Chapter Unlikely followers of fashion? Dressing the poor in late medieval Bruges

Surprisingly little is known about the way the poor strata of urban society in the late medieval period used dress to express social identities. Systematic empirical data have not been available, and sources tend to illustrate the opinion of the elites about poverty. Through the analysis of cloth distribution by charitable institutions and, above all, of a unique set of inventories for fifteenth-century Bruges, it becomes clear that dress was not only an important element in the material culture and the construction of social identity of the poor, but that instead of being a passive player depending on charity and alternative commercial circuits, the poor used dress to conform to fashion cycles set by the wealthier groups in urban society. In late medieval Bruges, they were wearing the same typology of dress, the same colours and the same fabrics, displaying in this way a willingness to participate and invest in fashion cycles. In assessing both urban economies and social dialogue, scholars should therefore not focus on elite demand alone

London and beyond: essays in honour of Derek Keene

This volume contains selected papers from a major conference held in October 2008 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the setting up of the Centre for Metropolitan History at the IHR, and the contribution of Professor Derek Keene to the Centre, the IHR and the wider world of scholarship. 'One of the pioneer volumes in the handsomely produced new Institute of Historical Research Conference series, this book serves as a fitting tribute to one of the most influential urban historians of our time.' - Ian Archer, Urban History, May 2013