Medieval Tailor's Assistant E-Book

Sarah Thursfield

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

The Medieval Tailor's Assistant is the standard work for both amateurs and professionals wishing to re-create the clothing of the Medieval era for historical interpretation or drama. This new edition extends its range with details of fitting different figures and many more patterns for main garments and accessories from 1100 to 1480. It includes simple instructions for plain garments, as well as more complex patterns and adaptations for experienced sewers. Advice on planning outfits and materials to use is given along with a range of projects and alternative designs, from undergarments to outer wear. Early and later tailoring methods are also covered within the period. There are clear line drawings, pattern diagrams and layouts and over eighty full-colour photographs that show the garments as working outfits. The garments are presented with brief notes on their historical background in three mainlayers, underwear, main garments and outer garments for men, women and children. There is a section on 'How to use the book' with detailed instructions on techniques, planning, materials and, in particular, cutting methods from 1100. In this new edition there are over 400 line illustrations and a further 80 colour photographs as well as patterns for 151 garments and accessories.

Leseprobe

SARAH THURSFIELD

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2001 by Ruth Bean Publishers,

an imprint of The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2015

This edition 2015

© Sarah Thursfield 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 835 6

Frontispiece: A rich woollen gown, third quarter of the fifteenth century.

Picture Credits

Historical images have been sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Every effort has been made to find copyright holders of all images used; the publishers apologize for any inadvertent omissions; any errors will be rectified in later editions as necessary. Bryan Hurt (assisted by Elizabeth Hinsley) took Figs 8.10, 8.14, 9.01, 9.15, 12.01, 12.13, 12.21, 12.26, 13.01, 13.09, 13.13, 13.14, 13.20, 14.64-7, 16.05-7, 16.10; models: John Bugden, Eliza Bouwens, Karen Hunt, Paul Mason, Rob Nicholson, Jannet Reade, Gordon Shaw, Stuart Shaw, Michelle Smith, Andrew Strain, Sarah Thursfield, Adam Woodland and Julia Wright. Gainsborough Old Hall is managed by Lincolnshire County Council for English Heritage: my thanks to Victoria Derbyshire for permission (www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/gainsborougholdhall). Steve Ryal took Frontispiece, Figs 2.20, 3.01, 3.11, 3.14, 3.17, 4.01, 4.07-10, 4.16, 4.19, 4.24, 4.27, 5.01, 5.09, 5.14, 5.18, 5.22, 6.07, 9.11, 9.19, 9.23, 9.27, 10.08, 11.11, 14.02, 14.15-14.17, 14.19, 14.21, 14.25-6, 14.28, 14.38-9, 14.42, 14.45-6, 14.52, 14.58, 14.61, 15.01, 16.01, 16.08, 16.18; models: Sue Ellis, Ian Davies, Karolina H. Davies, David Healey, Patricia Nightingale and Sarah Thursfield. Whittington Castle is owned by an independent charitable trust: my thanks to the manager, Sue Ellis, for permission (www.whittingtoncastle.co.uk); studio models: Sophie Boyce, Christine Carnie, Alice Faux-Nightingale, Patricia Nightingale, Sophie Ridley and Rachel Walker. Nick Cooper took Figs 6.08-9, 8.18, 11.06-7, 12.37. Darren Carp took Fig. 12.32; models: Colin Middleton and Ian Coote. Bishops’ House, Sheffield is managed by a charitable trust for Sheffield City Council: my thanks to the Friends for permission (www.bishopshouse.org.uk). Nick Thursfield took Figs 1.01, 1.03, 2.01, 3.20, 3.21, 3.24, 3.29, 4.12, 8.01, 8.07, 12.30, 14.30, 14.32, 16.02; model: Sam Thursfield.

Acknowledgements

From the original work, I am grateful to the late Janet Arnold, Dr Jane Bridgeman, Henry Cobb, Zillah Halls and Frances Pritchard for specialist advice, information and critical comments. Help was also given by Barbara and Len Allen, Jill Burton, Amanda Clark, Wayne and Emma Cooper, Carol Evison, Paul Harston, Jen Heard, the late Joy Hilbert, Paul Mason, Carrie-May Mealor, Matthew Nettle, Lindy Pickard, Elizabeth Reed, Penny and Kevin Roberts, Dave Rushworth, Matthew Sutton, Elaine Tasker and Andrea Wright. Although they were not involved in the production of this volume, I owe a considerable debt to the late Ruth Bean and her husband Nigel for all they taught me in the course of our work on The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant.

