Over the course of the fourteenth century, a truly revolutionary change took place in the clothing of upper-class European men. Beginning around 1325, the long, flowing, nearly unisex robes which had formed the foundation of aristocratic men’s clothing for centuries were suddenly replaced by much shorter, tighter clothing. Far from being unisex, these clothes were cut and carefully tailored, using newly invented techniques, to hug the body and display the legs, demonstrating gender differences in the clearest possible way, something which Western clothing has done ever since.
Laurel Ann Wilson, the speaker, is associated with the Fordham University Center for Medieval Studies. A self-described opsimath, that is, one who acquires learning late in life, she earned a Masters and a Ph.D. from Fordham UniversityColleges respectively.
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