What to wear & what NOT to wear!
WHAT TO WEAR - HOW TO WEAR A VEIL - FOOTWEAR- WHAT NOT TO WEAR
Thanks to Hollywood, many people do not have an accurate picture of medieval clothing.
Have a look at the PEOPLE IN MEDIEVAL ART page for a look at what people you'd find at a market in the Middle Ages were wearing.
Those crushed velvet dresses with the batwing sleeves which lace up under the bust are all wrong. So are those wenchy corsets with the off-the-shoulder peasant tops. Deep purples, blacks and mauvy-pinks... all wrong.
Sumptuary Laws strictly prohibited the wearing or selling of purple cloth, limiting it to the Royal household and offenders are severly dealt with. Peasants wore unbleached or brown cloth, with blue for attending church or festivals. Middle class people were permitted more colours. Everyday people, traders and merchants dress in blues, greens, browns and yellows of brightly coloured wools and linens. The colour wheel at left shows colours naturally dyed on wool. There's an autumn shade from the palest cream and yellow to the richest brown and some nice blues! Some very nice shades of gold and reddish-browns can be had. Avoid bright oranges. More blues and greens of many shades are suitable also. Bare in mind colours shown here are viewed on a computer screen and may differ slightly in real life.
Men wore decorative hoods or felt hats and any good lady covered her hair. Wealthier persons might favour red, the most popular colour for hose and hoods.
Women of all classes covered their hair. Either with a veil or a hood or a wimple if they were more mature or widowed. Many women in cultures today still wear a veil, but back in the middle ages, all women did. Earrings were not generally worn, nor decorative necklaces. Crosses and signs of devotion were popular. Amulets to protect one from the Black Death were worn, along with Christian symbols or pilgrim badges. Rings were worn in great profusion, althought usually by the rich.
Pictured at right, Elizabeth, in an example of simple dressing which looks great. Her hair is covered with a wimple in green, she wears a plain white tunic with a green surcote over the top. Although not a part of her daily wardrobe, Elizabeth's merchant persona also wears a cross on a chain to denote her devotion to the church. Not only will it protect her from the Black Death, she will be less likely to be burnt at the stake as a heretic
WOMAN
- Basic T-tunic in solid, suitable colour.
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Small leather bag on belt.
- Small leather money pouch.
- Veil worn in a variety of ways.
- Slip on suede shoes.
MAN
- Basic shorter T-tunic in suitable solid colour.
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Small leather bag.
- Small leather money pouch.
- White linen coif. Could wear felt hat over it.
- Plain hood with cowl.
- Drawstring trousers.
- Could wear slip on suede shoes.
MIDDLE CLASS STALLHOLDER, TRADER & MERCHANT CLOTHING.WOMAN
- Basic front laced T-tunic in solid, suitable colour.
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Small leather bag slung across shoulder.
- Small leather money pouch.
- Slip on suede shoes.
- Hood with no buttons (closed with a brooch or pin)
MAN
- Long tunic with split up front (sleeves folded back at wrist).
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Small leather bag on belt.
- Small leather money pouch.
- White linen undershert.
- Lined hood with fancy daggueing (the bits hanging down).
- Fitted drawstring trousers or hose.WOMAN
- Laced cotehardie in solid, suitable colour.
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Long, white linen apron or cloth tucked into belt.
- Small leather bag on belt.
- Small leather money pouch.
- Lined linen hood (buttons up at front).
- Hair plaited & coiled, NOT left out.
- Slip on leather shoes.
- Woven basket & paternoster.
MAN
- Tunic with wide sleeves & Vee front.
- Long, thin belt looped down front.
- Small leather bag.
- Small leather money pouch.
- White linen undershert.
- Silk chaperon (padded roll hat).
- Fitted drawstring trousers or hose.
- Could wear knee length boots.
OTHER CLOTHING SUGGESTION FOR WOMEN.
WIDE SLEEVE TUNIC
If you really have your heart set on something feminine with big sleeves, this tunic is made following the basic T-tunic pattern on the patterns page. You may use a fabric with a geometric pattern (eg diamonds) woven into the fabric.
- Silken veil with metal circlet
- Wide sleeves (lined with contrasting fabric)
- Large skirt with extra triangular gores for fullness
- No lacing, pulls on over head
- Thin leather belt ot embroidered fabric belt
- Can have embroidery over sleeve seams
- Can have embroidered neckline, often very beautiful
- Can have celtic embroidery at neck
- Can have square, round or keyhole neckline
- Purses suspended from belt can be fabric and have tasselsLAYERS
Many clothing styles of the Middle Ages consisted of layers. Generally three- undergarment (called chemise or smock), underdress or cotehardie or kyrtle and outer dress or surcote.
