Survey of Historic Costume

If you need a source, please use ” Survey of Historic Costume” by Phyllis G. Tortora

1: What are the major sources of information about costume in the 14th and 15th centuries? Why is more information available to the costume historian for these periods than for the earlier centuries of the middle ages? What are strengths and weaknesses of the available information?
2: Carefully considering the changes in costume during the late middle ages, explain the difference between the frequency of big modifications of silhouette and smaller details what examples can you provide from the textbook that support your answer? Cite test and images.

3: Why do you think gender differences become more evident in the late middle ages compared to the early middle ages?

4: The names for items of costume are often related to their function, their appearance or some other characteristic. List some items form the 14th and 15th centuries that have such names, and describe how they relate to function, appearance, or some other characteristic.

5: Thorstein Veblen, an economist, spoke of dress as a way of showing status through conspicuous consumption (ie, wearing something that is obviously costly) and through conspicuous leisure(wearing something that shows that a person does not need to do hard work.) what are some examples of clothing of the 14th and 15th centuries that would demonstrate conspicuous consumption? Conspicuous leisure?

6: Why do scholars call this period the renaissance? Explain how developments in the thinking and arts of this period justify this name.

7: How did the business interests of local merchants influence Italian renaissance costumes, especially in cities like Florence?

8: Contrast the way in which upper-class Italian renaissance men and women dressed and obtained their clothing with the ways in which working- class and poor renaissance men  and women did.

9: Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the sources available for the study of Italian renaissance dress.

10: How did foreign elements influence Italian costume in the 16th century? Explain why some specific foreign influences came to dominate.

11: Compare costume in Italy and costume in northern Europe in the second half of the 15th century. Describe a few similarities and differences in those same areas in the 16th century.

12: Trace the evolution of stocking manufacture in the 16th century. Why was this development necessary and how did it permanently improve stocking?

13: Relate the styles of silhouettes of men’s breeches and women’s skirts the techniques used to provide support for these shapes, and compare their evolution during the 16th century

14: Explain how royal marriages had an impact on popular fashions in the 16th century

15: Items of dress are often named for their appearance of for the function of location or the item. What might be the origins of stomacher, base, peascod belly, ruff, bum roll, duckbill, and points?

16: Agree or disagree with the statement “religious conflicts had an impact on fashion change” and describe examples that support your opinion (in 16th century).

17: What were the differences, if any, between the clothing of children and that of adults in the 16th century?