FASHION HISTORY, years 500-1850 , the essay

Fashion has many functionalities, ranging from keeping oneself safe or warm, to making a political statement or telling onlookers something about yourself or your personality. However, fashion also has practical purposes. For example, protecting oneself from harm caused by brushing against plants or rough materials. Some examples of functionality with particular garments through time, are that of armour, or chainmail shirts, used by knights in the Middle Ages, to protect themselves in battle against the lashes of swords. Another more detailed example of functional fashion is the maid of a rich woman in the 18th century having a bib pinned in position. This is the origin of the term pinafore. Another example is a working-class woman from around the same time. She would have an apron around her waist, and use it for jobs like carrying hot pots, or bulky materials like logs. 

The history of fashion is broad as it dates back to the beginning of human civilisation. because of this, I will be focusing on women’s fashion in the period of time between 500 A.D., the departure of the Romans in England, and 1850, the end of romanticism. I chose this period of time because the basic structure and idea of what is fashionable stays fairly similar throughout, although different moments have different interesting variations on the same basic garments. An example of this is what is called the shift or smock. This garment, that in the Middle Ages was called a smock and later a shift, has the basic idea of being a single under garment designed to lay next to the skin. It protects other garments from bodily moisture, and protects the body from possibly harsh textiles. For most of the period of time I am looking at today no knickers or drawers would be worn. As time goes on, the way women create the desired appearance evolves, as the ideal becomes more exaggerated. By the 18th century, women who could afford it were wearing at least 13 individual garments as part of 1 outfit every day.  

These 13 essential items of the 1700s were, a shift, designed to protect the skin from harsh textiles, and the other garments from bodily moisture. Over the knee stockings made from wool, cotton, silk, or a mixture of these threads and for upper classes decorated with a woven design called clocks were secured in place using ribbon guarders.  A knee length linen petticoat worn for warmth, was also common. Then there was a stays, similar to a corset, but designed for support rather than shape and made from linen and baleen, or, whale bone. Some of these were faced with decorative silk. Another essential for women of all classes was pockets attached to a linen cord that would wrap around the waist, some of these were plain, others decorated or patchworked. In later years these would start to become imbedded in outer garments. Next comes a garment more commonly worn among the higher classe: a hip pad, or ruffle bustle. These had the purpose of displaying the skirts and emphasise the curve of the hip and could be stuffed with anything from wool to cork. The ruffle bustle would have been made of layered material. At least one full length linen petticoat would have been worn, these may have been patchworked or padded with wool for warmth in the winter. During the Georgian era it was common to have a linen or silk kerchief wrapped around your neck and tucked into the stays. This would have protected the bust from sun as well as provided modesty and warmth. These would have only been worn during the day. A stomacher would then be pinned to the stays. A stomacher’s purpose was to decoratively fill the centre front of a gown. They would often be lined or stiffened to reinforce the desired shape.  The next step was to put on the gown petticoat. This was the top petticoat and had slits in the sides to access the pockets underneath. It would have also have been pinned into the stomacher. 

 I should mention at this point that the stomacher was most commonly used in the Georgian era 1714-1837. In mediaeval times there would simply be a single loosely fitting dress underneath what at the time would be known as just a gown. However, during the rococo period,1700-1800, in particular the gown petticoat would be separated into a petticoat skirt and a coat like item with ruffled sleeves that would also be pinned into the stomacher. By the 1830s the gown petticoat would be a single piece, sometimes with what were called leg of mutton sleeves as the sleeves resembled a leg of mutton. Another common feature of Georgian dresses in particular were ribbons underneath the gown skirts that were tied up into a Polonaise puff. In the early 18th century ‘day cups,’ a simple hair piece, would be worn by all classes with lower classes wearing it for practical reasons and upper class wearing them as a decorative piece. An apron would also be worn by all classes with the same idea that the upper-classes would have a silk or embroidered muslin apron to signify status and lower classes would wear more durable ones for practical reasons. Lower class woman would often also wear a scarlet wool cloak when going out. This was often called a cardinal after the bright red bird. These coats were immortalised in the tale little Red Riding Hood. 

If we just revisit the point I made about politics in fashion for a moment. Politics in fashion can present itself in many ways. For example, during the English Civil War. During this time, the way you dressed was a key part of showing others whose side you were on. With the Cavaliers dressing in bright, and flamboyant colours, and over the top wigs and hats. Whilst on the contrary, the round heads dressed in loosely-fitting clothing, and an overall more battle appropriate dress code. An example of this reflected in modern day fashion and society is during Elections. Although modern fashion is a much broader range, making it more challenging to decipher someone’s opinions from the way they dress alone, the people of the 20^th and 21st century have figured out their own ways of expressing their opinions on political matters. We do this by purchasing Electoral candidates merch and putting posters in our windows. Even the way we act, and treat others can define who, and what, we may support. Another example of a political movement in fashion is the peace movement of the 1960s and 70s. 

Fashion is prehistoric and has always been a huge part of human civilisation. A part of fashion that I have not yet touched on, but I think it’s a good point to end on, is that fashion isn’t just clothing. Fashion is our interests, our behaviours and our manners. Up until recently, fashion has also been the shape of your body. I am proud of recent generations for starting to break the stigma around body shape with the body positivity movement. Together we are working to reinforce that all shapes and sizes of human form should be equal. The body positivity movement believes that the curves that we do or don’t have shouldn’t define how we are treated. 

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14th century- 1969