Changes
{{Stars2}}
''Garment A Shift is the garment worn next to the skinunderneath the dress.''
==Shift Material==
===Linen===
|Discussion=
In Birka both types of shift, though the smooth but far more common commonly in the pleated shift, the neck hole was slit and fastened with a small round brooch or, more rarely, with a small penannular. The datable graves from Birka containing remnants of shifts show a trend where the smooth linen shift becomes less popular in the C10th (JBS) while the pleated shift becomes more so (HAGG [*Hagg 1986)].<br>
The datable graves from Birka containing remnants of shifts show an increase in the number of pleated shifts in the later stages of the site (JBS) [*Hagg 1986].<br>
}}
=== Smooth Linen ===
{{Guide1|4|Encouraged Saxon}}<br>
{{Guide2|2|Encouraged Viking|2|Optional Viking}}
{{Evidence
|Art
|Literature
|Archaeology=
* Birka, Sweden (C9th-10th) 28 of the 61 linen shifts found were classified as smooth [*Hagg 1986]<br>
|Discussion=
Hägg suggests that the shift was made from a single piece of linen with a central hole for the head, not dissimilar to a poncho. It appears that fragments from different parts of the garment were made of the same cloth, unlike some over-garments [*Hagg 1986].<br>
}}
===Pleated Linen===
{{Guide1|4|Allowable Saxon}}<br>
{{Guide2|2|Optional Viking|2|Encouraged Viking}}
{{Evidence
|Art
|Literature
|Archaeology=
* Birka, Sweden (C9th-10th) 33 of the 61 linen shifts found were classified as pleated [*Hagg 1986]<br>
|Discussion=
Although Hägg counts 33 pleated shifts from Birka, Geijer only lists five graves (BJ 517, 950, 980, 1062, 1084). [*Geijer 1938]
Where metal objects have preserved the cloth in different places along the body they show that this type of shift was pleated at the top (found in the oval brooches) and the waist (found on the links of a chain worn around the waist) and had many folds, but no pleats, further down the skirt (found on knives and scissors). Tools which according to the grave plan were near the arms, suggest this garment had long sleeves. The pleated shift probably had its origins in the Slavic area and was adopted in Birka between the ÄBS and the JBS [*Hagg 1986].<br>
The pleating was achieved by the plissé method. This is done by drawing the cloth together by a thread sewn in a running stitch through the cloth. Then the cloth was soaked and stretched. [*Owen-Crocker 2004: p.218] [*Geijer 1938: p.87-88]
<br>
}}
===Wool===
{{Guide1|4|Allowable}}<br>
{{Evidence
|Art
|Literature
|Archaeology
|Discussion
}}
==Style, Decoration and Fastnings==
===Sleevless===
{{Guide1|4|Allowable}}<br>
{{Evidence
|Art=
* Luna MS Cotton Bv f.47r
|Literature
|Archaeology=
* Birka, Sweden (----) 28 smooth linen shifts interpreted as not having sleeves [*Hagg 1986]
|Discussion=
Owen-Crocker discusses the garment worn by Luna in MS Cotton BV as an over dress. [*Owen-Crocker 2004: p.213] However it is possible that it is a shift that is depicted. Earlier dresses are tight to the sleeve and do not show emerging shifts at the wrist. For this kind of dress a sleeveless shift would work fine. <br>
Hägg suggests that the smooth linen shifts found in Birka were worn like a poncho, a simple length of linen with a hole in the centre for the head. This would imply they were sleeveless [*Hagg 1986].<br>
In a world where linen is relatively expensive but desirable for use as a washable under-garment, omitting the sleeves would seem like a sensible option.
}}
==References==
*[*Hagg 1986] Hagg, Inga. Die Tracht, in Birka II-3. 1986.
*[*Geijer 1938] Geijer, Agnes. Birka III - Die Textilfunde Aus den Grabern. 1938
*[*Owen-Crocker 2004] Owen-Crocker, Gale. Dress in Anglo-Saxon England. 2004
<HarvardReferences />
