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Women's cloth head-dresses and hoods

This section includes the plain veil and hoods worn over the kerchief (Figs 1, 2), round hoods -the less formal wear of fashionable women (Fig 3), and some late 15th century styles (Fig 4).

Throughout the period many women wore a thick veil of dark cloth over the kerchief out of doors. The veil was roughly semi-circular with the straight edge framing the face (Fig 1; Surcotes, Fig 1). It is still worn today by some nuns.

In the 14th and 15th centuries working women wore hoods as protection against the weather. They were open at the front (Fig 2; Kirtles, Fig 1). Women did not wear closed hoods or chaperons, and their hoods were not normally decorated with dagging.

A looser, fuller form, here called a 'round' hood, could be seen about the mid 15th century (Fig 3), worn by women of higher status. Towards the end of the century morę elaborate versions appeared (Fig 4; Gowns, Fig 23). These replaced the spectacular head-dresses of the mid 15th century (see Fashionable head-dresses), and culminated in the early Tudor gable hood.

Ali these hoods were pinned on over a linen head-dress comprising a fillet, kerchief and perhaps a wimple. The hair, always long, was worn in a bun at the crown of the head, which supported the hood shape.

Materials

Ali these styles of veil and hood would be madę of woollen cloth, thick enough for warmth but not too heavy. Some of the later fashionable forms (Fig 4) might be of velvet and could include fur.

The open hood might be madę in brighter colours, but the cloth veil was typically black, dark grey or biue. The round hood and its later forms were usually black.

The front edge of some styles can be stiffened with a strip of canvas interlining, and the outer materiał doubled over it. Ali styles can be unlined or lined, possibly in white or a contrasting colour of silk (Methods, p. 50, 51; PI 1).

Women’s cloth head-dresses and hoods

CB

1. Cloth veil, 1200 onwards

a.    Plain style. Seen on widows and older women, it is madę in dark cloth. The inner linen kerchief and separate wimple are visible beneath; the veil is secured to these to keep it in place.

b.    Pattern. The yeil^ould be a simple rectangle, but most have a cun/ed outer edge as shown. Plan the straight face edge 80-100 cm across, and the back as a deep half-circle to give plenty of length (fine broken linę). Here it is 60 cm deep. The face edge is extended by 10 cm and folded under, to the balance marks, to form a firmer band.

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