Sleepwear
SLEEPING - SOCIALISING - BIRTHING - CONVALESCING - LINGERIE

What did the medieval woman wear to bed?

Generally it depended on the circumstance of her being in bed. Was she there to sleep, lure her mate into an evening of romantic activity, give birth or was she unwell and convalescing?

Sleeping

It seems that the usual thing for a woman to do when sleeping, was to sleep naked- naked except for some kind of head covering.

The latest medical thinking believed that much of the body's heat was lost through the head and that for the sake of one's health, the head should remain covered.

Most images show this. It might be a veil, head wrap, coif or even hairnet.

The image at the right comes from stained glass window and shows Tobias and Sara. They are both in bed, wearing nothing but a coifs, or in her case, perhaps a wrapped veil. Their little dog snuggles down on their bed, as we know some pets did.

Socialising

Wealthy medieval ladies often socialised in their bedrooms or solars, and when this occurred, a certain richness of dress would be retained. A lady might wish to remain warm on a very cold winter's day, but that's no reason to be any less elegantly dressed, especially if one was receiving visitors.

This French miniature, at left, is from the 13th century, "Queen Blanche of Castile With Attendants."

She herself is wearing a heraldic gown and so is the smaller woman to her side. Both have veils and coronets- a crown in the case of the queen.

The queen also wears a brooch, something not necessary for bedwear, showing that she has dressed in a manner suitable for receiving visitors.

There is a guest with a scroll in his hand casually leaning on the bed, hinting at a certain amount of familiarity with the queen. The musician at the foot of the bed also wears a coronet, although it is likely the two smaller people wearing coronets could be important guests. The similar heraldry hints that there may be a family connection.

Birthing

When images of a woman in bed giving birth or recently post-partum are shown, she is sometimes seen wearing a chemise or in regular clothes.

This image from the 13th century Maciejowski Bible shows a recent birth with the mother wearing a smock or chemise in bed.

Scenes depicting a newborn baby, freshly washed and wrapped in a towl and ready to be presented to the new mother, usually show the mother fully clothed, which hints that medieval mothers are incredibly quick to rise, attend to her post partum needs, dress and return to bed, ready to receive post-baby care.

In reality, the images are more likely to show a new mother well after the birth itself. For more information,visit the BIRTHS & BABIES page.

Convalescing in bed

Convalescing following illness or birth always show a woman completely dressed, often in loose-fitting clothes, but usually in her regular day clothes.

The image at right is dated at 1435, by Uccello, The Birth of the Virgin. She wears a loose, green gown, fitted at the wrist and has her head modestly wrapped in a cloth.

Women who were unwell were usually attended by other women, or in cases of extreme unwellness, by a physician. Sometimes special foods were recommended in health manuals, but no mention is made of special clothing to wear in bed.

Lingerie

No special lingerie was worn to bed during the medieval period that I am aware of. Certainly corsets were not worn in bed as sexy, night-time clothing. See the CORSETS page for more about corsets.

When in bed for the purpose of making babies, there is no clothing worn other than the hat or headscarf to keep the head warm and prevent sudden heat loss through the head due to the energetic activity taking place.

The concept of cute lingerie especially worn for wooing in the bedroom does not exist in the medieval period.

The manuscript image at right, shows the usual bedroom attire; both parties are naked and the head is covered on most people.

Notions that under every gown lies a sexy, laced leather corset or metal chastity belt are entirely wrong. It appears that even underpants were discarded at night.

For further, more information, visit SEX LIVES OF MEDIEVAL WOMEN or SEXUAL HEALTH FOR Sexual practices, stds, contraception and sexual health. Please note: adult themes on both of these pages.

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