THE GATES OF HELL

The inspiration behind the modular hoodie

By slicing a regular hoodie shape into 3 pieces, I noticed that I was creating a garment that was going back to the roots of the actual hoodie. A hood on its own might not be the norm nowadays, but it hasn't always been the case:

"One of the most distinctive forms of headwear worn in the Middle Ages (c. 500–c. 1500 C.E. ) was the hood. Ever since the time of the Roman Empire (27 B.C.E. –476 C.E. ), Europeans had pulled a section of their outer cloaks up over the head to form a hood. In the Middle Ages, however, the hood was detached from the cloak and became a separate form of headwear. By the end of the twelfth century, the hood was the most common form of head-wear in all of Europe."

I found that really interesting.

So when I came to detach the body from the sleeves, I researched a bit deeper into medieval "fashunz" and found the perfect solution from looking at what was called, the sideless surcotes, or the Gates of Hell!

" Sideless surcotes were designed to show off the gown underneath and were quite different to the utilitarian kind of surcote worn in the country to protect clothes or those worn by the upper classes for warmth when raveling.

They could be cut from underarm to hip, or lower.

This style of surcote was described as the gates of hell by one particularly cencorous preacher because the wide, low-cut sides showed off the more formfitting undergown or kirtle. This clearly, would lead men into temptation, and therefore, the gates of hell itself. "

Yah! How cool is that?!

Hope you enjoyed this little bts/historical snippet, let me know if you'd like some more!

Mother Pony xx

Sources:

https://rosaliegilbert.com/surcotes.html

http://edythmiller.blogspot.com/2011/05/gates-of-hell.html#.YE36GObLck_

http://www.fashionencyclopedia.com/fashion_costume_culture/Early-Cultures-Europe-in-the-Middle-Ages/Hoods.html#ixzz6DT8z9RrN