Sharply Dressed

Title: Jewels to die for

Subject: A new exhibition looks back to a time when men were dressed to kill

Web Address: http://www.economist.com/node/21556204

Date: 2 June 2012

Summary:

Swords were made to fight with, right? Wrong! In the Renaissance people, or should I say guys, started wearing swords as a fashion statement. The more elaborate the design, the more jewels it contained, the higher the men's status was. Basically it was the biggest jewel in his wardrobe. To make the sword more fabulous they thinned it down and made it a slim and long sword; the rapier. With these, men dueled and actually killed each other for usually not as romantic motifs as we imagine. Later this changed into first to draw blood instead first to kill, and later still guns took the place of rapiers. Dueling with rapiers became a sport, now known as fencing. An exhibition has opened for this sport in London.

For example; this belonged to a very, very posh man

Opinion:

Now, do not fool yourself in thinking these swords were only for show, the sword had been civilized, not pacified. Opposed to the clunky swords used in battle, these swords were designed to thrust, not slice. Dueling became a rage and thousands died of stab wounds each year. More than a century passed before duels would be formally ended with the first cut to draw blood. Like all fashion things, the rapiers too fell out of fashion. Now, men do not just walk around with swords or guns (at least, not in Europe) but I guess less people die of ill-fought duels now.