Who Took My Dirndl?

1. Who Took My Dirndl? A History of German Fashion By Erin “Hildegaard” Hanson

2. Gothic FashionEarly and Late Gothic 12th Century-Mid 15th Century Tunics were popular for both sexes. In the past, the tunics were loosely fitting, but during this period they became fitted to the body. Men's tunics tended to be shorter than women's. Parti-colored clothes were the trend.

3. The German fashion trend of dagging, making cuts on the edges of sleeves, hems, and necklines, became popular across Europe.

4. Attaching bells to the clothing as decoration was popular at this time. Germans took this trend the the extreme, which led to bans on bell-wearing. Edict by the Town Council of Nuremburg- “No man or woman might wear bells or silver tinsel of any kind on chain or belt.”

5. Isabel of Bavaria was a major influence on women's fashion at the time. She was married to King Henry the VI of France, and led some of the major fashion trends on her court. Isabel of Bavaria

6. Low necklines became popular because of Isabel. These necklines eventually became so low that the women's breasts were almost completely exposed. Isabel of Bavaria

7. The Codpiece The codpiece was a popular fashion accessory for men. Like everything else at the time, they could be extremely large. They were so large that flag-bearers rested their poles on them.

8. The trend of low necklines were not without controversy. Religious reformer Jan Hus said about them, “the women [who] wear their dresses so low at the neck and so wide, that almost half their breasts are revealed and anyone can see their glowing skin anywhere, in the temples of the Lord, before the priests and clergy, as well as in the market-place, but still more in the home, and that portion of the breast which is covered is so prominent , artificially enlarged and pushed out, that it seems almost like two horns on the breast.”

9. Isabel of Bavaria Another trend begun by Isabel was the slashing of garments to reveal the linen undergarments.

10. Fashion to a Point Fashions that ended in a point were popular for both men and women. The two most popular articles of clothing to be pointed were shoes and hats.

11. The Hennin The hennin was a cone-shaped hat worn by women. These hats could be as high as two feet tall. Hennins became so ridiculously long that a woman could be refused absolution for wearing a long train on her hennin.

12. Shoes The “schnabelshuh”(schnabel-beak), a pointed shoe worn by both men and women, also became ridiculously pointed. The points of these shoes were sometimes 2-3 feet longer than the foot itself. Shoes that long had to be supported with wire. This had embarrassing consequences at the Battle of Sempach. Swiss peasants were able to defeat Hapsburg knights due to their long, wire-tipped shoes.

14. The Renaissance Germany during the Renaissance was embroiled in wars, so it had little influence on fashion. The main contributions of Germans to fashion at this time was in armor.

15. Costume Armor Costume armor was a German specialty which became quite popular. Decorated with ridges and groove, German armor influenced other western European countries, particularly Italy.

16. Costume Armor The helmet of costume armor were often made in the form of a human face. This particular helmet was a gift from Emporer Maximilian I to King Henry VIII, and it was made by the German Konrad Seusenhofer.

18. Landsknechts The Landsknechts were German and Swiss mercenaries. They wore tight-fitting clothes which they cut slashes into to ease restrictiveness. Slashing became popular across Europe and the slashes spread to many areas of the body.

19. The Reformation The Reformation brought with it changes not only in religion, but also in fashion.Dress became less colorful and less extravagant.

20. Men's Wear A man of the Reformation wore knee length breeches, a doublet, hose, and a barret, a rounded cap, and a large shirt with puffed sleeves. During the winter, knee length gowns known as houppelandes were worn.

21. Women's Fashions Long, tight sleeves, low necklines filled in with modesty pieces, and pleated skirts with aprons were the main fashions of German women. Skirts were cut separately from the bodice, but often sewn together. Large linen headdresses were worn at this time, but barrets could also be worn by women.

22. Hosenteufel Trunk hose was popular but also controversial. Reformation preacher Andreas Musculus said it was evil and sinful, and claimed that it was possessed by the devil. The Hosenteufel(breeches devil) was a character in popular devil literature.

23. Foot in (cow)Mouth After 1500, the schnabelshuh disappeared to be replaced by wide toed, straight-edged shoe know as the kuhmaulschuh,, kuh meaning cow and maul meaning mouth.

24. Spanish Influence1550-1618 The Spanish Empire was widespread at this time. It ruled over the Netherlands,Austria, and many other countires. Charles V became emporer of Germany and forced Spanish fashion on his subjected peoples. Spanish fashion was very stiff and restrictive. High, stiff collars and matching cuffs were worn by men and women. Men wore high necked doublets which were padded in the upper portion. On women, Spanish dress hid the natural form.

25. Rise of the Burghers1618-1648 The decline of the Spanish empire led to the decline of Spanish fashion and the rise of Dutch Burgher fashion. Stiffness in dress disappeared, and lace became popular. The long, loose doublet replaced the short, stiff one of Spanish style, while the collars became longer, lower, and were often made of lace. Women's clothing became looser and lighter. Top-boots, which were long boots with spurs, prominent heels, and wide tops which were turned down at the bottom were worn by men.

27. Baroque vs. Rococo1646-1716 and 1730-1789 The Rococo period was a period of extremes. Hooped skirts became popular and ridiculously large. Women wore powder in excess, sometimes to the point of making them unrecognizable. Powder was even worn in the , which made it difficult to distinguish between old and young women. Tri-cornered hats became popular for men. Breeches reached just below the knee, and the waistcoat became shorter. Heels of the shoe were also shortened. Men began wearing their hair in short pony tails tied back by ribbons. Wigs were popular during the Baroque period. Men often shaved their heads to make the wigs fit better. Men's dress became more effeminate. The breeches became stiffer, and were edged with lace and ribbon. The end of the Baroque period brought with it waistcoats and long breeches. The cravat, made of lace, was worn around the neck and was the precursor to the tie. Women wore dresses which had open outer skirts..The skirts were bell-shaped, and the sleeves were short, usually only reaching the elbow.

29. 19th Century FashionsWomen The Dirndl became popular in the 19th century. It was originally the uniform of Austrian servants, but the design was based on ancient fashions. It consists mainly of a bodice, a skirt, and an apron.

30. Lederhosen Lederhosen are shorts with a front flap, suspenders, and a chest piece. They are traditonally made out of leather. Originating in the Alpine regions, they were traditionally worn by German boys until they reached the age of 16.

31. Nazi Influence The Nazi platform on women was of “kinder, kuche, kirch(children, kitchen, church). They preferred fashions for women which encouraged those things. They campaigned against certain kinds of clothing, in particular the flapper dress popular in the 20s , because they represented women's emancipation.

32. Got Milk? Wear It! Anke Domaske, a German fashion designer, has created a textile made completely from milk. The new textile is called Qmilch, a combination of the word quality and the German work for milk. The fabric is silky, drapes well, and is easy on the skin. It is made by reducing milk to a protein powder, boiling it, and then pressing it into strands to be woven into fabric. This new fabric is being hailed as the fabric of the future, and Anke won the innovation award of Germany's Textile research Association.

34. Works Cited What People Wore When. New York, New York: The Ivy Press, 2008. Print. Kybalova, Ludmila, Olga Herbanova, and Milena Lamarova. The Pictorial Kybalova, Ludmila, Olga Herbanova, and Milena Lamarova. The Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fashion. London/New York/Sydney/Toronto: Hamlyn Publishing Group, 1968. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Metropolitan Museum, Fall 2011. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/afas/hd_afas.htm>. Group, 1968. Print.