Scottish Trews Extended Their Life To A Certain Degree

The Scottish Highlands were considered a backwater of Europe, and not worth much attention, and consequently there are few descriptions or drawings of what people wore. In addition, few clothing remains have been found. All of this makes reconstructing a workable outfit rather difficult. Even in the later periods, documentation, especially for womens' clothing, is sketchy. At the same time, the Highlands were not absolutely isolated from the clothing trends that affected the rest of Europe, so one does see changes over time -- for example, ca. 1100 sleeves throughout Europe were narrow, and that's what we see in the Rogart Shirt. In the 1500s, wider sleeves were more popular throughout Europe, and one sees a wider sleeve in Irish clothing, too (albeit in a particularly Celtic form).
　　

James V wore trews in 1538 so their longevity is not in doubt. They were always made of tartan and great ingenuity was used in their manufature. They were cut on the bias - on the cross - so that they had a certain amount of elasticity and clung to the legs. The sett of the tartan was usually smaller than seen on the kilt and the hose was carefully crafted to match on the seams which ran up the back of the leg on the outside - a little like the seams on old-fashioned ladies' nylon stockings. Having no pockets, the wearer would often wear a sporran - usually hanging from the belt rather than on the front - and a plaid would also be worn.

Sixteenth century onwards and had probably been worn for quite some time before that over the saffron tunic - the main article of clothing worn by the Irish.
　　
It was reported that in very bad weather - high winds, frost or snow - the Highlander would dip his plaid in water and then lie down in it. We're told that wetting it like that made the wool swell so that the plaid would give better protection against the wind and cold air. In sub-zero temperatures, it's said that the dipping would result in a thin glaze of ice on the outside surface which would further insulate the occupant. Wrapped up like this with his head under the blanket, the Highlander's breath would then create a warm and moist atmosphere around him which would keep him cosy during the night! As you can imagine, if the poorer Highlanders worked and slept in their plaids they must have been pretty smelly as reported in 1726 in a letter from Captain Burt, an English engineer. " the plaid serves the ordinary people for a cloak by day and bedding at night imbibes so much perspiration that no one day can free it from the filthy smell"

Thearisaidh was the elegant and practical choice for the woman who lived and worked in the beautiful green highlands of Scotland. over a millenia ago. The arisiadhwas worn belted around the waist and the extra fabric could be pinned at the breast and worn up as a hood to keep warm in the rain and cold. The excess could also be rolled and tied about the waist or tucked into the belt in warmer weather and to keep it from interfering with chores. It also provided lots of 'pockets' to perhaps stash a spindle and wool or herbs gathered from the fields.
　　
It was a loose garment made up of around six ells (18 feet/5 metres) of double tartan - Highland looms could only weave a maximum width of 25 to 30 inches (65 - 75 cms) so two lengths had to be sewn together down their long edge to make the plaid (from 'pladjer' - the Gaelic for blanket).
　　
Historians have foisted onto us the idea that the Highlander laid this great expanse of fabric onto the ground and carefully folded it into pleats until its length was reduced to about 5 feet (1.5m). He then lay down on his back on top of it so that the bottom edge almost reached to his knees and gathered it around himself, securing it round his waist by a leather belt. He would then stand up and arrange the unpleated top portion around his shoulders, tucking the corners into his belt to form ingenious pockets.

Costume In The Tang Dynasty Plays A Very Essential Role In Chinese History Of Clothing

