Lectures will begin promptly at 9:00 AM. We ask that you please allow time to find parking, the auditorium,
and your seat. Also, please keep in mind that this is not an official event of the SCA, and garb is
not required.
Schedule
8:30AM - Doors open for seating
9:00 AM - Morning Session Begins (2 lectures)
The Gothic Fitted Dress
The Greenland Gored Gown
12:00 PM - Lunch Break
1:30 PM - Afternoon Sessions Begin (3 lectures)
Will the Real Sideless Surcoat Please Stand Up?
The 15th Century V-Necked Gown
When Medieval Meets Victorian: The Roots of Modern Costume Sources
5:30 PM - Lectures End
Note: The speaker may adjust the time of the lunch break to accommodate the needs of the audience.
Following her lectures, Ms. Netherton has graciously agreed to allow any interested parties to join her for dinner
for further discussion on the topic of medieval clothing. For the sake of convience in locale and seating, dinner will be
held at one of the local dining halls. Additional information about the dining hall can be found on
the Local Restaurants page.
Class Descriptions
The Gothic Fitted Dress
The fitted fashion popular throughout much of Europe in the late 14th century and early
15th century has been the object of much speculation, regarding such matters as who wore it,
how it was made, and even what it was called. (The term "cotehardie," often applied
to this style, was most likely not the term used by the women who wore it.)
A detailed analysis shows the various versions and uses of this style, how it
evolved from earlier unfitted fashions, and how it formed the basis for the development
of the more structured fashions of the 15th and 16th centuries. The lecture examines some
likely construction techniques as well as the social significance of the fashion and
its presentation in artwork.
The Greenland Gored Gown
Costume references frequently cite the garment finds from the 14th-century cemetery at
Herjolfsnes, Greenland, as examples of medieval European clothing construction. This
lecture re-examines some common assumptions about these gowns in light of overlooked
details in the original study report, the cultural context of the Greenland colony,
and the likely methods of clothing construction used by the Greenlanders. The
discussion gives special attention to the oft-cited "10-gore" gown and how it
might influence our understanding of 14th-century European fashion.
Will the Real Sideless Surcote Please Stand Up?
Conventional wisdom holds that the sideless surcote was a widespread female fashion
of the 14th and 15th centuries in Western Europe. Looking closely at the artwork that
portrays this fashion, though, we can trace several distinct stages in the development
and use of the style and its implications for the wearers. The lecture shows how to
distinguish between the surcote's uses as a real garment and as a symbolic device in
artwork, with special attention to practical issues of construction.
The Fifteenth-Century V-Neck Gown
The so-called "Burgundian" style that dominates much of 15th-century fashion in
Western Europe is in fact two separate styles, which have distinctive characteristics
and are apparently constructed in two completely different ways. An examination of
artwork over the course of the century demonstrates the differences and provides clues
as to how the two styles developed and the ways in which they may have been made.
When Medieval Meets Victorian: The Roots of Modern Costume Sources
Too often, today's costume sources present "facts" about medieval and Renaissance costume
that are actually misinterpretations dating from the Victorian era. This lecture traces the
development of modern costume scholarship and examines the motives and methods of 19th-century
costume historians. Armed with this information, 21st-century costumers can learn how to
recognize - and compensate for - Victorian influence in current sources.
