Medieval Dance Attire
Dance attire in medieval times was a variation of formal and common wear pending on the social class and the occasion. The rich and the poor would prepare for dances, balls and celebrations in extremely different ways.
The clothing which was worn by the rich frequently tended to be very bright, colourful and made from the finer materials in that era. Whereas, the poor wore clothing which tended to be very dull, simple and modest. The majority of medieval clothing was made out of wool, making it itchy, complicated to wash, and very warm, particularly in the summer.
Clothing – Upper Class Women
Dance costumes, within upper-class society, were luxurious for women. These gowns were made of finer silks and materials and the colours were colourful and bold. The manner in which gowns were assembled and created was very dramatic and complicated. Some gowns were strapless and others had long dramatic sleeves. Various laces were entwined and sewn carefully over gowns. Underneath the richer woman's attire would be a thick corset and sometimes there would also be a heavily structured petticoat. This formed a perfectly round, almost cupcake like, shape towards the bottom of the gowns.
Headdresses also played a major part in the formal/dance attire of the medieval times. Numerous headdresses were worn to dances and social occasions; the most common of these for woman would probably be the cone shaped hats which were decorated with lace, ribbons and silks. Another popular one which was worn by the upper class was the headdresses which connected to the back of crowns; small round hats, braids or the laced nets which supported the hair which was styled in a bun. Neat, beautifully handmade shoes wore also worn beneath these gowns. The makeup and grooming of the upper-class woman wore to dance celebrations was very important and also very peculiar.
Women used lead-based powder to whiten their complexions and having a high forehead was important mark of medieval and Renaissance beauty. To prepare for dances, many women would shave their hair in order to attain the elegant expanse that was so admired at that time. Limitless examples of this are obvious in paintings of this era. They would also shape and stain their lips into a rose bud shape and colour them with various substances. The upper-class woman's hair appeared immaculately structured most commonly into neat curls, braids, buns or other various hairstyles. The wealthy woman would make every effort to achieve the desired look during that era.
Clothing – Upper Class Men
For upper-class men, changing fashion in dance to follow a social trend was just as important and it became a way of displaying one's wealth, and for men, one's masculinity. Men's clothing was more fitted and tighter on the body.
The popular look was long, elegant and youthful. The upper-class male attire would consist of boldly coloured tunics with knee high hemlines, which continued to rise to mid-thigh length over time. Some tunics would be decorated with various symbols and emblems while others were quite plain. Upper-class male attire would also include the wearing of a doublet with a chemise worn underneath. A sword would also be situated and fitted on the right hand side of his belt. For this reason, the woman would almost always dance on the male's left side. Prestigious leather shoes and fine silk and fur hats would also be worn depending on the dance occasion.
Clothing – Peasants
The poor peasants would frequently dance in their everyday clothing. This was because peasants would generally own only one set of clothes. But if they were fortunate enough to own more, they would dress in their best clothes for dancing and celebrations. For the peasant males this usually consisted of a dull coloured woollen jacket or shirt. Peasants were probably never seen wearing bright bold colours or fine materials even at dance celebrations. They would usually wear a short pair of dull trousers underneath the woollen jacket and if they were able to, they would wear shoes, a hat and maybe a belt.
Peasants would dress depending on their wealth, and the poorest peasants never wore the latest dance fashions like the upper-class men. Peasant females would commonly wear plain cut, tedious coloured dresses. The dresses of the peasant woman were either long straight and narrow or bell bottomed. The sleeves were generally fitted and not dramatically enhanced in any way. Peasant woman would more commonly wear an apron over their dress and a bonnet over their head. Depending on the individual's fortune, she would wear shoes. Shoes were commonly expected to be worn if attending a dance celebration. This was expected even of the poorer classes. Peasant woman generally wore no makeup and would usually have their hair pulled back, left out or in braids. The peasants mingled strictly within their own social class and would never be seen at the dances of the wealthy especially where royalty was involved.
Conclusions
Overall, the medieval dance apparel for peasants was kept very simple and modest, due to the fact that they had very little income, if any at all. The dance attire for peasants was basically their everyday wear with very little modifications done to improve them in order to create their dance and formal wear.
The upper-classes' dance attire, however, was the opposite; very spectacular and different compared to their everyday wear which was also luxurious but not so vivid and dramatic. The upper-class loved to dress up and wear bold, bright colours and the finest materials for dance occasions. The upper-class enjoying showing their wealth and by wearing the best materials, the most amazing outfits and following the latest medieval trends, they were able to do so. Their dancing outfits were very attractive and extraordinary from the shoes they wore to their headdresses and hats.
Reference List:
Internet
http://www.costumes.org/History/100pages/medievalinks.htm#General%20Medieval%20Costume