For the revisions and new work, thanks for their help are due to the staff at various museums, the Bodleian Library and the British Library, and the vicars and keyholders of many obscure parish churches. The Medieval Dress and Textile Society has kept me informed of the latest research by academic specialists as well as providing a forum for debate; the Shropshire county library has delivered its familiar impressive service; my sister Ruth Gilbert, M.Phil, has continued to extend both my knowledge of sources and my comprehension of them; Gerry Embleton answered my queries about hose; Christine Carnie has been generous with her expertise. I am grateful for direct and indirect help from members of Sir Thomas Burgh’s retinue, Knights in Battle and the Savile Household, and from Annabel Boyce, Sally Bramhall, John Bugden, Diane Gleadall, Peter Hildreth, Paul Mason, Colin Middleton, Rob Nicholson, Lena Sheill, Jane West, Catherine Wetton, and from all the students, re-enactors and enthusiasts who have contributed to my knowledge and experience over the past twenty years.

Without the support and endurance of my husband Nick and our son Sam, my work would not be possible.

Contents

Preface

Introduction

1

Materials

2

Methods

3

Body linens

4

Cotes

5

Surcotes

6

Hose

7

The fitted block

8

Doublets

9

Kirtles

10

Outer garments from blocks

11

Early gowns and houpelandes

12

Fifteenth century gowns

13

Heraldic garments and livery

14

Headwear

15

Children

16

Accessories

Glossary

Further Reading

Index

Preface

When the original book was published in 2001, it was the product of ten years’ study and experiment. That work did not end when we went to press, and after more than another decade there is much I should like to share with the many existing users of the MTA as well as newcomers to medieval clothing. I am delighted to have the opportunity to revise the original work and to present much new material. This revised edition of The Medieval Tailor’s Assistant is a different book for a new generation of readers, but I hope it still reflects the desire for clarity and accuracy which the editor Ruth Bean and I applied to the first edition.

The intention is still that an absolute beginner can use this book to make an outfit based on historical evidence (with the proviso that you will have to refer elsewhere for basic dressmaking skills). The reader follows a progression from undergarments to outerwear as with the original book, but here I have offered a greater range of projects and alternative designs to choose from.

Twill cote and bias-cut hose: practical working dress from the twelfth or thirteenth centuries.

In the 380-year bracket covered (1100–1480), there was a clear division between early and later tailoring methods, which is why cotes and surcotes are now placed together and the fitting of blocks follows later. The earlier opening date of 1100 also reflects the greater emphasis on the cutting of those pre-1300 garments which are so often dismissed as ‘primitive T-shapes’ but which actually represent a long and highly-developed tailoring tradition. Conversely the end date of 1480 recognizes that garment shapes underwent a major change in the last quarter of the fifteenth century which is better left to Tudor specialists.

The emphasis in the book is on the common civilian clothing of lowland Britain, and I include comments on current practice among British re-enactors. England, Wales and lowland Scotland had continuous trading and cultural links with the Northern European areas of modern France, Belgium and Holland and tailoring methods appear to have been shared widely, producing a similar (though not identical) look, while the dress of the remote lands of southern Germany, Italy and Spain was distinctively different so are not covered here.

In the twenty-first century the collective knowledge and experience of many enthusiasts worldwide has contributed to a greater understanding of our subject, and the internet has revolutionized how we share our expertise, as well as giving access to a vast store of information which used to be hidden from all but the most determined researchers. For that reason I refer in the text to some of the better-known original garments and sources, though this book is still not a referenced history. The internet also provides a global market for specialist products from fine textiles to handmade shoes, so the list of ‘recommended suppliers’ has gone from the back pages, although the old-fashioned book list remains, however you access the books listed.

When you come to make your garments remember that it is not about ‘How authentic can I be?’ but ‘What can I reasonably achieve?’ Track down the best materials you can afford; get to know the patterns and garments of your chosen period; take time to appreciate and develop your skill in hand sewing, including neat mends; and whatever you do, enjoy making your garments and look forward to the pleasure you will have in wearing them and in showing others how we used to dress.

Introduction

This book aims to provide answers to two questions, the historical ‘What should I be wearing?’ and the technical ‘How should I make it?’ The answers to both questions will depend on what you want the clothes for. In a fantasy role you can wear whatever you like, but if you set out to represent a specific period in history for public display or education then you should make a real effort to honestly represent that precise period, and your character within it.

Some people go further and insist that their kit is ‘totally authentic’, but this is a delusion: we do not have the information, the skills or the materials to re-create the clothes exactly, and we have to recognize that today we are both physically and mentally different from our forebears. Actually, if you are serious about historical accuracy the most important part is in your head: the best historical interpreters are not always the best-dressed, but they succeed because they understand what they are representing and wear their clothes as a part of this interpretive process. Accept that we cannot escape the twenty-first century and that everything we make or do is a compromise, and it will be easier to make realistic choices based on your budget and abilities, the climate you live in, or the difference in physique between a chronically malnourished peasant and a well-fed office worker.

