The fashion and art forms of the Gothic North had never been fully accepted in Italy; by the middle of the 15th century, Italian modes had already diverged considerably from those of the rest of Medieval Europe. Elaborate stuffed and padded hairstyles were draped with veils in the North, whereas hairstyles were much more natural and less formal in Italy. The fashion for plucking the hairline to give a high forehead was universal.
The invasion of Italy by the French King Charles VIII introduced the Italians to French fashions, but in general, Italian fashion influenced the French. The reign of Henry VII had already seen many modifications in medieval costume; the line was now vertical instead of horizontal and shoes were now broad toed instead
…show more content…
The Swiss plundered silk and other costly materials and slashed their prizes to pieces and used the pieces to patch their own ragged clothes. German mercenaries then copied the Swiss troops, and from there this fashion spread to the French court. Henry VII’s sister, Mary, married Louis XII of France, which caused the English to adopt the fashion as well.
Slashing, the practice of cutting slits in material and pulling the lining through, became almost universal in the early 1500’s, though it was worn most extremely in Germany, where not only the doublet, but the breeches were literally cut to ribbons. Undergarments were broad bands of material that fell to the knees and sometimes to the ankle; these bands formed different patterns on each leg and were even sometimes different colors. In Germany, it was usual for one leg to be yellow and the other black, slashed with taffeta.
Slashing spread to women’s clothing, but was never as prevalent. To the left is a portrait of a young woman from the workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, from Augsburg, Germany around 1540-45. It is a great example of red slashing in the woman’s sleeves. (Dresden) This extravagant fashion was more suitable for breeches than for large areas of fabric such as