Dark Ages

The influence of the early Christian Church was pervasive in this time period. Divided between Byzantium in the east and the Western Roman Empire, men and women were more draped in garments than ever before. Although the term the “Dark Ages” has fallen out of favor in recent years—in fact its use can incite the mildest of medievalists—it can be used to indicate the period between the fall of the Roman Empire (3rd century A.D.) up to the ninth century, when cultural standards waned along with command of the Latin language. Monasteries and places where religious orders gathered were bastions against illiteracy and the decline in the quality of life. Islam appeared in the early seventh century and united disparate nations in the Middle East.

A place for fashion and dress in these times seems subordinate to the drama playing out across Europe. Only when feudal monarchies developed, to the point of launching Crusades against the Ottoman Turks who controlled the Holy Land, did dress take on more substantial meaning. And even then, it served to distinguish faiths from each other or the rise of improved arms and armor. National and regional costumes originated in this period. The Dark Ages passed when travel increased and greater contact was established amongst peoples. I don’t know if it’s just me, but does this time seems remoter than other periods?