What Not to Wear in the 14th Century
by Amanda Forester
One of the most interesting, or at least the most time consuming,
aspects of writing historical fiction is conducting all the research. Clothing is one of the biggest questions I
need to figure out before my characters can step forth on their journey. In my newest release, The Highlander's Heart,
the heroine is an English countess. The
date is 1355. The question: what would
she wear?
In the first scene Isabelle (Countess of Tynsdale) is separated, or I
should say separates herself, from her traveling companions (and the guards who
are taking her back to be killed). As I
wrote the scene I had to try to picture what she might be wearing. We're in medieval England, so obviously she
will be wearing some sort of gown, but what fabric?
Sumptuary laws can be a help. In
the 14th century, the rise of a prosperous merchant class became a bother for
the nobility. The upstart commoners were
gaining as much wealth as the established aristocracy and could start dressing
the part (oh, the horror). Can you
imagine the daughter of a merchant wearing a similar gown as the daughter of an
earl? Certainly not! Sumptuary laws strictly governed what people
of different classes could wear so the privilege and rank of the aristocracy
could be maintained, and the prosperous bourgeoisie could be kept in their
place. In particular, women were not to
wear clothing above the rank of their fathers or husbands. Certain fabrics, such as velvet, silk,
ermine, or sable fur were prohibited to "commoners". Since my heroine is a countess, it would be
likely her clothing would reflect her rank, thus I dressed her in a rich wine-colored
velvet.
But wait, I am getting ahead of myself.
What about underclothes? Under
her gown, a medieval lady would have worn a linen or silk chemise, which was a
loose fitting smock-like dress. She
would have worn hose, though usually only to the knee, and leather shoes, which
in the 14th century would have had a pointed toe. These shoes were generally for castle use; if
going outdoors, one would put on wooden patens to avoid getting wet feet.
Over the chemise, a lady would wear her gown called a kirtle. In the 14th century, the previous fashion of
straight seams and draped garments were giving way to curved seams and more
careful tailoring. Since Lady Isabelle
is noble, I expect her clothes would have had the benefit of time and money, so
likley her gown would have fit her quite well.
Since she would have had ladies to dress her, she would probably have
been laced into her gown in a way not possible if you were dressing
yourself. Her sleeves would have been
form fitting and long, perhaps to her knuckles.
These long sleeves would have been laced or buttoned in place. The neckline of this era was becoming wider
and lower, and may even have revealed a little cleavage.
Over the kirtle, a medieval lady may have worn a variety of different
kinds of overgowns. Some may have had
loose fitting sleeves, while others were sleeveless (called surcoats), which
may have been worn loose or laced. Later in the 14th century, surcoats became
shorter, ending at the waistline, and were often form fitting to reveal a small
waist. A belt was commonly worn, hanging
low on the hips. These belts, or
girdles, could be quite ornate. Sumptuary
laws forbade commoners from wearing a silver girdle, so clearly the nobility
were using their belts to show their rank.
These belt could be quite fine and even encrusted with jewels.
On her head a lady would wear some sort of covering. Being married, Isabelle's veil would be more
modest, possibly including a gorget, which wrapped around the chin and covered
the neck. Being a lady, she would most
likely wear a veil made of silk.
Unfortunately for Isabelle, she loses her veil during her escape, and so
when she meets the hero, Laird David Campbell, he assumes she is not of high
social standing or moral character. No
true lady would be traveling alone with her hair flowing loose. Thus begins the story of David and Isabelle!
I have always loved the long flowing gowns and rich colors
and fabrics of medieval times. What
would you have enjoyed wearing if you were living in the 14th century? Comment on the blog for a chance to win a
copy of THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART. (US & CANADA ONLY)
THE HIGHLANDER'S
HEART
Lady Isabelle escapes her murderous English husband only to
be abducted by a Highland warrior and held for ransom. Her determination
to break free from captivity is exceeded only by the passion growing between
her and the Highland Laird. David Campbell plans to hold Isabelle for
ransom as an easy way to line his pockets and return her back where she
belongs, but he is unprepared for a feisty English lass with a penchant for
finding trouble. Caught between rival clans bent on claiming the throne
of Scotland, Campbell must choose a side, and a bride. Standing on the
brink of war, Isabelle may be his only hope to save his clan, and his heart
