The historically “accurate" medieval dress that's now every high fantasy costume
The historically “accurate" medieval dress that's now every high fantasy costume
It's the Lord of The Rings dress, every high fantasy dress, the costume of fairies and elves, but is it a historically accurate medieval dress? Yes! It's called a bliaut, and was worn throughout Europe in the High Middle Ages. This dress is behind so many of our fantasy aesthetics, and I've always loved it-- so I chose to recreate it as a historical costume, using modern techniques and sources from medieval history.
Why do we all recognize this dress?
The fitted bodice, full twirly skirt, and huge draping sleeves that characterize a bliaut have become a huge part of fantasy costumes today, and it's easy to see why! Even though this is a simple dress sewn in wool, wearing it makes me feel like a medieval princess . . . or an enchantress from a high fantasy movie. The high middle ages have been intensely romanticized in later art and literature, leading to everything from the chivalric romance of Ivanhoe, to the Pre-Raphaelite artists' repeated depictions of fantasy bliauts, to Tolkien's mythology and the birth of the high fantasy genre. This excitement and drama is what draws so many people to costuming today, whether it's high fantasy costumes, historical costumes, cosplay, or just dressing up. The joy of frolicking through the woods in a beautiful dress you've made is universal, and it's an experience everyone deserves to have.
The bliaut in history
Very few garments from the High Middle Ages survive, so we have no extant bliauts to study. What we know about these medieval gowns comes from studying medieval art, including statues and illustrations, and much of it is conflicting! Bliauts seem to have mostly rectangular or geometric construction, being made of squares and triangles, with slight shaping in the sleeves and side openings. I relied on the wealth of information from other costumers and historians— all of which you can find in this project’s “Works Sighted” reference list on my Patreon.
How do you make such a mysterious dress?
I self-drafted my pattern for this dress using graph paper to draw a small-scale diagram (also available on Patreon). This also helped me create a cutting layout that would fit perfectly onto the 3 yards of pink wool crepe I found on sale. I used mostly modern construction methods to sew the dress, with almost all the seams done by machine. The finishing work at the hems and the eyelets for the side-lacing were done by hand, and the trim is made from another remnant of burgundy wool for contrast.
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