In the long history of human dress, the ancient Chinese costume is the most resplendent. It is also evident that the dress of the Tang dynasty is the most beautiful when compared to the other characters in this costume kingdom. In 618 AD, the Tang dynasty ended China’s split status and civil war, which lasted hundreds of years, and became a very powerful dynasty in terms of politics, economics, and the military. At that time, the silk industry was developing very quickly. In addition, communications between people of different nationalities was very extensive. During the Tang dynasty, ancient Chinese civilization reached its heyday in the areas of fashion, literature, art, medical science, and technology.
　　
Thanks to the unified and prosperous Tang Dynasty, costume in the Tang Dynasty plays a very essential role in Chinese history of clothing. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty were mainly made of silk, so they were famous for softness and lightness. The dresses of the Tang Dynasty boldly adopted the features of foreign garments in terms of forms and adornments; i.e. they mainly referred to the garments of other countries (such as the Central-Asia countries, India, Iran, Persia, northern countries and the Western Regions) and used them to improve the habilatory culture of the Tang Dynasty.
　　
One of important features of costume in Tang Dynasty is how women's dress and personal adornments of the Tang Dynasty were outstanding in entire China's history. The clothing materials were exquisite, the structure was natural, graceful and elegant, and adornments were splendid. Though the forms of garments were still the continuation of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Sui Dynasty (581-618), they were influenced by cultures and arts of the Western Regions. The trades and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent, and they mutually dispatched emissaries and accepted students of other countries. In this way, a special open and romantic style of dress and personal adornments for women was formed.
　　
Because of communication with the Western Regions, the influence of dressing culture of other minorities on the Tang court also reflected the change of thoughts and concepts. Chinese women were seriously restricted by the old Confucian or feudal ethical code before Tang Dynasty. The social status of ancient women was very low. They often served as Jileren (music performer), Guanji (official performer), Gongji (palace performer) and Jiaji (family performer) who were regarded as the playthings and goods that can be sold and bought by rich people for their will. Some females had rebel spirit in the Tang Dynasty, so they climbed or jumped over the walls and went to the nature to view the beautiful sightseeing in the spring by riding horses with men. Just as recorded by many historical materials, some girls therefore dressed as boys in order to go out.
　　
Women's dress and personal adornments of the Tang Dynasty were outstanding in China's history. The clothing materials were exquisite, the structure was natural, graceful and elegant, and adornments were splendid. Though the forms of garments were still the continuation of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Sui Dynasty (581-618), they were influenced by cultures and arts of the Western Regions. Especially, the national power of the High Tang was strong. The trades and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent, and they mutually dispatched emissaries and accepted students of other countries. In this way, a special open and romantic style of dress and personal adornments was formed.
　　
Women's dress and personal adornments of the Tang Dynasty were outstanding in China's history. The clothing materials were exquisite, the structure was natural, graceful and elegant, and adornments were splendid. Though the forms of garments were still the continuation of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and the Sui Dynasty (581-618), they were influenced by cultures and arts of the Western Regions. Especially, the national power of the High Tang was strong. The trades and cultural exchanges with Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Persia and other countries gradually became frequent, and they mutually dispatched emissaries and accepted students of other countries. In this way, a special open and romantic style of dress and personal adornments was formed
　　
Because of communication with the Western Regions, the influence of dressing culture of other minorities on the Tang court also reflected the change of thoughts and concepts. Chinese women were seriously restricted by the old Confucian or feudal ethical code all through the ages. The social status of ancient women was very low: they often served asJileren (music performer), Guanji (official performer), Gongji (palace performer) and Jiaji(family performer), and were regarded as the playthings and goods that can be sold and bought by rich people. Some females had rebel spirit in the Tang Dynasty, so they climbed or jumped over the walls and went to the nature to view the beautiful scenes and/or go sightseeing in the spring by riding horses with men. Just as recorded by many historical materials, some girls therefore dressed as boys in order to go out.
　　
It was a fashion for women to wear Hufu (garments of the Tartars or those who lived in the Western Regions). After the High Tang, the influences of Hufu were gradually weakened and women's garments became broad and loose day by day. As to ordinary women's garments, the width of sleeve was always more than 1.3 meters.

Medieval Clothing Was Dictated By The Pyramid Of Power Which Was The Feudal System

