Dressing the Scottish Court, 1543-1553 (PDF)

Analysis of accounts disbursed by the royal treasury, alongside text and translation in excerpt, provides richly detailed information on clothing at the time.

The Accounts of the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland document money spent by the royal treasury and contain numerous references to clothing and textiles. This volume is designed to make the rich material in the Accounts from the regency of the Earl of Arran (whose ward was Mary Queen of Scots) available to those interested in the study of dress and accessories. In addition to overviews of the various types of garments mentioned in the Accounts and discussion of a number of specialty categories, such as wedding and funeral clothing, this book includes the original text of every entry from the Accounts pertaining to secular clothing, with facing translation into modern English.
The Accounts' entries include information on materials and labour, and describe thousands of items for dozens of people, from court fools to nobles. They are grouped here by recipient, in "wardrobe biographies" which gather all ofthe entries for a particular person together in chronological order. Through the numerous clothing-related entries from this period it is possible to track the wardrobes of a number of people connected to the Scottish court, the popularity of various garments and accessories, details about their construction, and insights into the relationships of the people involved.

MELANIE SCHUESSLER BOND is Professor of Costume Design, Eastern Michigan University.