Layers are an easy way to keep warm, change your look and add extra colour into your wardrobe. If your clothing is lined (make 2 exact tunics and sew them together) you would line with a different colour so that as you walk or hitch your dress up, there is a flash of another colour. Many medieval paintings show a coloured lining, but it is really is for those who want either more warmth or colour or to hide machine sewing. Stallholders need not line their clothes if they don't want to.
The design of your underdress should be the basic tunic or the laced cotehardie if you are a more experienced sewer. Your overdress or surcote can vary greatly.
Four basic styles are very popular.
- overtunic with wide sleeves
you need an underdress or long sleeve shirt with fitted sleeves to cover your arms, preferably in a contrasting colour. You may want to line the inside of your sleeves in another colour as well. (That's the brown one above)
- overtunic
showing at the sleeve and hem to show off your underdress.
- surcote-
a conservative overdress with a relatively high nechline, long dress and fairly regular sleeve holes
- sideless surcote- with deep cut armholes designed to really show off your underdress. Please note that the surcote is usually plain and protects the more elaborate and expensive cotehardie underneath. This is why the armholes are cut so largely. Who wants to spend all that money on a fabulous dress if it's entirely covered? The sideless surcote is also a very flattering line for larger ladies as the eye follows the inward curve and slims the wearer.PARTI-COLOUR CLOTHING.
A great way to brighten your look or appear more festive is by making parti-colour clothing. That is, one half of your garment in one colour, and the opposing side in another colour.
This was a very popular form of clothing for both men and women which can be seen on the People In Art page. Generally associated with entertainers or the "court jester", it could have been worn as festive wear for the middle classes on special occasions if you were wealthy enough to affort it.
The halves do not have to be plain either. Wide bands of horizontal striped fabric or textured weaves in geometrical shapes are great too. This one is for a noble lady and will have her coat of arms on one side when it is finished. It is made from the Tshirt method on the patterns page and still looks great! It was taken in to fit the bodice snugly and again at the lower arm.
Shoes and footwear
For a cheap footwear option which you can possibly re-use, how about some winter slippers or slip-ons? They are usually available for shops like Target, Big W and KMart at very reasonable prices. Sneakers, thongs and lace-up sports shoes are not suitable.
Veils can be made from fine lawns, linens or if you are wealthy, silk. A short veil with a circlet looks good on anyone. Ladies with long hair can wear a hairnet underneath. Your circlet could also be a padded roll or, becuase you're at a festival, could be made of flowers.
For those who like long veils, an over the shoulder veil will protect you from the sun on your forehead and chest. You can wear it over one shoulder or both. To stop it from slipping, you can wear a fabric circle underneath to pin it to, or wear a circlet over the top.
On a cold day, a veil wrapped and tucked around the neck is toasty warm and better than a scarf.
The twisted around the head look is quite practical and easy to achieve. using a long piece of fabric, put it over your forehead and bring it to the back of your neck. Twist each remaining part of the fabric and bring up over the top of your head. The ends tuck in to the other side. You might want to pin them there for added security.
For food vendors, a veil knotted at the back (bottom) keeps your hair out of the way and meets workplace health & safety requirements. To make this work, pull the veil around the front of your head and make two little "bunny ears" from the fabric which you tie together. The rest of the material is secured by the knot.
The finishing touches
Finishing touches makes a world of difference to the way you look. Try these!
- A long white apron
- A coif or skullcap (seen above)
- A hood for women or men or felt hat for men
- A surcote can be worn over the basic tunic for women
- A leather or linen pouch hanging from your belt
17th CENTURY WOMAN
Pictured at left, clothing from 1640-1670
This woman is a member of a re-enactment group and is dressed in historically accurate clothing, however she is dressed in 17th century clothes, the style of which is not suited to earlier events.
The medieval period is generally accepted as ending at 1485. These clothes are not for medieval events, no matter how great they are.These 2 dresses on the left are very beautiful, but they are not medieval. They are fantasy.
If you'd like one of these, they are available through Allgoods on Aerodrome Road at Maroochydore or Edward Street in Brisbane.
If you are a stallholder, you won't be wearing one of these.These 2 dresses on the left are also very beautiful, but they are not medieval. They are fantasy.
If you'd like one of these, they are available through Moon Star Magic, Mollison Street in the West End in Brisbane.
If you are a stallholder, you won't be wearing one of these either.
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