Figure 1.-- Another illustration of a French page boy, this one in charge of the greyhounds for some great noble engaged in hunting. He seems to be in his later teens. His costume is designated as typical of the reign of Louis XII (1462-1515). I suspect that the dress is late 15th century, probably about 1485, since clothing styles changed considerably after the turn of the century, and this style is more late medieval than early French Renaissance. This drawing or engraving was made in 1849 by an artist who was attempting to recreate and illustrate historical costumes. It probably came from an album of such illustrations. Unfortunately we do not know the name of the artist. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.

HBC doesn't have many images of teen-age dress from the late medieval period. Some available images illustrate the various garments worn by pages during the medieval era. The styles of courtly male dress during this period were strongly influenced by Italy, the country that led Europe in the extravagance of male clothing. Northern Italy is where the Renaissance began. The spread of ideas and social attitudes spread north just as did Italian fashions. The two most important items of clothing were doublets and hosiery. We also note destinctive headwear and footwear. There were no dedicated styles per se for children in the late-medieval era. Younger boys wore dresses like their sisters. Once brreched, however, boys abd youths wore the same style clothing as men. Youthful style concsious youths and young men might wear shorter doublets than oldermen. Men in their middle-age might wear long cloakes.

Influences

The styles of courtly male dress during this period were strongly influenced by Italy, the country that led Europe in the extravagance of male clothing. Northern Italy is where the Renaissance began. The spread of ideas and social attitudes spread north just as did Italian fashions.

National Trends

We do not yet have enough information to assess national trends. We believe that during this period that fashion trends extended beyond national boundaries and that court and aristoctatic fashions were similar troughout Europe, at least the areas of Western Christendom influenced by the Renaissance.

Age

There were no dedicated styles per se for children in the late-medieval era. Younger boys wore dresses like their sisters. Once brreched, however, boys abd youths wore the same style clothing as men. Youthful style concsious youths and young men might wear shorter doublets than oldermen. Men in their middle-age might wear long cloakes or gowns.

Chronology

We can not yet address chromological changes in costume during this era.

Garments

We have some information on the major garments worn at the time.

Headwear

We notice pages wearing a variety of headwear. One image shows a youth wearing a jauntily mounted felt hat with a very narrow brim. The youth here wears a round flat hat.

Doublet

We note doublets with puffed sleeves with openings in them that allow the sleeve to dangle unused like a decoration. The sleeves also have embrodiery on them just below the shoulders. The doublet (medieval covering for the torso) has a high V-shaped closure at the top which allows a stiff high collar to rise underneath it around the lad's neck. Pages might have doublets with a belted wasp-waist (the style for boys and young men at the time) and the doublet is cut extremely short so as to expose the upper legs. The medieval church often complained about the scandalously short doublets that boys and young men insisted on wearing. The youth in the image here wears a doublet with elaborately puffed and decorated sleeves (figure 1). Itis the most extravagant aspect of his costume. Notice the ribbons or strings attached to the sleeves. Some medieval sleeves had openings in them so that a shirt worn underneath would show through at various places. They were sometimes tied shut, which may be the case in this illustration. On the other hand, the strings may simply be worn like decorative ribbons, having no function other than display.

Shirt

Some of the shirts had eyelets around the waist so that the strings or laces could be attached. Shakespeare has a number of jokes on the word "points" (punning on the tips of swords and the little laces that men used to tie their long stockings to waistbands and shirts).

Jewelry

A page in one image wears a pendant on a chain around his neck.

Hosiery

The stockings are really a form of tights although they were put on separately and attached to a waistband by little strings or straps referred to in the jargon of the day as "points". Boy s might wears a ceremonial garter (perhaps a knightly order of some sort like the Order of the Garter in England) worn on one leg just below the knee. The youth here wears vertically striped "pane hose" (stockings sewn together with pieces of contrastingly colored fabric). They resemble modern tights, covering, as they do, the entire lower body from the waist down. Notice the exaggerated codpiece (the front opening)

Footwear

We note slipper-like shoes (apparently made of felt). In some images the footwear seems rather impractically designed. Some shoes have long extended pointed toes. Such shoes could be worn at court, but would be very impratical for street wear in cities and towns which were very largely unpaved.

Other Items

One image shows a youth wearing a short sword, another sign of his high social rank.

Hair Styles

We notice several different hair styles. One image shows a youth wearing long hair over the ears, but cut well abobe the shoulders.

Created: 1:38 AM 3/6/2005
Last updated: 3:56 PM 3/6/2005