Ser e Parecer : a moda feminina como símbolo de transgressão em Castela (séc. XV)

Abstract

Learning Objects (LO) are a valuable resource for teaching History in Basic Education. From this perspective, the Medieval Fashion Magazine was created, a teaching material that contains texts that cover the main themes developed in the research carried out on women's fashion during the Late Middle Ages in the kingdom of Castile (15th century) and how clothing was used by some women to challenge norms and promote their interests within that social structure. The Magazine explores the main feminine trends of the period, such as chapines, tranzados, and verdugos, and how these items were considered abundant sources of mortal sin by some moralists, as they “deformed” the natural appearance of the body. This is the case of Friar Hernando de Talavera (1428-1507), who wrote a treatise on clothing and footwear in 1477, justifying the reasons why specifically these items were immoral and sinful. The royal and religious powers strove to control “appearances”, whether through sumptuary laws or moral treaties, in an attempt to maintain a social order that was threatened by bourgeois women who manipulated their identities by assuming an aesthetic that previously was exclusive to the nobility. The Medieval Fashion Magazine also has, in its final pages, an activity notebook (quiz, maze game, word search, and paper doll) so that students can, playfully, reflect on the content presented on the previous pages. Aimed at teachers, the Teacher's Manual, which accompanies the Magazine, offers proposals for activities using this material in the classroom.