A study in linens!

Know who you are dressing

If you are starting out, zealous for authenticity, there are two very important things to understand. Firstly, most of what you know about medieval dress is probably quite wrong and based on nineteenth-century romance rather than medieval evidence. And secondly, all the evidence available is only a fraction of what we would need to know for truly accurate reconstructions. Imagine having about one-tenth of the pieces of a vast jigsaw puzzle, many of those pieces battered or incomprehensible and few of them joining together, and you can see why we could spend our lives studying the subject and still not have the answers.

The garments and patterns in this book are conjectured reconstructions, not replicas: I use all the sources of information available, but sometimes it is still necessary to guess. Historians do not use guesswork and they do not always see eye to eye with re-enactors, who want definite answers. Even the physical survivals of preserved garments and archaeological fragments must be treated with caution. It is tempting to take them as archetypes, but they can only tell us about themselves; relying on them too much can lead to the absurdity of earnest Saxon warriors wearing painstaking copies of some fourth-century German trousers and an eleventh-century Swedish shirt. To convey a convincing medieval persona it is far less important that your underwear is hand sewn and your cote is 100 per cent wool than it is to understand that it was not ‘period costume’ to the original wearers: it was just their clothes. Dress is a vital form of social communication governed by precise but unwritten rules, simultaneously self-conscious and subconscious. Consider what you wear every day, and then look at what other people wear that you would really rather not – and ask yourself why not. Even with the much more limited choice available six or eight hundred years ago the messages of clothes, which are chiefly about authority, status and sex, were carefully constructed by people fully aware of their actions. To dress the part you have to know who you are dressing.

Notes are given in the book to flesh out the various medieval specialists who originally made and supplied the clothing we are trying to reconstruct, and the text includes some pointers to the sources used for reference. There are photographs of many of the garments, always as complete outfits, often on people who wear the clothes as their own: like the patterns these are individual examples, not templates to be copied exactly, but they will help you to plan your look.

You then need to put on the mindset along with the clothes, by conforming to the unwritten rules that applied to them. Modern casual attitudes to dress are completely inappropriate: what we find acceptable would look shockingly negligent even fifty years ago, let alone five hundred. Always cover your body linens, because they were next to nakedness. If you are a woman, put your hair up and wear something over it; if you are a man, understand that you might go out without your hose on but not without your coat. Accept that medieval rules can be difficult for us, such as the presence of the codpiece or the absence of women’s underpants; nobody (I hope) is going to check on the latter, but when asked by the public your answer should be based on historical evidence, not modern squeamishness. If you wear your outfit while going about your duties with a medieval mindset, then machine stitching will not be noticed. When planning your outfit, read the text in full to understand the nature of each garment and its place in a complete ensemble. Recognize that each garment type was made by a different sort of worker, each using appropriate materials and methods; doublet and hose were never made from the same cloth with the same seams, any more than jeans and T shirts are.

The cut of the garments is by far their most important aspect, so put your time into the pattern and the fitting rather than hand-stitching every seam (and avoid committing the common offence of outlining every seam with huge running stitches). The sewing instructions are based on using a sewing machine only where it will not show and does not compromise the construction method, but if your hand sewing is wobbly then remember that most onlookers will never notice the stitching. Do try to improve your hand sewing by practice, however, and if you are demonstrating clothes or needlework to the public you should aim for a high standard of hand finishing inside and out.

How to use this book

The objective of the book is to help you re-create the basic garment types of the centuries between 1100 and 1480 AD. Tailoring methods changed radically during that time, so the date you are presenting will determine what you make.

For each garment start by reading the chapter’s introductory advice.

Planning your garment will identify the garments you will need. Materials discusses the textiles available – then and now. Methods includes the measurements required for all wearers, as well as how to use the layouts and patterns and the key techniques used to make the various garments, sometimes offering a choice between quick methods or more ‘authentic’ ones.

Those with no previous sewing experience are advised to refer to a modern dressmaking manual or, better still, the guidance of a teacher. It is best to begin with the key garments described as ‘plain’ or ‘basic’, and note that some patterns and projects are explicitly aimed at the more experienced worker. Be realistic about your abilities – and be aware that if the instructions seem difficult to follow, that is because some of the processes are difficult! There is no shame in having to read them twice or to tick off each step as you go. There is no quick and easy route to a really good doublet pattern or even a good linen hem, but console yourself as you struggle that after a couple of seasons’ practice many an absolute beginner has become proficient at cutting and stitching.

