Mujeres en movimientoel lujo del traje por superposición en la Castilla del siglo XV

Abstract

Dances constitute an important measure in understanding courtesan dress in fifteenth century Castile and they are almost the only place that you can appreciate feminine attire in motion. At a time dominated by a masculine aesthetic in garments, when outfits still contained a powerful and warlike impression, dance was one of the few opportunities for female attire to play an active role in the courtly protocol of medieval Castile. The gentle but dynamic movement of the dances transformed the courtesan dresses into outrageous and brilliant works of art. They presented as static garments because of the weight and richness of the materials, but in moments of dancing, the opulence of the successive layers became visible and raised their aesthetic appeal to the limit. Dance, therefore, is essential in understanding the meaning of an outfit, which in each piece of clothing and as an ensemble –only visible for the duration of the movement–, defined the image of its wearer and her master, in an era when the dress was a faithful and legitimate reflection of power and position in the world order.