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HISTORICAL REFERENCE(S): Clothing & Textiles, Fashion
Fabrics...... Colors/Dyes...... Clothing/Ornaments MEDIEVAL TEXTILE INFO - FABRICS linen, wool, silk, velvet, brocade (silk on silk or with velvet), furs, leather (incl suede or kid), satin, damask (satin weave which gives the appearance of two color tones in shifting light) TOP MEDIEVAL TEXTILE INFO - COLORS broad palette of colors were made from three readily available vegetable dyestuffs 1) Madder (red), the root of the herbaceous perennial plant Rubia tinctorum 2) Weld or dyer's rocket, (yellow), an herbaceous plant (Reseda luteola) 3) Woad (blue), a cruciform plant - Isatis tinctoria Bright yellows, oranges and ochers, yellow-browns, deep blue-greens, olive and light, bright greens, blues from indigo to palest sky, crimson, mauve, purple, pinks and bright reds, even a good black (using the three basic dyes with aluminum salts as a mordant) - can be made from just these three plants (ie, with the 3 primary colors available, red-yellow-blue, can create the entire spectrum). other native and commonly imported dyestuffs: crottle (Parmelia omphalodes), archil (Roccella tinctoria), Scandanavian clubmoss (Diphasium complanatum), and heather, producing colors in the brown-purple spectrum. Dyer's greenweed (Genista tinctoria) gives a yellow which can be dyed over woad to give green; Bog myrtle (Myrica gale) also yields yellow in the dyepot. Kermes (Kermococcus vermilio), an insect which infests the southern European kermes oak, yields a bright red when crushed. Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica) was a central European insect with similar properties. A huge range of subtle tints can be achieved by combining two and sometimes three colors, and by varying the metallic mordants used to give the colors permanence and richness. TOP MEDIEVAL ARTICLES OF CLOTHING & ORNAMENTS Boots - most any description of simple leather boot - mid-calf with roll up tops, with or without laces on the outsides, knee-high boots, short ankle boots with roll up tops, etc - usually soft but heavy leather Buckles - used to denote wealth and status, would imagine Q would have a large silver or gold belt buckle (whichever color his ring is?) Caul - netted cap (pocket) for a woman's long hair, mostly decorative - likely Elspeth would be seen in these. Never Wenn. She would feel it's pretentious. Cloak - (of course) short, long, hooded or not, heavy or light fabric, plain or decorated, round necked circle or slit and tied (self-tie or cord), clasped or held with a brooch, chain Doublet - heavy shirt or short coat usually fastened up the front with ties or laces (or later, buttons), some have sleeves while others are more like vests, some have a short flounce or skirt-like trim around the waist edge or can be longer with a vent at the back to drape over skirt or trousers, usually a short stand-up tunic collar and cuffed sleeves (often seen in velvet) Drawers - loose undergarments for body and legs, usually white linen, usually secured with ties (hose may be worn instead but that would be more like what we think of as leggings, see Leggings) Gloves - used with weapons (as in sword use, crossbow firing, archery) ala gauntlet or for decoration (kid leather, suede or ladies lace) or just to keep warm - fingered gloves and other special gloves were avail to the upper class only, peasants wore cloth mittens or pulled long sleeves over their hands Gowns - all would have full ankle-length skirts, some with solid skirts, some with split skirt and underskirt showing - bodice is usually fitted, may be laced or not, front or back - fabric may be the same throughout or have contrasting panels - sleeves may be fitted, belled/trumpeted, puffed to elbow then fitted to wrist OR puffed to elbow with slash to show underdress sleeve, then fitted to wrist etcetera or um sleeveless and full chemise sleeves showing - sleeves may be layered and have tippets (long strip of fabric extended from elbow, purely decorative) Kirtle - semi-fitted ladies gown, princess seams and fitted sleeves to flatter without constricting or revealing Leggings - usually warn over other garments (such as drawers), laced or tied down the outside of the leg (later, buttoned) - the version without laces is technically hose, but I would think leggings would do and decision can be made for each char whether they would bother with lacings or fitted - breeches is also an acceptable term Robes - ankle-length loose garment, with slit at round neck or short stand up collar or cowl neck or hood - formal robes may have wide "lapels" or overlay panels of fabric from shoulder to floor, may have wide pleats Shirt - at least one word is the same - any garment covering the upper body, usually next to the skin, may be referred to as a shirt Shoes - very simple slippers (silk brocade or velvet for dressy indoor occasions for women, otherwise leather)... to a piece of leather with holes and a strip of the leather reserved to thread through and tie to secure it to the foot for peasants Surcoat or Surcote - usually worn over the kirtle, sleeveless overdress with sides open from shoulder to hip to show off the kirtle and the suggestion of the lady's figure Tabard - usually worn over a full length chemise or tunic - long rectangle of fabric which drapes down front and back, later versions were sometimes seamed from hip to floor with large opening for arms - neckline for head to slip through may be rectangular, V-shaped or round Tunic - (may be called a cote) also overtunic and undertunic, body garment usually full cut , sleeves tie at the wrist, neck is round with possibly a slit in the front. Peasants may wear only a linen chemise or undertunic, where upper class men would generally wear an overtunic as well. May be girded at the waist. May be knee-length to ankle-length. TOP |
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