website shop blog tutorials noticeboard thegilbertcollection email

medieval clothes &
dress accessories


ABOUT CLOTHES
CLOTHES FROM ART - Interpreting artworks to make medieval clothes
SUMPTUARY LAWS - Clothing regulations for the classes
GLOSSARY - Glossary of clothing and personal adornment terms
CLOTHING CARE - Care, storage and laundering techniques.


items of clothing

COTES & TUNICS - What the early medieval women wore
KIRTLES - A look at the 14th century medieval dress
SURCOTES - The outer layers
HOUPPELANDES - The late medieval outer gown
15th CENTURY GOWNS - Burgundian gowns and late medieval gowns
MATERNITY WEAR - For the medieval mother-to-be
CLOAKS & MANTLES - The medieval cloak and mantle
CORSETS - What it probably is and what it isn't
UNDERWEAR - A lady's underclothes reveal'd
- CHEMISES - The chemise, shift or smock
- BRAS & BREAST COVERINGS - Bras & bust support
- UNDERPANTS - What did they wear 'down there'
- HOSE & GARTERS - Leg coverings and support
SLEEPWEAR - What to wear to bed


medieval
dress accessories

TIPPETS & LAPPETS - The arm accessories.
BELTS & GIRDLES - Belts and belt fittings
PURSES & BAGS - Purses, pouches, aumonieres, bags.
GLOVES - Gloves for women
APRONS - Types of medieval aprons
HEADWEAR - Types of headwear
- COIFS
- CROWNS & CIRCLETS
- HEAD-DRESSES - Templars, cauls, hennins, crowns coronets, and more
- HATS & HENNINS
- VEILS & WIMPLES - What it is and why to wear one
- HOODS - The buttoned-up hood
FOOTWEAR - 14th century shoes, slippers and sandles
JEWELLERY Medieval jewellery and gemstone meanings.
- BROOCHES - Brooches and pilgrim badges.
- RINGS - Women's finger rings
- NECKLACES - Necklaces, pendants and collars
- PATERNOSTERS & ROSARIES
- RELIQUARIES - For your holy relics.


fabrics &
sewing techniques

SEWING TOOLS
SEWING TECHNIQUES - Stitches, seams, eyelets etc
COMMERCIAL PATTERNS & WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
DYES and COLOURS - Dyestuffs, dying, colour names.
FABRIC, FUR & LEATHER NAMES
EMBELLISHMENTS & EMBROIDERY - Spangles, pressed metal, jeweled bands and embroidery
BUTTONS and LACINGS
LINEN IN THE 14TH CENTURY - A compliation of notes from shared sources.

beauty, health & hygiene

SKINCARE - For the beautiful woman
COSMETICS - Makeup in the Middle Ages
HAIR STYLES - Styling of the hair
BODY HAIR - body hair, eyebrows. adult themes
CLEANLINESS - Bathing, perfuming, soap and hygiene
HAIR CARE - Care, treatments and hair colouring
ORAL CARE & DENTISTRY
FEMININE HYGIENE - Menstruation adult themes
GENERAL HEALTHCARE - Dieting and other things.




a medieval woman's life.

AT HOME - What the medieval woman did at home
- NOBLE WOMEN
- TOWNSWOMEN & MERCHANT WOMEN
- RURAL & PEASANT WOMEN
BIRTHS - A look at the practices surrounding childbirth
WEDDINGS - Medieval wedding celebrations
DIVORCES - The rights of the divorcing woman
DEATHS - Funerals and death practices
MANNERS - Manners at table and in society
COOKING - Cooking, cook books and kitchen tools
CLEANING - Keeping the house clean
SHOPPING - Shopping opportunities for medieval women
GARDENING - Medieval women and their gardens
LIVESTOCK & POULTRY CARE - caring for chickens, sheep and cows
EDUCATION - Opportunities for women
EMPLOYMENT - Where women worked
RECREATION - Hobbies, pets and passtimes
- HOLIDAYS & FEAST DAYS - When and how to celebrate holidays and feast days
- BOARD GAMES - Chess, merrils, tric-trac and other board games
- MUSIC - Making music
- EMBROIDERY - Fine embroidery and needlework
- PET KEEPING - What kind of pet did the medieval woman have?
- READING - Books for instruction and pleasure
- DANCING - Who dances and when?
- HORSE RIDING - Riding for pleasure
- HAWKING - Hawking and falconing for the medieval woman
- HUNTING - Hunting with bows and arrows
SEX & SEXUAL HEALTH - Sex, contraception and sexual health adult themes

