Dress and Decor :: Theatre 301, UBC :: Medieval World :: Dress

We have seen how the move of the capital of the Roman Empire in the 4th century signaled the decline of the the western portion of the empire. The Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire flourished, building a strong commercial economy. Expansion ended in the 7th century, when Arab armies invaded. the Empire finally collapsed under the weight of the powerful new Arabic forces that had been united under Islam. The city of Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. The disappearance of civil government in the west opened the door for the Germanic invaders to form new kingdoms. Here too a new culture developed, based on a fusion of Roman and Germanic traditions.

Byzantine costume merges the styles and ideas of both east and west. A gradual evolution of Roman styles incorporated more and more ornate eastern elements, producing a rigidity and formality in dress that reflected the court life of the Emperor and the landed nobility. the aristocracy was based on wealth rather than blood. Women held a prominent place in this aristocracy until ideas from the Islamic Near East began to infiltrate. As in the Roman Empire, labour was supplied by a slave class of foreign captives and the poor.

Surviving evidence of Byzantine costume is through the magnificent art in church mosaics and illumination - hand painting and lettering - of manuscripts, copies of religious and classical writings produced in the monasteries. Only the aristocracy and the clergy are portrayed in these works, alongside evangelical figures depicted wearing the classical costume of Rome in the 4th century. Other conventions developed: Jesus is represented as a king, Mary as a queen,both dressed in royal robes. It is often difficult to determine in these works whether contemporary costume is being worn.

Wool and linen predominated until the 6th century. Silk was being produced by the Byzantines as early as the 6th century, and they continued to supply the Western world until the 9th century. it was a lucrative trade; Byzantine brocade with Persian designs was sought after. Garments were appliquéd or embroidered, or adorned with precious stones

The tunic was the basic garment - a narrow. long-sleeved garment that was worn to the ankle. Early tunics were full, later, more fitted. For the lower classes, it was the everyday working garment. For the upper classes, it was the undergarment for some of the richest clothing in history. The tunic was a derivation of the ancient Roman tunica talaris, or tunic to the ankles. The more active wearer would gird it up to the shins or knees with a thin belt. The sleeve and hem length would change according to the class of the wearer and the weather. The primary fabric was undyed linen or undyed wool. Both would be in a plain weave. Silk was also used.

Both tunic and dalmatic were decorated with embroidered bands or clavi - a Roman influence - and segmentae, square or circular decorated medallions; later, textiles were patterned all over

Tunics were belted and, for both men and women, adorned with the pallium - a long, embroidered band that hung from a collar.

A white undertunic was layered under a coloured tunic and Roman-style palla or cloak until 10th century. After the 7th century, double-layered tunics were worn, the undertunic with long, fitted sleeves. The dalmatic replaced the outer tunic - elbow-length wide sleeves and knee-length.

The pallium was a circle dropped over the head with tabs hanging front and back, often encrusted with decoration - seen at left.

Other elements included slippers with decorative cutwork, and boots ending below the calf. Jewelry is pictured as an integral part of the costume - for example, the wide jeweled collars of the Empress - and included earrings, bracelets, and rings.

Court Dress for the upper-class men and the Empress: a paludamentum or rectangular cloak worn pinned on the right shoulder with a large fibula or brooch. It is often shown with a square appliquéd panel on the front edge, called the tablion.

The Emperors wore a jeweled crown - the stemma -with pendants of beads or pearls, and a wide jeweled collar - the maniakis. Both are shown in cloaks of the royal colour purple.

An important difference between Roman and Byzantine dress was the change from loose, draped garments to a semi-fitted silhouette. This change reflected the new Christian concern with concealing the human body, as it was considered an object of shame in Christian doctrine. The new silhouette was flat, rigid and static. Clerical costume also adopted this approach.

Early Christian church leaders adopted the everyday dress of the late Roman Empire as the model for ecclesiastical vestments, a model adhered to by the Roman Catholic Church until today. Symbolic accessories were added gradually, and by the 9th century, a number of elements of lay dress had been transformed and established as part of the liturgical costume of the Roman Catholic Church.

The alb was the first layer - a long white linen tunic with narrow sleeves and a slit for the head, tied with a cincture or belt. The name derives from the tunica alba, or white tunic

The chasuble was an oval, poncho-shaped garment that slipped over the head like the earlier Roman paenula.

The pallium, developed from the Greek himation and was a feature of Byzantine dress. The original was folded into a narrow strip, and then reduced to a circle with tabs hanging front and back. It featured embroidered crosses, as seen at left.

The stole was a narrow band worn over the shoulders and allowed to hang down the front. It was worn during the Mass.

The cope was a voluminous half-circle cape, remnant of a hooded cloak, that was often elaborately embroidered. This image also shows the mitre, a double pointed cap with tabs hanging down the back, a headdress reserved for bishops.

Monastic dress also developed at this time. It was based on the dress of the poor, and retained the styles of the early Middle Ages into modern times. The "habit" consisted of a long, loose tunic in rough wool, and included a cowl - a hood that was either attached to the tunic or was a separate piece that incorporated a shoulder cape. A common practice was to shave the crown of the head in what is known as a tonsure. Nuns wore a veil that took the form of the barbette and wimple of late Medieval dress (Refer to section below). Specific colours and headdresses developed, distinguishing the various orders. Bare feet were worn by some monks, or simple sandals.

Medieval trade records refer often to the purchase of Opus Anglicanum, or English embroidery, commissioned for ecclesiastical garments. The English had developed special techniques for embroidered goldwork and a stitch called "couching", and were known all over Europe for this style. The Syon Cope at left is an example of this style.

