TOPICS
0:00 Intro
0:21 Being subject to the dictates of fashion: meaning today and in the past
1:18 Dress code and economic aspects
2:16 Changes in fashion at court: tunics and robes
3:17 The height of eccentricity
3:34 Colours of clothing and their meaning
4:35 Headwear and its meaning according to status
7:09 Footwear according to gender and social classes
8:09 Outro
DRESS IN THE MIDDLE AGES: THE FASHION DICTATE “Subject to the dictates of fashion” is a term that is used a lot today and to which, apart from a certain peer pressure, no other meaning becomes appropriate. But what was this like in the Middle Ages? And who was affected by it? Was there a kind of compulsory dress code for the lower classes of the population, or was this reserved only for the nobility?
The dress code of the time extended through all classes and it was easy to differentiate between them and to see who belonged to which class. This differentiation did not only go hand in hand with the garments and costumes, but also the headgear, the footwear and even the colour of the clothing provided information about the origin, position and social status of a person.
So it was not surprising that the fashion of the Middle Ages became more and more extravagant, at least for a small part of society. This refers above all to the late course of the Middle Ages, as this was captured in many ways in pictures and art. Even though there were many changes in the costume and fashion of the nobility in the course of the total 900 years of history of the Middle Ages, this summary at least gives a small insight into the history of our time.
