Medieval European Dress

In this episode, we explore medieval European dress from 1300 to 1500, a period when clothing shifted from loose, draped forms to increasingly tailored and structured silhouettes. We examine how buttons, lacing, curved seams, and improved cutting techniques shaped garments such as the cotehardie and houppelande, while fabrics, furs, and elaborate headwear—including the chaperon and wimple—signaled status, occupation, and social rank. Blending historical context with practical insights into pattern-making and construction, this episode reveals how medieval menswear and womenswear helped establish the foundations of modern Western clothing.