody $ithout losing mo!ility% This may also !e $hy at the same moment in time( $e see $omen in&ol&ing themsel&es in $hat ha&e traditionally !een men3s 'ursuits in the &isual record such as !oating( hunting( archery( etc% 9arments no$ allo$ an ease of mo&ement( and the shorter slee&es allo$ $omen to !e !oth fashiona!le and functional at the same time% Men3s clothing in 'articular !egan to dramatically change( increasing in tightness to the 'oint that slits $ere re+uired u' the middle front( and gro$ing drastically shorter% )hat !egan as a class di&ide in clothing 6$ith no!les $earing longer go$ns and s+uires short go$ns7 !ecomes 'o'ular throughout all social statuses( and !y the end of 124.( e&en the :ing of England had !oth long and short suits2 noted in the )ardro!e accounts of England% The fact that this change $as drastic and re'resented a change from 're&ious era is su''orted !y commentary 'ro&ided in 120; !y contem'orary historian <ean de =enette% 1oo ing !ac on the 124.3s( he $rites: "But at this time me( 'articularily no!lemen( high !orn s+uires( and their follo$ing( as $ell as some citi*ens and 'ractically all ser&ants !egan to redesign their mode of dress% They started to $ear short clothing and that so short that !oth their !uttoc s and their 'ri&ate 'arts $ere 'retty $ell &isi!le( $hich $as really &ery strange !ecause 're&iously things had !een getting more decent%#4 -t is of 'articular note that 'rior to around the mid 122.3s( there is no mention of !uttons in the )ardro!e accounts of England or France% >e&eral sources theori*e that this indicates that until this time( $earers $ere mostly se$n into their garments &ia thread or lacings( or the garments $ere left loose enough to 'ull o&er the head% 9uilles li Muisis( a!!ot of >t% Martin at Tournai dictating in circa 120. $rote of the good old days( $hen "!uttoned slee&es $ere $orn only !y $omen of ill-re'ute and that others se$ed u' their slee&es%# 4e$ton also notes that this 'ractice is recorded in the ?oman de la ?ose from the same time 'eriod%0 -t is not until around the accounts of 122@-122A that !uttons are
2 4

#ewton $escri%es a &suit' as a complete la(ere$ out!it with un$ershirt, )own, an$ overcoat. #ewton, Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince, p.*. 0 #ewton, Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince, p. 1+,.

mentioned on suits( and e&en then these suits are descri!ed as "$ith !uttons# $hich may indicate that the !uttons are merely decorati&e and not meant to !e functional closures for fit% By 124.( $ardro!e accounts indicate !uttons do$n the front of the garments( and are descri!ed as "!uttoned#% The use of the closure as an action &er!( $hen com'ared to early descri'tion of "$ith !uttons# may indicate its functionality as a means of closure at this time% The fit of the garments is changing( es'ecially for men( at this time% The slee&es on the outermost layer !egin shortening 6tra&elling from the $rist to no$ the el!o$ for length7 and de&elo' longer and longer tails; called ti''ets in English or sometimes !ea s% As the slee&es on the outer layer shorten( the no$ &isi!le
Figure 4-"a#mou$% &ours c. 1330-1340

middle layer is a&aila!le for ornamentation% Buttons u' the slee&es

allo$ tightness and an ex'ression of $ealth and decoration% )omen3s o&er-go$ns !egin to tighten and ex'ose cur&es not seen in the 'ast century or so( and men3s garments !oth tighten drastically through the chest and $aist( and shorten dramatically% At this 'oint( !y a!out 1240( the man3s short cote hardy has reached its full a$areness and is the ty'ical outer garment%@ These cote hardies are mostly nee length at this 'oint( !uttoned do$n the front $ith full s irts !elo$ the $aist to ease mo&ement% As the second half of the century da$ns( clothes continue in their tightness !ut get still yet shorter for men% 9arments are molded to the human form% From the 120.3s( !uttons are 'rolific !oth on the front of the garments as $ell as the slee&es% Figure 0( a $ooden figure of )alter de Belyon c% 12;. demonstrates !oth the tight fit of the cotehardie( as $ell as the 'rofuse use of !uttons on the center closure and the slee&es of men3s garments% )hile difficult to see in this image( the original $ood car&ing also has long thin ti''ets at the !ice's% Clearly( this man $as re'resented the height of fashion at the time of this car&ing% These rather drastic changes did not go $ithout comment from the conser&ati&e( older
; @

Fi)ure 4 $enotes %oth the shorter oversleeve with the lon) tippet an$ the visi%le ti)ht un$ersleeve. Van Buren, Illuminating Fashion, p.50.

