60156 tmta!9

Aprons

Aprons were worn to protect the outer clothing from dirt and damage, and their form dcpended on the task (Fig 4). A blacksmith wore a leather apron with a bib, while a mason or carpenter wore a short, wide cloth apron. A cook might tie a length of linen round his waist to wipe his hands on.

Women's aprons (Fig 5) were often pleated into a waistband.

4. Men's aprons

These were strictly functional.

a.    Cook. The apron would be a piece of linen. hemmed for washing and tucked into the belt. A larger piece could be used, wrapped round the body and tied at the back.

b.    Smith's apron, madę from a smali hide with neck and waist strings sewn on. Similar one-piece bibbed aprons were madę of fabric, and waist aprons set plain into a band were also worn.

5. Women's aprons

Women also wore protective aprons, but they tended to be morę decorative. These are both rectangles of linen, about 75 cm wide and up to 100 cm long, hemmed round the edges.

The waist bands are folded double with all raw edges turned in. and oversewn to enclose the top edge (Methods, Fig 9).

The decorated band, seen in the 14th century, might be worked through the pleats to keep them in place, or it might be a separate piece.

Jewellery

This ranged from items richly worked with gems and enamel, to brooches and finger rings in pewter or bronze. Replica brooches and pilgrim badges are available from traders. Earrings and body piercings should not be visible.

Men of status wore gold or silver neck chains, often incorporating heraldic or livery badges (Gowns, Fig 16); morę modest versions were worn by persons of lesser rank. In the 15th century women's necks became an area of display - for necklaces of beads and goldsmith's work (Gowns, Fig 23a). Modern beads and second band jewellery can be used to make replicas, but choose 'gems' which are rounded or pebble-like; faceted gems were a later development.

Rosaries were sometimes carried in the 15th century (Gowns, Fig 17). These were often a strand rather than a loop, with 20 to 50 smali beads separated into tens by larger beads (decades): the beads could be wood, glass, or coral and silver, according to status.

219