Norman Female Clothing

For information on materials, see the section on Male Clothing. Colours would generally by muted pastel tones:

• Broom - greens
• Woad - Blues
• Weld - yellow, or green if overdyed with woad
• Onion skin - pale yellows and oranges
• Madder - pinks, violets and light reds
• Oak - light and dark greys
• Walnut shells - browns
• Kermes (an insect) - bright reds - imported and hence expensive

Bright colours, particularly deep blues, reds and purples were difficult to manufacture and maintain, and so their general use would be restricted to the nobility. Lower social ranks with some wealth would have probably restricted their use to trims and ornamentation. Two colours were particularly difficult (and hence expensive) to produce and maintain - pure black and pure white.

Underwear

The jury is still out on this one. For obvious reasons, there are practically no period illustrations of womens underwear. We have seen references to positive evidence that underwear was not worn, but have yet to confirm this. Possibly no underwear was worn, possibly something similar to men's braies, or a simple breach cloth. In the abscence of firm evidence, there are two intuitive counter arguements:

• Men's braies (or similar) would be difficult to manage when wearing a full length dress and underdress (think toilet!).
• Some form of underclothing must have been worn by most women at least once a month.

Hose

Given the above issues with underwear, there are also unanswered questions relating to the wearing of hose. The Maciejowsi Bible (Paris, 1250) clearly shows women both wearing and not wearing hose (while ankles are not normally visible, hose can be seen though cutouts in shoes). Hose are either plain coloured, or have contrasting horizontal stripes. There are therefore the following possibilities:

• If no underwear was worn, hose would most probably have been knee length, tied below the knee with a garter or similar.
• If braies type underwear was worn, hose could have been full length, tied or pinned to the braies as male clothing.

Underdress or chemise

A loose fitting "T-shaped" ankle-length garment of lighter weight linen. The sleeves would be tapered to the wrist, and would often reach over the hand to the base of the thumb. The dress would be full to allow movement, or would have had gores (traingular inserts) at the sides. The neck would be relatively tight.

Dress

The basic dress of the lower classes varied little across our period. Similar in basic construction to a mans' tunic but reaching down to below the ankles (ankles, like hair, were kept covered for reasons of modesty!). Gores would have been used to allow mobility. The neck would have been fairly tight and closed with a pin or broach, but may have allowed the underdress to show. The basic dress would have been unfitted, given shape only by a belt or waist tie.

The general trend for early Norman nobility was for plain designs of rich fabric, relatively simply decorated. During the 12th century various fashions emerged for the nobility and the wealthy - more fitting body outlines, coupled with fuller skirts and longer sleeves (often to the ground, and tied to prevent trailing). Affluence was flaunted by using excessive amounts of material. These carried well into the 13th century - though the later trend was for more simplistic lines.

Some specific fashions of the period include:

• Bliaut. Most popular in the period 1140-1160, but worn well into 13th century, the blaiut was a dress cut to be more fitting to the figure. The bodice and skirt were made from separate pieces of material - giving a closely fitting bust with a low neckline revealing the underdress, long (often excessively long) loose sleeves, and a pleated skirt. The bodice was held in place by a girdle or decorative belt, or laced at the back or sides to give a close fit to the upper body. A men's version also existed, like a basic T-tunic but with a longer than knee length skirt pleated to the bodice, which was laced at the sides or back and and also had a low neckline showing the shirt underneath.
• Pelicon. A heavy fur lined overgarment (from the french pelice for fur), worn by both men and women, for winter warmth. Sleeveless with either deep armholes, or with wide sleeves. Worn over the dress or tunic, with their sleeves visible underneath. Length would generally be just below knee length.
• Surcoat. Fashioned after the military surcoat, a shorter sleeveless overdress, generally worn over a dress, or (to the consternation of the clergy) just over an underdress in summer. Mainly around the second quarter of the 13th Century.

Overdress

A rectangle of material with a neck hole, reaching at least to the waist, with no sleeves. Gives an effect rather like an apron or small poncho when held by the belt.

Belt

Belts would generally be thinmer than men's (10-15mm) in natural leather, or a strip of tablet weave or similar would been used.

Shoes

Women's shoes follow the same general patterns as men's. Until at least the 17th century, there was no difference in manufacture between "left" and "right" shoes. However, experience has shown that period turnshoes will tend to mould to the shape of the foot, giving a visble difference between the left and right foot.

Cloak

The same as men's clothing. Hoods were also worn.

Veil

All women of marrying age (twelve!) or over would have covered their hair. A woman's hair was equated with her virtue, and was not displayed in public. The veil or headrail was rectangular or oval. One edge hung over the forehead, concealing the hair; the rest falling in draperies around the face and neck, and often crossed over the front, thus encircling the face.

Two distinct styles of wearing the wimple appear to have been used in the period we portray:

• "Open" - fashionable from about the middle of the 12th century, left the front and sides of the neck visible. The hair was generally worn long and braided under the veil. A braid or some form of circlet held it in place, or it was pinned to the hair.
• Encircling the face and neck, probably pinned to the hair to retain shape, almost in the style of a modern arab headress.