Cynthia Virtue wrote:
Claire Clarke wrote:
This seems a little curious, given that this was the start of the
Little Ice Age, but then again, if one is wearing a houppelande why
would one need anything else? So my question to the list is - am I
missing something
here? Can anyone point me to some examples of 15th century outerwear?
I believe that the houppelande/gown is exactly what you are looking for:
outerwear. Heavier in the winter, lighter in the summer. Under that
the kirtle and shift would be the indoor wear when you are warm enough
or feeling informal.
I was about to post just that, and then saw Cynthia got there first!
Remember also that the houppelande (or equivalent gown) was frequently
fur-lined.
By the 1440s or so, the shape of the overdress changed, so the houppelande is
gradually replaced by various V-necked overdress versions, again typically
fur-linedd. When you see women outside in these, they are often wearing hoods.
There are even some nice 15th-century genre scenes of people having snowball
fights wearing overgowns and hoods.
--Robin
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