British Devotion to French Fashion Spans Centuries (ca. 600 AD)
It’s no secret that the British have a long history of following European fashion trends – however, it now seems that instead of a decades-long devotion, fashion-conscious Brits have been at it for centuries.
Studies on 1,700 Anglo-Saxon graves at several settlements from the mid-6th century have revealed that people living in England at the time often wore outfits that were more typically found in northern France and west of the Rhine. Some of these pieces were things like front-fastening coats with brooch clasps, which might not be all that out of place on the modern Parisian catwalk.
Although very few pieces of art that depict humans from the 5th to 7th centuries have survived from this area, the Anglo-Saxons preferred to bury their dead instead of cremate them, placing the bodies in graves while fully clothed. While none of the items of clothing have fully survived the passing centuries, some smaller squares of fabric have lasted, typically around the areas where the clothes were fastened.
This is highly fortunate, because in order to recreate a certain kind of fabric, all that is needed is a small square – it contains information about the weave structure and density, the kind of yarn or other material used, and in some cases, even the kind of dye.
Some of the French garment styles that the Anglo-Saxons copied 1,400 years ago include: the rounded neckline; A-line coats fastened with a brooch and cinched at the waist; modest, floor-length skirts; vertical, raised trimlines enhanced with various colors; naturally dyed or uncolored fabrics.
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