Please note that the patterns and layouts are in specific sizes, not for scaling up and using as they are but as examples for guidance to help you plan your own, starting with a fitted toile (see Chapter 7) if appropriate.

SUMMARY

Identify the garments you need, based on the date you are presenting, your age and your character’s status and activity;Read about materials and assess what is appropriate;Then read pages 28 and 29 for measuring and preparation.

PLANNING YOUR OUTFIT

Our knowledge of dress and its construction in the medieval period is scarce since there are so few surviving garments. Attempts at reconstruction have to rely on interpreting visual sources, on archaeological finds and on scholarly research. The more you can find out for yourself about your chosen period, the better you will understand the dress and social context (see Further Reading for books I have found particularly useful and reliable). The dates given for the various styles and patterns are intended for guidance and should not be taken as historical absolutes.

Sources of information

You can never have too much background information on your period. Good visual sources include illuminated manuscripts, paintings, memorial brasses and effigies, and much is available on the internet.

However there are pitfalls. Many of the manuscripts and paintings of the period in British collections are from other European countries with different fashions. Historical characters shown in manuscripts might be clothed in garments of the illustrator’s times rather than their own; and some miniatures show fashionable bodies as distorted as a modern airbrushed size zero. Religious figures were painted in ‘antique’ dress, which might include turbans and other exotic head-wear, or long, flowing sleeves emerging from short tight ones. It is worth remembering that the minor figures – soldiers, peasants and onlookers – were usually dressed in current styles, as were the donors who paid for the painting, sometimes seen kneeling in the foreground.

Memorial brasses and effigies offer useful and accessible records of British dress, but may be stylized and misleading in date. Lack of colour and detail, particularly on brasses, can make it difficult to distinguish between layers of clothing.

Even though every tiny fragment of information is valuable, it is never straightforward. All these visual sources were carefully constructed images with a message: they are wedding photographs, not snapshots. Written sources are full of traps for the unwary, from the language they use to the purpose for which they were written. The contemporary garment names are sometimes misused in modern histories, and I have highlighted some problems with these where they occur.

For the newcomer the information available is bewildering, but the key is to find the provenance. Real evidence can be traced back via careful references to its medieval source, but re-enactment (and costume history!) is full of anachronisms which persist because nobody has bothered to check their facts. The internet has made reliable information wonderfully accessible, but it also perpetuates old errors and inaccuracies and nourishes new ones. Never be afraid to ask people where their ‘facts’ come from.

Establishing the date for your outfit

This is the key decision. It is best if you work to an exact historical date or at least a decade; at most, select a halfcentury and keep within that. It is important that all the component garments belong together, so do not be tempted to wear something out of period just because you like it or it is more convenient.

Only the undergarments were virtually unchanged over the period covered in this book; others, especially headdresses and outer garments, changed frequently. It is always safer to go for an earlier style: garments for best might be worn by at least two generations, while working clothes were generally very plain shapes. There was a lively trade in used clothing.

Defining the wearer

Two main factors need to be taken into account in deciding what dress is appropriate: status, and age of the wearer. In addition, remember that dress is related to activity: workers had Sunday best, as well as working clothes; a lord did not wear velvet when travelling, and the grandest lady did not put on her elaborate headdress before breakfast.

WEALTH AND STATUS

Dress was an important indicator of income and status. The dress of the aristocracy and gentry demonstrated that they were not subject to the hardships of normal work, and had the leisure and servants required to dress them. Society was much more rigidly hierarchical than today, so even the wealthiest merchants kept to plainer materials than their aristocratic customers.

Visual sources show that male manual workers wore their clothes around knee length for convenience and might strip off their outer clothes in hot weather, while professionals such as lawyers and doctors wore sober calf-length garments of finer quality, and full-length robes were worn by senior clergy, noblemen and royalty.

Women’s clothes were long, but working women might tuck up their skirts above their ankles, while grander ladies wore them trailing over their feet. A rural worker would usually be limited to the cloth available in the local market and the skills of a village tailor, who was less likely to learn new styles than his urban counterpart. Towndwellers had a wider choice, but their clothes would still be made to last, so they tended to be plain and substantial. The nobility and gentry would use finer fabrics with richer adornments, reserving their finest and most elaborate for ceremonial occasions. They had exclusive access to a range of luxury imports and to innovative craftsmen.

AGE

Even today, each generation tends to keep to its own styles, and it has always been so. Young men wore short outer garments, but older men wore them calf-length or longer. Unmarried women could wear their hair loose and their necklines low; married women were expected to cover their hair and be more modest, while widows often dressed plainly and in earlier styles. Be careful to dress for your age and use the differences to underline relationships within a group.