Figure ;-Corona$ion Book o' C%arles (! 5aris c12;0-12A.:

'o'ulation% -n 1i Muisis3 Annals( 9uilles again comments on !oth the men and $omen3s scandalous dress% "And $hat can - say of clothes and their decorations(# he +uestions rhetorically% "The men3s so tight( so short that their 'ri&ate 'arts could often !e seen !eneath them% And $hat can - say of the dress of $omenC Their dresses and ornaments $ere made in the li eness of men3s( so tight their nude !odies could !e seen through their clothing%# Manuscri't images from the same time sought to teach a lesson regarding a''ro'riate dress to ee' from !eing cast into hell using fashion to demonstrate lac of 'iety% Dne manuscri't e&en sho$s 'eo'le !eing cast into the 'it !y demons( in &arious states of undress( !ut $ith the tra''ings of fashion still 'resent( indicating that if you focus too much on your out$ard a''earance and not enough on 9od( you $ere !ound for hell% E&en the contem'orary historian res'onsi!le for the French historial chronical 9randes Chroni+ues cites tight clothing and flared s irts as the demise of the French chi&alry and suggests that fashion is 'rimarily res'onsi!le for the French defeat at Crecy% Follo$ing 124.3s there is also a dramatic increase in sum'tuary la$ im'osed !y !oth religious and secular de'artments in order to cur! excess and 'romote modesty in clothing% Authorities !oth religious and lay $ere concerned a!out too many 'eo'le !eing a!le to access fashion and ex'ensi&e textiles $hich 'laced the social order as they ne$ it at ris %A -ronically( this did not ee' citi*ens from attem'ting to rise a!o&e their social class and dress to extremes% -n some cultures it e&en !ecame 'art of the fashion of the day to flaunt a disregard for these la$s% -n Florence( for exam'le( the fashiona!le middle to u''er class $omen 'aid their fines for other$ise for!idden clothing( and then attached the lead seals to the hem of their go$ns as if to sho$ that they had "'aid# for the right to !rea the la$%E

A E

>cott( Fas%ion in $%e Middle )ges! '% 44% >cott( Medie*al +ress and Fas%ion! '% E@%

A''roaching the final +uarter of the century( $omen3s clothing styles remain fairly unchanged !et$een 120. and 12@.( continuing $ith tight !odices( flo$ing s irts( ti''eted slee&es and !uttoned fronts and !utton-slee&ed irtles under their cotehardies% Men3s garments continue to shorten( and de&elo' an exaggerated "># or "ser'entine# sha'e that gi&es the im'ression of almost a s$ay !ac as demonstrated in Figure @( !ut other$ise also remain unchanged% Dagging on hems( slee&es( and hoods gro$ in 'o'ularity and dagging remains through the end of the century% 5erha's this lac of dramatic change in clothing
Figure ,-Bible &is$oriale c13-,

style is the result of the rene$ed hostilities of the Bundred Fears )ar $ith fre+uent !attles and treaties noted in the histories during this 'eriod or as a direct result of the de&astation of the Blac 5lague% -t is also 'ossi!le( ho$e&er that gi&en the nota!le reduction in Euro'ean illuminated manuscri'ts1. during these years( that change in fashions $as 'resent during this time( !ut not chronicled through the &isual record for our study at this time% The late 12@.3s( ho$e&er( sa$ the !eginnings of change again( $ith slightly longer cotes on men 6again to the mid-thigh or to' of nee7 and a resha'ing of the cotehardie on $omen $hich o'ened the nec line $ider and raised the line of the s irt to the natural $aist%

Figure .! /! 10-"accuinum 0ani$a$us

1.

