Medieval Women’s Fashions

For this final project, I created two garments reflective of fashions and textiles that lower-class women would have worn during the Medieval era. Using lightweight yarn and several crochet hooks, I created a hooded cloak and a corset/bodice. I used two different shades of brown as lower-class individuals would not have had access to the vibrant colours and textiles worn by those in the upper classes. Additionally, during the Medieval period, tools were similar to knitting needles and crochet hooks used to fashion garments, and thicker stitching patterns were used to create pieces that could sustain poor weather. The cloak, also called a mantle or a cope, was an everyday garment open down the front and often included a hood. I tried to replicate this in my project by creating a short, hooded cloak that would have been feminine and made for mild weather. Corsets and bodices at that time were primarily used for layering and warmth and, as such, utilized thick material and stitching patterns; I used a thick “lemon-stitch” pattern to yield this result. Similarly, a thin and slender figure was often deemed a point of elegance for women during this time, and as such, corsets often included a lacing to tighten it to the body; I included this lacing on the back side of my corset. Both garments I have created here are meant to replicate those pieces that lower-class Medieval women might have worn.

Bridget McCarthy