[Ansteorra] cotton in period

[nweders at mail.utexas.edu]

I found an article on "The Cotton Industry of Northern Italy in the Late 
Middle Ages: 1150-1450" by Maureen Fennell Mazzaoui, (The Journal of 
Economic History, Vol 32, No 1. The Tasks of Economy History. (Mar 1972) 
pp. 262-286.  The author has also written a book, since I found numerous 
reviews on it as well bt I have not had a chance to find a copy.

Anyway, the article talks about the development of the cotton fabric and 
thread industry in Italy.  She states " In the European climate, cotton and 
linen represented seasonal alternatives  to the heavier silk and wool 
cloths suitable for winter wear.  She does say later that cotton was often 
combined with linen, hemp, wool and silk to produce more diverse fabric 
types.

During this time period, vast amounts of cotton fiber and fabrics was also 
imported from Egypt and comprised of canvas to fine dress weight fabrics 
(sorry no description or names of said fabric). however, the use of the 
fabric as clothing is quite extensive.

It is a myth that cotton was not used for clothing or wool was used more 
than cotton in some countries.  During the 12th through 15th centuries, 
cotton was used in the Mediterranean area for the same reasons why we use 
it... it is cooler than wool in the summer, it took some dyes better than 
linen, it allowed more diversity in fashion.  I would also note that during 
the 16th century, a severe dip in the weather caused a change in clothing 
that made it more important to wear wool and furs rather than cottons.

Clare St. John