Consume & Fashion #02

Children’s Fashion
      from the Hanse Era

Consume revolution of the Middle Ages

The fabric of the Hanse era is made of natural fibres, which means that unfortunately only a few pieces of clothing have survived. One of the rare examples from a medieval Hanse town is this children’s upper dress in fashionable green. The tunic and cloth buttons are made of felted, dense fabric of medium quality.

The cut is classic. The garment, trimmed with silk ribbon at the edges, was worn over a thin linen shirt.

Facts: Children’s tunic

  • Tunic and fabric buttons are made of matted, dense fabric of medium quality.
  • Fabric in 1/1 linen weave.
  • Thread density in S twist – 7 threads/1cm, in Z twist – 9 threads/1cm.
  • The neckline, the cuff and the front edges of the garment up to the height of the lower hole are trimmed with silk ribbon in linen weave 1/1.

Fragment of a child’s tunic

  • Isolated neckline and the lower part of the garment.
  • Made of brown felted fabric in 2/1 twill weave, with stitch marks.
  • The yarn has a ZS twist
  • Density of the warp threads is 18 threads/1 cm, that of the weft 9 threads/1 cm.

Sustainably Warming: Stockings from the Middle Ages

Warm feet are a timeless need. Stockings in the Middle Ages were often sewn from woollen fabric.

In Tallinn, some stocking remains were found during excavations. The reason: stockings wear out quickly, especially the foot part had to be replaced often. The used materials were often “recycled”: In the biography of a fabric, its use as a stocking was the last station.

Children’s green top dress with silk trim on collar, buttons and sleeves
Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk
Gdańsk (Poland)
14th–17th century
Wool, silk

Children’s fabric stocking made of reused fabric Archaeological Research Collection of Tallinn University Tallinn (Estonia) 15th century Wool