OVERVIEW
Womenswear
Wikipedia writes of 15th-century fashion:
“Women’s fashions of the 15th century consisted of a long gown, usually with sleeves, worn over a kirtle or undergown, with a linen chemise or smock worn next to the skin. The sleeves were made detachable and were heavily ornamented.The long-waisted silhouette of the previous period was replaced by a high-waisted style with fullness over the belly, often confined by a belt. The wide, shallow scooped neckline was replaced by a V-neck, often cut low enough to reveal the decorated front of the kirtle beneath. Various styles of overgowns were worn. The cotehardie fitted smoothly from the shoulders to the hips and then flared by means of inserted triangular gores. It featured sleeves tight to the elbow with hanging streamers or tippets. The tight fit was achieved with lacing or buttons. This style faded rapidly from fashion in favor of the houppelande, a full robe with a high collar and wide sleeves that had become fashionable around 1380 and remained so to mid-15th century. The later houppelande had sleeves that were snug at the wrist, making a full “bag” sleeve. The bag sleeve was sometimes slashed in the front to allow the lower arm to reach through.”
Fig. 1 - Artist unknown. Le mariage d'Henri V et de Catherine de France, ca. 1420. Source: Altesses
Menswear
Wikipedia writes of 15th-century menswear:
“The basic costume of men in this period consisted of a shirt, doublet, and hose, with some sort of overgown (robe worn over clothing). Linen shirts were worn next to the skin. Toward the end of the period, shirts (French chemise, Italian camicia, Spanish camisa) began to be full through the body and sleeves with wide, low necklines; the sleeves were pulled through the slashings or piecing of the doublet sleeves to make puffs, especially at the elbow and the back of the arm. As the cut of doublets revealed more fabric, wealthy men’s shirts were often decorated with embroidery or applied braid.”
Fig. 1 - Fra Angelico (Guido di Pietro) (Italian, 1395-1455). The Crucifixion, 1420-1423. Tempera on wood, gold ground; 63.8 x 48.3 cm (25 1/8 x 19 in). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 43.98.5. Maitland F. Griggs Collection, Bequest of Maitland F. Griggs, 1943. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fig. 2 - Master G.Z. (possibly Michele dai Carri) (Italian, 1405-1441). Madonna and Child with the Donor, Pietro de' Lardi, Presented by Saint Nicholas, 1420-1430. Tempera and gold on wood; 112.1 x 106 cm (44 1/8 x 41 3/4 in). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 65.181.5. Bequest of Adele L. Lehman, in memory of Arthur Lehman, 1965. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Fig. 3 - Anonymous (German). Christ before Herod; to the right Herod is sitting on a throne, to the left Christ is standing, accompanied by a jailer and nine soldiers Woodcut, 1420-1430. Woodcut printed on paper. London: The British Museum. Source: The British Museum
CHILDREN’S WEAR
References:
- “1400–1500 in European fashion.” Wikipedia. Accessed October 17th, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1400–1500_in_European_fashion
Historical Context
Wikipedia: 1420-1429
Rulers:
- England
- King Henry V (1413-1422)
- King Henry VI (1422-1461)
- France
- King Charles VI (1380-1422)
- King Charles VII (1422-1461)
Europa 1400. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Events:
Timeline Entries
Primary/Period Sources
Resources for Fashion History Research
To discover primary/period sources, explore the categories below.
Have a primary source to suggest? Or a newly digitized periodical/book to announce? Contact us!
Digitized Primary/Period Sources
Secondary Sources
Also see the 15th-century overview page for more research sources… or browse our Zotero library.