Medieval clothing and fashion like everything else was dictated by the Pyramid of Power which was the Feudal System. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them. This was not just dictated by the wealth of the person. Only Royalty were permitted to wear clothes trimmed with ermine. Lesser Nobles were allowed to wear clothing trimmed with fox and otter. There were other Medieval clothing rules! The wives and children of tradesmen were to wear:
　　
"No veils, but such as are made with thread, nor any kinds of fur except those of lambs, rabbits, cats and fox"
　　
A 14th Century Act of Parliament decreed that:
　　
"All labourers and lower classes of people shall wear no kind of cloth but blankets and russets, nor use any girdles than such of those made of linen"
　　
Medieval Clothing - The Fabrics
　　
The type of cloth and fabric used for Medieval clothing was therefore extremely important. People of the Lower Classes wore clothing generally made of wool, linen and sheepskin. Medieval Nobles and Upper classes wore clothing made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta. Knights returning from the Crusades returned with silks and cottons from the Middle East. Velvets were imported from Italy. The materials worn by the Nobility came in a variety of different colors. The dyes used for coloring these clothes were expensive. The red dye came from a Mediterranean insect which provided a bright scarlet color. Green dyes came from lychen. the Dyerswoad plant provided dyes for the remaining blue-based colors.
　　
Practical Medieval Clothing
　　
The early Medieval clothing was distinguished by lots of different layers of clothing. Much of the time was spent outdoors or in draughty, cold castles and it was necessary to invest in warm clothing layers.
　　
The Medieval Clothing of Peasants
　　
The Medieval clothing of peasant men consisted of a Knee length tunic fastened with a belt. Others wore linen shirts or rough woollen shirts. Peasant men often went bare-legged or simply bound their legs with strips of linen. Peasant women wore a longer dress made of similar material which was also fastened with a belt.
　　
Medieval Clothing of Noblemen
　　
The Medieval clothing of the Noblemen consisted of trousers covered with long over tunics called bliauds. Tabards and Surcoats were also worn. These clothes were covered with full length cloaks. The cloaks were trimmed with an expensive fur and pinned at the shoulder with a broach. They wore shoes designed for castle wear made of silk, velvet, cloth or leather and fastened with a buckle. The indoor shoes worn with Medieval clothing were covered with wooden and leather outdoor overshoes. Hats were also part of a nobles clothing which were similar to a cap and pointed at the front. The materials were made of velvets, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta and dyed in bright colors. In the 14th century Medieval clothing included underclothes consisting of breeches, chemise and hose. Additional information is available by clicking the following link -Medieval Knights Armor
　　
Medieval Clothing of Noble Women
　　
The Medieval clothing of the Noble women consisted of many layers of clothes. They wore underclothes consisting of breeches, chemise and hose. The underclothes in Medieval Clothing were covered with an underskirt usually made of yellow or white linen or silk. The underskirt was covered with a long, trailing gown, or dress, with wide sleeves. The gowns were made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta. The hem and the neck of the gown (dress) and sleeves were often decorated with gems and lace. The gowns were covered with long over tunics called bliauds. Tabards and Surcoats were also worn over the gowns and dresses. These clothes were covered with full length mantel. The mantels were trimmed with an expensive fur and pinned at the shoulder with a broach. They wore shoes designed for castle wear made of silk, velvet, cloth or leather and fastened with a buckle. The indoor shoes were covered with wooden and leather outdoor overshoes. Women wore their hair long and plaited which was covered by a Wimple or a Guimpe - a piece of silk or linen draped and pinned over the hair, wrapped around the throat and tucked into the neckline of the gown. Hats were were later added as part of the clothing of a noble women which grew bigger as fashion dictated featuring tall points, some shaped as the horns of cows. The Medieval Clothing materials were made of velvets, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta and dyed in bright colors.
　　
Peasant men often wore woolen jackets with woolen pants or knickers. This ensemble was sometimes accented with a cottonshirt. Peasant men also wore medium-length tunics with bare legs or stockings. The tunics would be cinched with a rope or sash. Shoes and hats were luxuries that not all could afford, but peasant men sometimes wore shoes and hats made of cloth. What is commonly known as the wench look was the norm for female peasants.
　　
The wench look consisted of a long tunic commonly referred to as a kirtle. Kirtles were made of various materials, but usually of wool or linen for peasants. Kirtles were either laced in front similar to acorset or they were laced down the back. A loose fitting shirt would normally be worn underneath the kirtle if it were short-sleeved. A shirt may or may not have been necessary if the kirtle was long-sleeved. Long-sleeved kirtles usually had bell sleeves, which made an undershirt unnecessary.
　　
Unlike the rich, peasants could not afford the services of tailors, seamstresses, or weavers. Peasants were known to make their own clothes. Money was hard to come by so peasants often resorted to alternate means of meeting their needs. The barter system was popular. Bartering enabled peasants to trade goods or food in exchange for clothes and shoes. If a peasant could make good quality clothes, shoes, or hats, then they were in high demand and had an easy time trading in exchange for necessities.

