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Children

Images of children from the period are scarce. Those available are mainly From wealthy families and tend to show dress of similar materials but simpler styles than the dress of their elders. Other children's clothes would have been mended and reniade, and commonly handed down. Teenage children would often have lived away from home as servants or apprentices, with their clothing supplied by the employer.

This chapter includes examples from different stages of childhood.

Maternity wear

Many common garments were loose enough to need little adaptation for pregnancy, for example an unshaped cote or a flared gown. Even the fitted kirtle could be hitched up, or worn with the lacing loosened, while the overkirtle might have

1.    1404, English

Young boy in ankle length buttoned gown, fitted, with a high collar and bag sleeves like an adult gown. Worn without a belt and with ankle shoes. (Brass to Sir Reginald Braybrook, Cobham church, Kent).

2.    c.1475, Flemish

Young girl at prayer in V-fronted gown of dark cloth, laced over a red stomacher or kirtle. The body is close-fitting to the hips and she wears no belt (The hemline is not visible in the original). The neckline is filled in with a fine kerchief. Fashionable tight sleeves with mitten cuffs. Her hair is loose, drawn back under a black frontlet, probably velvet, decorated with a jewel. (Detail from The Donnę Triptych, Hans Memling, National Gallery, London).

both side seams opened out with lacing (Fig 3), and the seams resewn later. The sleeveless surcote might also have served as a convenient outer garment during pregnancy, and would have hidden any loosened lacing of the garment beneath.

Babies

The medieval baby wore a shirt and a tail-clout (nappy), and was wrapped in a linen 'bed'. A linen coif (Fig 6) like those in Mens hats, Fig 5 might be worn. A tail-clout was a folded square of linen, often in diaper weave - a fancy weave with greater absorbency. Babies' shirts were open down the front to make them easier to put on. An example is shown in Fig 4.

The linen 'bed' (Fig 5), which was held in place with swaddling bands, covered the body and sometimes the head. Everything close to the baby would have been of washable white or unbleached linen, with a woollen shawl or blanket on top in cold weather.

Infanfs summer outfit 6a

Overkirtle for pregnancy

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