Video: Medieval fashion blogger for 40 years talked about clothes: What the first fashion magazine looked like
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Fashion blogging is not a modern invention at all. This idea was first realized a long time ago, in the 16th century, and the author was not a woman. A German accountant who worked for influential bankers was simply obsessed with beautiful clothes. In those days, it was not yet possible to take a selfie and post it on Instagram, so the medieval fashionista was forced to hire artists who carefully recorded his outfits. 137 of these sketches with detailed descriptions were included in the work "Klaidungsbüchlin". This "little book" is today considered the first publication about fashion or the prototype of a personal fashion blog.
Matthäus Schwarz came from the middle class - there were wine merchants and carpenters in his family. The young man became a trader's apprentice in Milan and Venice, where he mastered accounting techniques. Returning to his native Augsburg, Matthäus managed to find a very good job, he became an accountant of the Fugger trading house, one of the largest in Germany. Apparently, he was paid well for his work, so that the young man got the opportunity to surrender to an all-consuming passion - fashionable and beautiful clothes.
Schwartz prided himself on his taste and skill in tailoring suits to suit the situation. He carefully followed new items and spent large sums on his wardrobe. Dressing up more and more exquisitely, Schwartz was forced to exercise discretion, because in the 16th century, clothes indicated the status of the owner and specific elements or jewelry could only be worn by nobles. These rules were carefully written down in the laws, so the mod, not an aristocrat, twisted as best he could: for example, he made the sleeves twice as wide to compensate for the absence of patterned stockings.
At about 25 years old, Schwartz thought about how to preserve his incomparable grace for posterity and tell people about it. He really loved to show off his new outfits and considered this sin permissible for himself. The fellow countrymen were probably jealous, but they laughed at Schwartz behind his back and came up with a nickname for him - Der Kleidernarr (Obsessed with clothes). However, the mod went to a bold goal - he decided to compile a complete chronicle of his outfits, starting from infancy, and fix them in the future. This work took him forty years and as a result really covered his whole life, turning into a fashionable life story. The world's first blogger was tenacious and persistent, and in the end achieved impressive success.
Beginning in 1520, Matthäus Schwartz ordered precise watercolor paintings on parchment depicting him in a fashionable dress. The young Augsburg artist Narcissus Renner became a regular participant in this daring "project". He performed the "artistic reconstruction" of his client's young years and made many contemporary sketches. This work was carried out slowly and thoroughly: each drawing was created under the watchful supervision of Schwartz, and then the "blogger" made a detailed description of the event that became the reason for the outfit, the fabric from which it was sewn, and the exact chronology of his own life, when this outfit was demonstrated on people. It looked something like this: “October 1, 1522, I am 25 ¾ years old and 9 days old. Clothes made of black damask and satin …"
As a result, the book, intended to celebrate its own success, became a complete and accurate encyclopedia of mid-16th century fashion. It is also interesting that during the period of Schwartz's life there was a change in costume eras - the colorful and magnificent outfits of the Italian Renaissance are gradually changing to stricter ones on the pages of Klaidungsbüchlin. Black is coming into fashion, because the era of Protestants and the Inquisition is coming, and black dye is extremely expensive, so it is profitable for Venetian merchants to “promote” less flashy and such practical dark things on the market.
I must say that the world's first "blogger" was simply accurate in accounting: for example, when he could not choose between beautiful Spanish shirts and bought all three, complaining about the high cost, the artist depicted him in one drawing three times - after all all the options to the descendants. But in addition, Schwartz was also distinguished by truthfulness, reaching the point of self-criticism. When he gained extra weight at the age of 29, he ordered to fix himself in two nude pictures in order to have the necessary motivation to maintain a diet - a very modern approach to the problem.
There were real victories in this story. So, in 1521, the medieval fashionist literally "jumped over his head" in order to meet the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in all his glory, when he was to visit Augsburg. Schwartz came up with the idea of dressing up for such an important event in the attire of a landsknecht and adorned the hat with lush white and red ostrich feathers. The color of the outfit corresponded to the heraldic colors of Austria, so the emperor not only noticed a "fashion blogger" in the crowd, but also showered him with favors. Later, Schwartz even received the nobility - it is believed that it was due to the fact that he was the first to come up with feathers, an attribute of the military, "in a peaceful life." He became the generally recognized author of "feather fashion", which, in principle, has not outlived its usefulness to this day.
The Book of Clothes, created by Schwartz over forty years, has become a unique historical document of its era. Its original is kept in the Museum of Duke Anton Ulrich in Braunschweig, and two medieval copies are in the National Libraries of Paris and Hanover. Little is known about the fate of the “first blogger”. He lived all his life in his native Augsburg, working for a trading house. He had a wife and children who, it seems, did not inherit their father's passion for fashionable exploits.
Modernity has always left its mark on what people wear. Coronavirus Era Fashion: Trends Historians Will Study
Recommended:
What 7 magnificent medieval castles in Europe looked like before they fell into ruins
During the quarantine, we are deprived of the opportunity to travel, but no one canceled the virtual exploration, right? Therefore, we will go on a fascinating journey through the most magnificent European castles, which keep centuries of incredibly rich history in their ruins. After many centuries of decline, wars and historical reconciliation, most of the castles have turned into ruins, and now they are only a pale shadow of their former glory. What did they look like during their heyday?
What the first ladies bodybuilders looked like: Photos of Wonder Women of the Last Century
The beginning of the 20th century was marked by many significant events, and one of these was the departure from the stereotype of a weak and dependent woman. In different countries, there were ladies who were no longer satisfied with the famous German rule of three Ks: "Kinder, Kuche, Kirche" (children, kitchen, church). Thanks to the first athletes, strong, independent personalities began to enter fashion, who, if necessary, could stand up for themselves. The fact that now sometimes you want to return a little femininity to the weaker sex is already different
What world famous celebrities looked like on their first ever red carpet (part 2)
Many of us first heard about our favorite actresses or actors in their most high-profile films, which took place relatively recently. However, they were popular long before that, stepping on the red carpet, which led them to resounding success after. Your attention - twenty actors and actresses who debuted earlier than we imagined
What the first little mermaid Ariel looked like, and why its author died in poverty, although he worked for Disney
Many artists know how to illustrate fairy tales, but few can turn each illustration into a separate fairy tale, which can be viewed endlessly, as if you were bewitched. One of these wizards of the brush was the Danish Kai Rasmus Nielsen. A child who had a chance to look at his princesses, heroes, trolls and sorceresses with his mother in the evening, forever retains the feeling of touching a fairy tale
What the most bizarre and fashionable helmets of medieval knights looked like
Since ancient times, a knight's helmet has been one of the most important attributes of a warrior. In addition to its main protective function, it also served as a deterrent to enemies. The Middle Ages were especially famous for the art of making and the variety of helmets. In this review, the most fashionable helmets of the time