>cott( Medie*al +ress and Fas%ion( '% A1%

The most dramatic change from the 're&ious 1. years of fashion to occur in the last +uarter of the century $as the return of the long go$n as a status sym!ol% The end of the fourteenth century !egins $ith the ad&ent of the hou'elande in France and the 9oun 69o$n7 in England% )here the short cotehardie $as still $orn as a middle layer on men( no$ the long go$n had returned as the outermost layer% )omen $ore !oth the ne$ly styled cotehardie $ith o'en nec line and higher $aist and a long go$n $ith high nec line $hich $as !elted under the !reast% Man or $oman( though( the go$ns ena!led the rich to demonstrate
Figures .! /! 10-"acuinum 0ani$a$is c.13/0-1400

their $ealth through cons'icuous consum'tion of fa!ric

necessary to 'ull off the long s irts and slee&es noted to$ard the end of the century and into the next% -ronically( clergy and chroniclers ali e !egan to com'lain a!out the excessi&e amounts of cloth in these long styles( almost forgetting their 'redecessors3 com'laints of too little fa!ric used 're&iously% >um'tuary la$s again try to tighten do$n on the luxury a&aila!le to the rising middle class !y limiting +uality of fa!rics( ornamentation( and amounts of cloth to !e used for the &oluminous s irts and slee&es no$ fashiona!le% -t seems that no matter $hich ten year 'eriod re&ie$ed( t$o things $ere commonGstyle $as changing and 'eo'le at all social classes $anted that style% The shear &olumes of sum'tuary la$s added( and 'rolific manuscri'ts that are a&aila!le( es'ecially to$ard the end of the century clearly indicate that not only $ere 'eo'le at all social classes a$are of the changing styles of the u''er no!ility( !ut that more and more 'eo'le had the $ealth in $hich to o!tain those styles for themsel&es% As the fourteenth century dre$ to a close( one thing $as certain% Fashion( as defined in Margaret >cott3s Medie&al Dress and Fashion as "e&er-changing a''earance( !ased on no&elty and not necessity( $hich is considered desira!le and sought !y as many 'eo'le as 'ossi!le#11( $as here to stay% )hile men3s fashion changed much more dramatically and fre+uently than did $omen3s during this century( !oth men and $omen ex'erienced a degree of ex'erimentation and ex'ression ne&er seen !eforeGand
11

>cott( Medie*al +ress and Fas%ion! ' @E%

may!e not seen after in the same timeframe% This truly ma es the 14th century an age of change%

List of Illustrations 1 Maciejowski Bible( 4e$ For ( 5ier'oint Morgan 1i!rary( M> M%;2A( leaf 10 / Manesse Codex! HIrich( Beidel!erg( 8ni&ersitJts!i!liothe ( Cod% 'al% 9erm% A4A( fol% ;4 2 Roman de la rose! Dxford( Bodleian 1i!rary( M> >elden su'ra 0@ 4 "a#mou$% &ours! England( British 1i!rary( Fates Thom'son M> 12( f%AAr detail 0 )ooden figure of )alter de Belyon( Much Marcle( Bereford and )orcester ; Corona$ion Book o' C%arles (( 5aris( British 1i!rary( Cotton M> Ti!erius B =--@ Bible &is$oriale! Brussels( Bi!liothe+ue royale( M> E;24-0 A "acuinum 0ani$a$is! Milan( Bi!liothe+ue 4ationale de France( 4ou&elle ac+uisition latine 1;@2 E "acuinum 0ani$a$is( Milan( Bi!liothe+ue 4ationale de France( 4ou&elle ac+uisition latine 1;@2 1. "acuinum 0ani$a$is( Milan( Bi!liothe+ue 4ationale de France( 4ou&elle ac+uisition latine 1;@2

References Cro$foot et al%( "ex$iles and Clo$%ing 11-0-14-0( Museum of 1ondon 5ress( /..;% Eagan and 5ritchard( ed% +ress )ccessories 11-0-14-0( Museum of 1ondon 5ress( 1EE1% 4e$ton( >tella Mary% Fas%ion in $%e )ge o' $%e Black 1rince( Bury >t% Edmonds( >uffol ( 1EA.% >cott( Margaret% Medie*al +ress and Fas%ion( The British 1i!rary 5ress( /..E% >cott( Margaret% Fas%ion in $%e Middle )ges( < 5aul 9etty Museum 5ress( /.11% "12..-14.. in Fashion#% )i i'edia 1ast modified <anuary A /.12% Accessed on Fe!ruary 1/( /.12% Khtt'233 en%$i i'edia%orgL$i iL12..M14..NinNfashionO =an Buren( Anne% 4llumina$ing Fas%ion2+ress in $%e )r$ o' Medie*al France and $%e 5e$%erlands! 132--1-1-( The Morgan 1i!rary and Museum 5ress( /.11%