The Peplos Is Distinctively Greek Garment

The peplos (06.311; C.I.43.85.2a,b) is perhaps a more distinctively Greek garment than the chiton, insofar as the chiton's reductive construction has similarities to apparel types in a number of other cultures and times. However, the peplos has several characteristics that distinguish it from other clothing traditions. Made of one large rectangular piece of cloth, it was formed into a cylinder and then folded along the topline into a deep cuff, creating an apoptygma, or capelet-like overfold. Although there are rare instances of chitons represented with overfolds, a garment is not a peplos unless it has been draped with an apoptygma. The neckline and armholes of the peplos were formed by fibulae, broochlike pins that attached the back to the front of the garment at either shoulder. Of all the identifying characteristics of a peplos, the fastening of its shoulders with fibulae is its single defining detail.

The clothing of the women of Ancient Greece from the fifth century B.C.E., to the fourth century B.C.E., changed as the time periods changed. Changes in fashion are important, because these changes reflect some of the changes in society. As with all societies throughout history, as years go by, different fashions come and they go. This was exactly the same with the ancient Greek women in the fifth century. The different clothing styles of this century changed with events and with innovations.

In the absence of any surviving clothing, art and literature provide the only evidence of classical dress, opening a Pandora's box of confusion and contradiction. Even in its own day, the apparel of ancient Greece was subject to numerous modifications and transformations. In the huge variety of costumes delineated in artworks and categorized by scholars, exceptions are rife and consistency is elusive. Because specialists of the high classical period of ancient Greece have developed terminology based on a variety of methodologies—art historical, archaeological, and literary—certain discrepancies are perhaps inevitable. However, in every instance, the glossaries are also a simplified system, identifying numerous and specific forms of dress under quite general labels. Here the nomenclature is simplified even further, originating from the structure of the garment rather than from any other criteria.

Another garment worn by the Doric women was the peplos. It was also worn in the fifth century B.C.E. Kohler says, "[The peplos] has a piece of woolen material, about 3 meters wide and of a length equal to the height of the wearer, and was folded at the upper extremity to form first a narrow and then a wider shawl or plaid. The material was brought through beneath the left arm and fastened with tapes on the right shoulder to leave a board peak in front and behind." (100).

The peplos was tubular in shape, and the upper edge was turned down at the waist. The peplos was put over the head and was made to fit closely at the shoulder with fasteners. The arms were left bare. It was held at the waist with a girdle. The lower edge was finished with a braid. The peplos was open at the right side and hung in folds from the shoulder. In time, the shawl, or plaid, was so wide that it reached to the hip. It was tied with tapes on both shoulders.

The word kore means maiden in Greek, and it is used to refer to a statue of a female figure. A beautiful example of such a work is the Peplos Kore from the Athenian Acropolis. Scholars have suggested that the purpose of statues such as the Peplos Kore and other korai (the plural form of the word) was to serve as votive offerings, perhaps in this case to the goddess Athena. However it is also clear that the ancient Greeks delighted in creating and admiring these stylized images of beautiful maidens. So in essence, korai were meant to please both human and divine audiences.

This statue’s name was inspired by the garment she wears. The Greeks called such a dress or robe a peplos. And indeed, the Peplos Kore is draped in a lovely peplos that clings and reveals the shape of her body. Originally, this garment was painted in bright colors, which no doubt complemented the equally bold colors of the Kore’s hair, face, and other details. While it may be difficult now to imagine how she would have appeared in polychrome it is important to remember that this was the way the ancient Greeks decorated their works of art. In fact, if one looks closely one may see that traces of these colors remain.

The Peplos Kore was made during the Archaic period of Greek art history. Some features that are indicative of this period are revealed in the Kore’s rather stiff, formal pose, her stylized and patterned tresses, and the beautiful hint of what has been dubbed an “archaic smile”. Ultimately, the Peplos Kore is a brilliant example of the timeless enchantment of Greek art.