A kirtle (sometimes called cotte, cotehardie) is a garment that was worn by men and women in the Middle Ages. It eventually became a one-piece garment worn by women from the late Middle Ages into the Baroque period.
In this post
What was a kirtle in Tudor times?
The kirtle was a garment that supported the bust and created the correct silhouette for the period. It was worn over the petticoat, and from the 1540s onwards, over the farthingale. It seems that the kirtle bodice was stiffened in some way, usually with buckram.
What is the purpose of a kirtle?
The kirtle had one of two primary purposes- those intended to be worn over a smock with no other outer garment and those intended to be worn underneath a form-fitting outer gown or a surcote. Most of these were cut with a wide, low neckline.
What is a kirtle?
Definition of kirtle
1 : a long gown or dress worn by women. 2 : a tunic or coat worn by men especially in the Middle Ages.
How many yards is a kirtle?
Kirtle: 3 to 4 yards of lightweight worsted wool. ½ to 3/4 yards of linen canvas for interlining. ½ to 3/4 yards of light weight linen for lining.
What goes under a kirtle?
surcoat
It eventually became a one-piece garment worn by women from the late Middle Ages into the Baroque period. The kirtle was typically worn over a chemise or smock, which acted as a slip, and under the formal outer garment or gown/surcoat.
What is the difference between a kirtle and a Cotehardie?
A cotehardie is not a kirtle or a surcote. A kirtle is the layer over the underwear, and a surcote rarely has bicep-length sleeves (usually the sleeves are wrist length, fore-arm length, elbow length with integrated tippets, or sleeveless). The term “cotehardie” does not cover all dresses of the 14th century.
How do you wear a kirtle?
You can wear it on its own under the middle dress, or together with a shift with sleeves. The kirtle or middle dress is the next layer, often in wool, but also in silk, cotton, velvet or mixes of materials. You can wear this in public, and during the 15th c, it is often tight fitted.
What is a kirtle made of?
Kirtles were probably most often made of wool. The other option is linen, which was more often used as fabric for undergarments.
What is an Elizabethan kirtle?
The kirtle was the basic woman’s dress of the 16th century. It can be used for all classes, depending on ornamentation and the garments layered over it. The bodice of the kirtle has a low, square neck. The back neck is also square, and dips to 3” below the nape of the neck. The waistline is slightly pointed in front.
What were Surcoats made of?
A surcoat is a long loose outer garment put on over the head, commonly worn in the medieval period. This model of a medieval surcoat has sleeves which can be tossed to the back. We make this garment of wool with a linen lining. In general, a surcoat should be a little bit shorter than a cotte.
What does a stomacher look like?
A decorated triangular-shaped panel that fills in the front opening of a women’s gown or bodice during the late 15th century to the late 18th century.
What is a Tudor doublet?
16th century
Through the Tudor period, fashionable doublets remained close-fitting with baggy sleeves, and elaborate surface decoration such as pinks (patterns of small cuts in the fabric), slashes, embroidery, and applied braid.
How do you make a Tudor costume for school?
The Tudors
To look like a traditional Tudor boy, simply start with long football socks tucked over three-quarter or full length trousers with a collarless ‘Grandad’ style shirt and waistcoat for the top half. Add a dark coloured hat with floppy wide brim.
How much fabric do you need for a Tudor gown?
The French gowns of both Mary Tudor and Elizabeth Tudor took about 8 equivalent yards of 45-inch-wide fabric Notice that the main difference between a French kirtle and a French gown was the addition of sleeves.
What is a Cote Hardie?
: a long-sleeved medieval garment that was usually thigh-length and belted for men and full-length for women and that was made to fit closely often by buttoning or lacing.
What were Tudor kirtles made of?
As the book discusses, in the 16th century kirtles would be made from wool (for all classes) or silk (the upper classes only). Fabrics that blended variations of wools, silks, and linens did exist, and for a great list of all those available fabrics, see the Tudor Tailor book.
What is a medieval dress called?
Women’s clothing consisted of an undertunic called a chemise, chainse or smock. This was usually made of linen. Over the chemise, women wore one or more ankle-to-floor length tunics (also called gowns or kirtles).
How did people dress in medieval Scotland?
What Medieval Scots Wore 13th century Scotsmen wore clothing that resembled what most northern and western Europeans wore in that period. Both men and women wore tunics (in Gaelic, a leine), a long, loose-fitting shirt that reached down to about the knee for men and about the ankle for women.
What type of clothing is a mantle?
mantle, cloak fashioned from a rectangular piece of cloth, usually sleeveless, of varying width and length, wrapped loosely around the body. Usually worn as an outer garment in the ancient Mediterranean world, it developed in different styles, colours, and materials.