Anonymous: Trachtenbuch (1520-1560)


(The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig, Germany)

A set of drawings made by various German artists. These drawings come from the Klaidungsbüchlein or Trachtenbuch (= " Book of Clothes"), the first real first fashion book. This book was written by the German wine merchant Matthäus Schwarz (1497 - 1574). Matthäus Schwarz was fascinated by clothing and spent a large part of his income on clothes. He documented his appearance and outfits throughout his adult life with drawings made by various artists, adding a small comment to each picture. This book records all his major outfits worn from his birth (backdated) until the funeral of his last boss, Anton Fugger, in 1560. Matthäus also added two pictures of him naked at the age of 29 1/3, 8 days, complaining that he had become 'fat and large'. Shown here are the following drawings (from left to right):

Top row:
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 24 – In February 1521, in a gathering at Steffan Veiten’s wedding or rather the after-wedding – it was not from silk
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 21 and 2/3 years – In June 1518, when I wanted to learn fencing. The doublet was silk satin from Bruges
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 21 and 1/2 – In August 1518, in this manner, the hose was trimmed with silk satin. At this time, I greatly enjoyed archery
- Matthäus Schwarz – Aged 19 years, 7 months, 10 days – On October 2nd, 1516, this was my first outfit back in German-style in Augsburg, when I wanted to become a huntsman

Bottom row:
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 41 years – On 20th February 1538, When I decided to take a wife, the gown was made with green trims of half silk
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 33 years, 4 months, 10 days – On 1530, to please King Ferdinand during the Imperial Diet, when Emperor Carolus (= holy roman emperor Charles V) was here
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 28 – 30th July 1525, in Innsbruck, at Laux Schaller’s wedding in Schwaz in August. The bonnet is embroidered with velvet. This was when I began to be fat and round.
- Matthäus Schwarz Aged 48 years, 29 weeks – On 12 August 1545, this was my armour when we were inspected, around 4,500 [men]… on foot and 500 on horses, who stood in the field near the gallows for 1/4 hours, 71 people in one rank in this colour.

book from 1520-1560.