With England and France mired in the Hundred Years War and its aftermath and then the English Wars of the Roses through most of the 15th century, European fashion north of the Alps was dominated by the glittering court of the Duchy of Burgundy, especially under the fashion-conscious power-broker Philip the Good (ruled 1419–1469). Historians conjecture that the raw materials used to make clothing changed along with the styles, from wool to linens, as well as the colors of the textiles, and the types of weave, from homespun grey woolens to imported red and darkly colored textiles.ĭominance of the Burgundian court They catch the herring at no cost to themselves, by the abundant grace of God, while the merchants offer the best they have in order to secure a good bargain - and sometimes even lose their lives in shipwrecks. The reason for this is that they have all become very rich due to the fishing that takes place every year around Scania.

Previously, they dressed like seamen because they lived by the coast and were always preoccupied with ships, but now they clothe themselves not only in scarlet, parti-coloured and grey furs, but also in purple and fine linens. The Danes, who imitate the habits of the Germans.are now adopting the dress and weapons of other nations. The Lübeckian chronicler Arnold mocked changes in Danish attire he attributes to the increasing economic power of the Danes: General trends New trends emerge among the Danes National variations in clothing seem on the whole to have increased over the 15th century. People could now be dated by their clothes, and being in 'out of date' clothing became a new social concern. It is in this time period that we begin to see fashion take on a temporal aspect.

1470 Īs Europe continued to grow more prosperous, the urban middle classes, skilled workers, began to wear more complex clothes that followed, at a distance, the fashions set by the elites. Young Italian men wear brimless caps, The Betrothal, c.

15th century armwatch