The purpose of this brief costume guide is to assist those who would
like to dress up in C13th style costume when participating in the 750th
Anniversary of the Battle of Chesterfield.
It is not exhaustive (nor a guide to producing truly authentic clothing and
kit) - but is intended to give you a basic idea of what you could wear. We do
hope that you will be inspired and wish to have a go!
The simplest idea is to make
a tabard – a square of cloth with a hole cut in the middle for your head. Put
on some plain trousers or leggings, tie a cord or a belt round your middle and
there you go!
If you want to try something a little more detailed, read on…
Colours and cloth
Bright colours e.g. reds, blues, yellows, whites and greens are fine, indeed
encouraged.
Unlike as usually shown in films and TV, many medieval people loved to
wear bright colours, and had the dyes to do so. And without any modern sense of
colour coordination, you can “mix and match” quite crazily if wished. Any shade
of brown or grey is fine, but avoid black or purple, rarely worn by ordinary
people.
Illustrations
The pictures at the end of this guide are from the illuminated medieval
manuscripts The Creation and The Story of David, both produced
during the C13th, and photos of re-enactors.
2. Women’s clothing
This can be very simple but still look great!
Wear a plain coloured, long sleeved, loose fitting floor length dress
preferably not in a thin material (e.g. cotton). It should be round necked.
Gather the dress at the waist with a thin, long leather belt or cord, a length
looped so it dangles fashionably down the front of the dress to below the knee.
As the dress is so long you can wear pretty much whatever you want on
your feet, but try to avoid trainers, as they’ll poke out when you walk and
people will notice! Plain shoes or ankle-length boots are far better.
A simple white shift was worn underneath, basically the same design.
Girls and unmarried women simply braided their hair in a long ponytail
down their backs, often using a thin leather or silk cord.
However, head/hair coverings were always worn by married women, so for
this look, use a simple plain piece of cloth, preferably white. Wrap it around
your head to cover it, then under your chin and round the top of the head again
so only your face shows. If you wish you can pin on a second simple white cloth
on top of (or instead of) this, draped over the head and down to the shoulders
(see photos).
Ladies often wore small leather purses on their waist belts, so
something like this would look good…try to avoid big modern handbags though!
Nuns
Nuns wore off white, grey or brown tunics (effectively long dresses, as
above) with woollen belts under a "scapula," a plain work apron. They
concealed their (cropped) hair beneath coifs/ hair covering concealing the neck
and cheeks. A wooden cross was worn on a thong or thin piece of rope.
3. Men’s clothing
Tunic and shirt: A simple long sleeved, open & round necked tunic
can be worn to well below the knee, originally wool or linen, so ideally try
using some sort of “thickish” material rather than modern cotton. Underneath
this a simple off white shirt (without collar) of the same basic shape was
worn.
Gather the tunic at the waist with a thin leather belt or piece of cord.
You don’t need a hat but you can make a “coif”, a simple cloth skull cap
a bit like a flying helmet, covering the head (& down the back of the neck)
and tied under the neck.
Sometimes men wore simple straw hats (but if you do, make sure it isn’t
of an obviously modern design).
A plain cloak can be worn over the top.
Monks
For a basic outfit wear a long brown, black, grey or off white tunic (as
per an ordinary man’s clothing) to below the knee, with or without hood. Belt
the tunic at the waist with a piece of rope. You can wear hose to match. (See
Men’s clothing above).
Wear simple sandals (or “slip on” leather shoes). Wear a medium sized
(approx. 4” long) wooden cross round your neck on a thong or thin piece of
rope.
Ideally wear an off white “coif”, a cloth covering the head (to the back
of the neck) and tied under the neck.
6. Children
Children can basically wear mini versions of adult outfits above. But of
course nobody minds them dressing up as fairy tale princesses, or knights or
soldiers. Taking part is about them having fun!
8. More information
Materials and shapes:
Ideally, linen and wool are the best materials for recreating
13th century clothing.
Remember that medieval people expressed their wealth through
copious amounts of fabric and bright, often contrasting, colours. The patterns
for both men and women’s clothing were often not complicated, just a rectangle
for the front and back of the body with tubes for the arms and triangular
sections, often with “gores” (triangular pieces of fabric added to seams or
slashes to add extra “body”)…all this would help the garment to hang nicely and
create a very authentic looking costume.
On the web…
The best online source for men and women’s clothing in
the mid-13th century
You might also wish to have a look at:
A simple pattern:
How to make a monk’s robe: http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_8724664_make-monks-habit.html
Pictures to follow... when we've worked out how to load them here! (2015 11 26)
If you're really keen to see the pictures, email us - info@chesterfield750.co.uk
This guide was compiled from information produced for the 750th
Anniversary of the battle of Evesham, and we are grateful for permission to use
it.
Costume guide by courtesy of
EventPlan Limited www.eventplan.co.uk
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