 

 

basic clothing patterns
and How-To-Make tutorials


EASY CHEATY T- TUNIC TUTORIAL - a basic cheaty medieval gown.
EASY T-TUNIC TUTORAL - Mostly historically accurate and easy to upgrade in the future.
EASY 13TH CENTURY TUNIC TUTORIAL - overgown with short, wide sleeves.
EASY WIDE-SLEEVE GOWN TUTORIAL - overgown with really big sleeves.
BASIC EASY LACED GOWN TUTORIAL - a basic gown with front lacing.
KIRTLE OR GOWN TUTORIAL - a medieval dress with buttons.
LADIES HOSE TUTORIAL - hose based on the London hose pattern.
EASY HOOD TUTORIAL - an early medieval hood.
HOOD WITH SHOULDER GORES TUTORIAL - How to make a 14th or 15th century hood.
BASIC SURCOTE TUTORIAL - a surcote with 4 seams.
SIDELESS SURCOTE TUTORIAL - a sideless surcote with gores.
NOBLE LADY SIDELESS SURCOTE TUTORIAL - a noblewoman's sideless surcote.
BARBETTE & FILLET - an early 14th century barbette
FILLET - PLAIN, TO PIN A VEIL ONTO - under construction
FILLET- FRILLED, FOR USE WITH BARBETTE - Manesse Codex-style fillet.
FILLET- PLEATED, FOR USE WITH BARBETTE - under construction
FILLET - SILK WITH DECORATION - How to make a fancy silk circlet - under construction

 

finishing techniques tutorials

EYELET MAKING TUTORIAL - How to make eyelets
BUTTONHOLE MAKING TUTORIAL - How to make buttonholes
CLOTH BUTTON MAKING TUTORIAL - How to make buttons to match your clothes
LUCET CORD TUTORIAL - Making lacing cord for your gown
TASSEL MAKING TUTORIAL - How to make tassels


other How-To-Make tutorials

MAKE FAKE BRAIDS - for 14th century hairstyles
FALSE HAIRPIECE TUTORIAL - PLAITED BUNS - 14th century over-the-ears style
MAKE A MEDIEVAL CHEST - non-historical methods & tools
MAKE A MEDIEVAL STOOL OR POT STAND - non historical methods & tools


sewing galleries

Things I have sewn for myself and others for re-enactment.
MY CLOTHES - Gowns and hose.
DRESS ACCESSORIES - Pouches, shoes, belts etc.
HEADWEAR - Hoods, veils and wimples.
SEWING FOR OTHERS

my medieval
tailor's workshop

An interactive display of 14th and 15th century sewing implements found in a Tailor's workshop, including reproductions of thimbles, scissors and shears, fabric samples, hand dyed Italian wool samples, hand made buttons and clothing samples showing sewing techniques.

my medieval
bathhouse & lady's chamber

A display of 14th century ladies bedroom- her bad & curtains, table with beauty items and her very own bath with curtains. This features hand-made items as seen in medieval manuscripts. Work in progress. Also includes
TROTULA'S HAIR POWDER

 

my medieval herb garden

My herb garden with medieval herbs and flowers! A new project for 2020. Modern methods and medieval plants and flowers and what they're good for and what I'm using them for.

talks, presentations & workshops



noticeboard
Calendar of events and recent website updates


medieval paper dolls
free downloadable pdf files


FREE Cut & colour paper dolls.
- Male & female
- 13th, 14th and 15th century people
- Spare clothes to mix and match

colour-me-in medieval people
free downloadable pdf files


FREE Colour-Me-In Medieval people.
- Male & female
- 13th, 14th and 15th century people and couples

about medieval me

10 FAQs, my re-enactment life & living history impressions, and my medieval bio.

shopping links
Support your local craftsmen in Australia by buying their hand crafted goods. Buying wool worldwide.

useful links
Links to museums and other places I've found extremely helpful.

bibliography & reading resources
My bibliography of books used for research.
Sorted into useful categories.

shop
I've published some books and sometimes there are other items for sale too. You can find them here in my online shop.


Find me on social media:

 

 


Copyright © Rosalie Gilbert
All text & photographs within this site are the property of Rosalie Gilbert unless stated.
Art & artifact images remain the property of the owner.
Images and text may not be copied and used without permission.