Men's Fashions in the First Part of the 14th Century by Rosemary Morris

 

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Men’s Fashion in the First Part of the 14^th Century

Fabrics

I enjoy dressing my characters, rich and poor, in clothes made in a wide variety of fabrics. Poor people dressed in homespun, wore cogware - a common, coarse cloth that resembled frieze - a napped rough cloth, fustian a coarse twilled cotton or wool cloth, and other cheap materials. The descriptions and names of brightly coloured fabrics worn by those who could afford them triggers my imagination of wealthy characters dressed in sumptuous material. For example, biss or bissyn - fine linen, chaisel - fine linen for smocks, branched velvet - figured velvet, powdered, cloth sprinkled over, e.g., blue damask powdered with gold leopards and crowns. samite - very rich silk frequently interwoven with gold thread, and satin fugre - figured satin.

Tunics and Gipons

At the beginning of the century men wore short tunics. Some ended at the hip and revealed the lower part of linen braies (underwear). Braies fitted loosely with a belt or cord through the fabric at the waist to fasten them. Sometimes they were tied by a cord at the knees.

Until the first part of the century, when fashion gradually changed men wore short, shapeless tunics, with a girdle at the waist. In 1331 the gipon, worn over a linen shirt, was shaped slightly at the waist, and fitted close to the body.

Cote Hardie

The cote-hardie slowly replaced the super-tunic aka surcoat worn in the 13^th century. The cote-hardie, worn over the gipon, had a low neck and tight fit. It fastened from the top to the waist with laces or buttons and had a full skirt open to the knees. Loose cote-hardies worn by poor people were usually pulled over the head. Its ankle or knee length skirt was slit up the front to the girdle at the waist.

Cloaks and Capes

Long, circular cloaks, the gentry’s lined with expensive silk, fastened at centre front or on the shoulder. Mid-length capes, some with attached hoods, buttoned down the front. I imagine these garments swirling with each movement, or wrapped tight during rain, wind and cold.

Foot Ware

Hose and stockings either ended below the knee joint or at the thigh. They fastened with garters below the knee. Some hose had a thin leather sole and were worn without shoes or boots. Hose was not always the same colour as the tunic or cote-hardie, and the legs might be different colours.  Socks, pulled up to a little below the calf, often had circular, coloured bands e.g., scarlet and yellow. Shoes were well-shaped and laced on the inner or outer sides. Some resembled a slipper, fastened with a strap and buckle around the ankles. Shoes embellished with embroidery or punched patterns, diamonds, circles, and squares etc were worn by the upper classes. Boots long and short were worn for riding or walking.

Hoods, Hats and Gloves. Hoods were usually made of cloth and lined with the same material, fur or, rarely, with taffeta. Liripipes introduced in 1330 hung from the hood on the right or left or down the back. Hats had a round or domed crown with the brim turned up at the front and back creating a point that jutted forward. Everyone wore or carried gloves with wide cuffs. The nobilities’ gloves were embroidered.

 

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