Selecting your garments

Whatever your chosen period and character you will need a layer of body linens, one or more body garments, something on your legs, something on your head and probably a belt and something to carry your personal possessions in. Here is a ‘thumbnail’ guide to the different garments, each of which is described in detail in its own chapter later in the book.

Body linens, 1100–1480

This is medieval underclothing, a layer of washable linen between the body and the outer clothes. The plain shapes are suitable for any date. Even if it cannot be seen, the shirt or smock helps the other garments to hang well and will save on dry-cleaning bills. Medieval women wore nothing under the smock, but modern women must decide for themselves, bearing in mind that a bra will affect the line of the outer garment. Men should wear the appropriate style of breech for their hose.

Body linens

Large breech 1100-1350

Short breech 1400 onward

Breech with gusset 1100-1450

T shaped shirt 1100 onward

Plain smock 1100 onward

Fine shirt 1100-1200

Smock with neckband 1100 onward

Gored shirt 1100 onward

Body garments, 1100 to later 1300s

The body garments of the High Medieval era were usually loose-fitting, cut by the division of the cloth into simple shapes and without obvious differences between male and female shapes. Although the new cutting methods began to appear by 1340 the older styles persisted for at least one and possibly two generations after that date.

COTES

Both men and women wore a cote of some kind as their main – possibly their only – garment. The basic cut remained the same throughout the centuries, but fashionable wearers had access to finer cloths and more elaborate cutting of gores and especially sleeves. Cotes were normally, though not essentially, worn with a belt.

Cotes

Woman’s cote with long gores 1100-1400

Batwing cote 1200-1280

Man’s short cote with gores from waist 1100-1400

Woman’s cote with gores from waist 1100-1400

Man’s short cote with gores from underarm 1100-1400

Sleeveless surcote based on the cote 1200-1400

SURCOTES

Although not essential, a surcote adds warmth or status to a cote. There were various forms in use from c.1200, some of them intended to function as additional overgarments.

Surcotes

Sleeved surcote based on the cote 1200-1400

Sleeveless surcote with centre seams 1180-1400

Gardcorp 1180-1340

Short tabard 1250-1350

HOSE

Hose were made from sewn cloth, most commonly as separate stockings. These were worn by women with garters and by men supported by the breechgirdle or, later, by tying to a long doublet. Men’s joined hose appeared around 1380 and were tied to a shorter doublet. Whatever the date and type of hose, the means of support should be hidden by the outer clothing except during heavy exertion.

Hose

Man’s long separate hose

Women’s short hose

Joined hose, 15th century

Body garments after 1340

This is the date after which shaped, fitted garments began to be worn over the linens, first by men and later by women. To make these you will need a personal block pattern (see Chapter 7). The doublet and kirtle were normally worn as a base layer underneath one of the outer garments below.

DOUBLETS

About 1340 men started wearing the doublet, and by 1400 it was in general use: the hose were fastened to it. The length of the doublet was related to the style of hose.

Doublets

Basic doublet, mid-14th century onwards

Fashionable doublet, 1430 onward

Quilted paltok 1360-1400

Double armholed doublet c1380 onward

FITTED DRESSES

By 1370, if not before, women were wearing the kirtle, and it was widely adopted by the early fifteenth century. The fitted dresses with waist seams developed to support the bust under the gown; the tight dress was a fashion for unmarried girls of the upper classes.

Fitted dresses

V-Front kirtle c1430 onwards

Kirtle with waist seam c1440 onwards

Basic kirtle, c1370 onwards

Flat-fronted kirtle or petticote, c1450 onwards

Tight dress or cotehardie, c1380 onwards

Outer garments after 1340

This is the third layer of the outfit and, together with the headwear, the defining feature. Several different styles were in use at a time, and all but the very poorest people would have clothes for both ‘working’ and ‘best’. Read about the different garments in the relevant chapters to identify the correct ones for your role.

Outer garments, later fourteenth century

Woman’s ceremonial open surcote, mid- fourteenth century on

Woman’s buttoned gown 1370-1390

Man’s eight-panel gown 1350-1410

Men’s cotehardies, 1340-1390

Woman’s cotehardie, 1370-1390

Houpelandes and gowns, fifteenth century

Men’s short gowns, 1390 onwards

Fashionable gown, end 14th/early 15th century

Man’s pleated gowns, 1420 onwards

Woman’s flared gown, 1430 onwards

Woman’s fitted gown, 1470 onwards

Pleated jacket, 1450-1470

Working outerwear, fifteenth century

Belted frock, fifteenth century