Poor Colors, Rich Colors: Spanish Clothing in the Early Sixteenth Century

This paper examines the evolution of textile styles in fifteenth- and early-sixteenth century Spain.  The objective is to identify how the choice of fabric for clothing, and especially its coloring, evolved among the affluent, the masses, women, and children.  An early observation finds that that the dominance of golds and reds receded as Burgundian fashion was imposed and black triumphed.  Aesthetic reasons help explain the change, as does an affinity for black dyes because they were more expensive (and therefore exclusive).  In contrast, peasants and other popular segments of the population continued to dress in clothing that was barely dyed or cheaply dyed.  Differences between the clothing worn by the poor and by the rich can also be extended to the clothing of women and children.  Documents associated with the fairs of Medina del Campo, the most important textile market in Spain, Portugal, and the Americas in this period, provide a lens into this subject.  I study records of sales made in fabric stores as well as estate inventories from different social groups, calculating the use of colors based on their prices.  The resulting panorama paints a picture of a diverse society, where members are distinguished not only by economic and social characteristics, but also by clothing and its color.  Still, social norms were undergoing change, and some individual people broke social models represented by the color of clothing, which ultimately brought about numerous changes in sumptuary laws during these years.