When real men wore feathers

Ostrich feathers are often associated with glamorous women but this wasn’t always the case. In the sixteenth century, it was Europe’s men who spearheaded this trend. Now, a forgotten moment in fashion history has been brought back to life by the recreation of a lavish headdress worn by Matthäus Schwarz, a 24-year-old German fashionista in 1521. Led by historian, Professor Ulinka Rublack (St John’s College, University Cambridge), and Jenny Tiramani, Principal of London’s School of Historical Dress, the ambitious project sought to investigate how this complex object was made, but also how it behaved when worn and what role it played in advancing Schwarz’s ambitions during a period of dramatic cultural and economic change in Europe. The completed masterpiece measures more than a metre in width and 45 cm in height. It comprises a split-rim bonnet made of felt, satin and velvet; and the feather headdress itself, which sits on a light-weight wire frame. Thirty-two long ostrich feather