The influence on Roman costume of the Germanic or Barbarian invaders from the north was seen in the addition for men of trousers and hose. The tunic, worn short, was maintained until well into the 10th century, but was now more fitted and made from pieces that were cut and sewn together. Linen and wool continued to be the chief materials, and were gathered, spun and woven by women in gynaeceum, or workshops, by women.

Evidence for costume of royalty and the wealthy can be found in descriptions and manuscript illuminations; little is known about the clothing of the common man. Little change in styles occurred between the 4th and the 1oth century. There is an apparent influence of Byzantine styles seen in the bands on embroidery on the tunic, and the paludamentum or cloak closed with a brooch.in this period,

The short tunic was worn with gartered leggings - chauses or hose - leg coverings that were held up with garters. Cross-gartering can also be seen. Medium-length rectangular cloaks, survivals of the Roman pallium, were fastened over one shoulder. Hair was worn long with beards by the ruling classes for the first half of the period, and then short and clean-shaven by all.

During the 12th century a radical change is seen in the cut and fit of men's and women's costume. The body began to be revealed in the close fit of the tunic, and it was worn long. Capes also trailed on the ground. Hair was left to grow long and was curled with hot irons. Shoes were made with an extended pointed toe. The dictates of fashion made any kind of physical labour difficult.

Braies and hose: Short-sleeved linen undershirts - or chemises - were worn, along with loose-fitting, diaper-like underdrawers - or braies - girdled at the waist, seen in image at left. The long ends are tied to the waistband here to accommodate activity. The hose, long stockings fitted to the leg, were tied to the girdle with laces or points.

The Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered by English craftsmen in the late 11th century, is full of costume details, including mantles, tunics, hose, and military costume.

The tunic was still short at this time, but of a closer fit than earlier. Sleeves are tight, and the skirt flares out, indicating that it was separately cut. The cloak was hooded and pinned shut over the chest, or was a poncho-style.

In the 12th century a new tunic appeared - the bliaut - with a long, flared skirt that was joined to the bodice at a low waist seam. An inset bias or diagonal piece was set in at the hip to assure better fit.The bliaut, in its more complex pattern shapes, shows progress in clothing construction. The bodice was now fitted closely, and laced shut at the sides. This type of closure applied to the women's bliaut as well, as garments became more body-revealing. New attitudes toward modesty were evident in these garments. Sleeves were funnel-shaped, revealing the tight-fitting undertunic.The bliaut was made of luxurious fabrics such as silk, satin or velvet, and embroidered with gold thread. The servant in this image from a Cistercian manuscript is wearing a short bliaut with a front and back split to accommodate riding.

The cote and surcote are simply new terms in the 13th century for what are essentially the undertunic and an outer tunic. Upper-class men wore long sleeved, full-length cotes, with a shorter surcote. The surcote could be sleeveless with low armholes, called the sideless surcote. It could also have wide, elbow-length sleeves.

The garnache and the herigaut were two styles of outer wear, the latter occasionally seen with a hanging sleeve - a decorative long sleeve that was not worn. The herigaut is worn by the figure at right in this miniature, and a sideless surcote can be seen at left.

The shoe with a pointed toe, the poulaine , reached excessive lengths, so much so that the point was sometimes tied up to the ankle in order for the wearer to walk.

Men wore a coif - or fitted white linen cap - under most headwear. Typical of the period is the hooded shoulder cape with a long tail, called a liripipe.

Loose fitting, long tunics and palla-like mantles are thought to have been worn for several centuries after the fall of the Empire. Costume for men and women was similar from the 4th through the 10th centuries.Hose reached the knee and was gartered; Shoes were similar to men's, or sometimes a soft slipper was worn. Wooden clogs with high platforms could be worn over them to keep the feet out of the mud.

The chemise - a linen undertunic - was similar in cut to the male version. The floor-length undertunic was covered with a shorter outer tunics with a shorter sleeve.

Mantles for winter wear were fur-lined with gray squirrel, the pattern of the fur showing plainly in illustrations.

In the 12th century, the bliaut, described above, was the upper-class style for women as well as men.

By the 13th century, garments in general returned to a looser fit, under the rule of Louis IX, who was a very pious man.The sideless surcote, at left, exposed the cote underneath, which was tight-fitting and laced shut on the side seams. Mantles continued to be made of rich fabrics, and when lined with fur were called a pelice.

Hairstyles for women whose hair could be seen - young unmarried women - took the form of plaits hanging down on either side of the face. Otherwise the head was covered with a filet, or crown-shaped circlet - held on with a strap that passed under the chin. Older, veiled women covered their entire throats with a draped white linen known as a wimple. The wimple became a standard part of the nun's habit.

Byzantine costume reflected the brightly coloured mosaics seen in church interiors in its emphasis on jeweled ornament and embroidery. In the tight, encrusted patterns of these garments can be seen the influence of Arabic and Near Eastern motifs. Byzantine goods were sought after in western Europe, and influenced the dress of the Merovingian and Carolingian ruling classes.

Other than the development of sericulture - the manufacturing of silk - no great changes were seen from the end of the Empire to the 1th century, with costume adhering to pseudo-Roman forms. Between the 10th and 13th centuries, an evolution occurred, transforming the unfitted tunic to the complex, fitted bliaut. The courts of the dukes of northern France became the center of a brilliant social scene, and court dress began to develop, characterized by extreme cuts and costly materials. Clothing was an important indicator of social status, as it had been in Rome. The long, fitted tunics of the 13th century affirmed the status of the wearer as a man of the leisure class. The concept of constantly changing fashion was by now well-established.