1450s dresses 💃|| medieval times || Middle Ages ||

“Following the significant changes of the previous decade, the 1450s was a period of relative stability in fashion. The new proportions and trends of the 1440s developed further and were refined. Men’s outer garments grew shorter, and women’s headdresses grew higher, until they became the tall pointed cones with hanging veils that have captured the imagination ever since.

The foundation of women’s dress in the 1450s continued to be the chemise, the undergarment of undyed linen that was worn by all women, whether they were rich or poor (Boucher 445). The Labors of the Months (…), a tapestry made in Alsace, in the borderlands between French, Burgundian and German territories, shows men and women doing farm work during the latter half of the year. One woman (…) has tucked up the skirts of her dress to reveal a grayish, rough-textured chemise that hovers above her ankles. The chemise was a washable underlayer that protected the next layer of clothing, the dress. The dresses in the tapestry are loose-fitting and not very different from the medieval tunics they were descended from. They could be made of linen or wool and worn in layers according to the season. Dyed wools were no longer completely unaffordable to the working classes (Piponnier and Mane 88), though if a rural woman had a deep blue dress (…), it is likely she would reserve it for church-going on Sunday. The dresses have straight sleeves that can be rolled up or down and skirts wide enough to tuck up for greater freedom of movement; in any case they do not trail on the ground. Practicality also dictated accessories like wooden shoes and woven straw hats.”

https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/145...

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