83551 tmta2

Men's hoods

This section covers the hood, and its derivatives - the bag-hat and the chaperon.

By 1200 the basie hood was already seen on shepherds and other outdoor workers. It was a pull-on, caped garment with a slightly extended peak at the back of the head (Figs la, c). By 1300 many men wore one (PI 5) and for most of the 14th century a hood was a common part of a man's outfit. It was often worn as a cape, with the head section thrown back and pulled up as needed (Fig lb). The cape of a fashionable hood might have a dagged edge, with the peak extended into a long taił, the liripipe (Cotehardies, Figs 1, 2). Tight-fitting hoods had a short buttoned opening under the chin.

Around 1400 new ways of wearing the hood were found (Fig ld), and it began to be worn as a hat (Fig 4). Other new styles emerged, including the bag-hat (Fig 5), see Gowns, Fig 2; PI 18. A prominent example of the trans-formation was the chaperon (Fig 6; Pis 12, 19), which appeared about the 1420s. This is also seen carried, slung over the shoulder by the liripipe, sometimes by a man already wearing a hat.

By the mid 15th century the hood is seen only occasionally, on shepherds or travellers. About this time the chaperon too went out of fashion and hats became usual, with a few bag-hats persisting towards the end of the century.

How you wear a hood is as important as its shape, so it is useful to practise, especially with the wrapped types.

Materials

Like other outer clothing, hoods were most often madę of woollen cloth. Sheepskin (with the fur outside to shed the rain) would have been worn for outdoor work. Lining is optional but will add warinth and can provide contrast when the face edge is rolled back round the head. Smarter hoods were lined with fine fur. Some hoods have smali cloth buttons (Methods, Fig 19-21), but many hoods have no fastenings.

Men’s hoods

1. Basic hood, 13th and 14th century

a.    This simpie shape was already in use by 1200 and became common by 1300.

b.    The same style was worn on the shoulders through much of the 14th century and pulled up as needed.

c.    The hood can be tensioned round the chin by pulling the face edge back over the head.

d.    Hood worn like a hat, 14th century.

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