12th Century Clothing

A late 12th century Norman woman's outfit, with instructio ns for making the gown.

Tunics for Steppe nomads are not well represente d in the archaeolog ical record. This article provides theories on tunics for men and a pattern based on extant examples and illustrati ons.

The second part of the 12th century celebrated the bliaut at is best – here the look is far more slender, with a slim waist emphasized by the more fitted style of the dress, careful girdle arrangemen t and, of course, those sleeves.

A pattern for a bliaut.

Website features informatio n on 12th century clothing and accesories . In persona, I am a lady in the court of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Includes illustrati ons and artwork showing different styles of bliauts, as well as the author&#39 ;s own bliaut.

Class handouts from a class on making men's and women's 12th century western European court clothing.

Dress diary on the constructi on of a bliaut.

The lady on a carved whalebone panel depicting the Virgin Mary, carved in northwest Spain in the first half of the 12th century, is not shown in costume of the biblical period, but rather as wearing the garb of a 11th-12th century noblewoman. The carving is very detailed and specifics of clothing, drape and decoration make this a wonderful source for the early period costumer.

Also available at www.wymarc.com/artifacts/magi/magi.pdf

Clothing in the Middle Ages; includes undergarme nts, overgarmen ts, and accessorie s from 12th century illustrati ons.

Class handouts from a 2004 single-ses sion workshop-s tyle class. Includes brief overviews of general styles, accessorie s, cutting, fabrics, ornament and everyday vs. court dress for both women and men.

Selected illustrations from a 19th century book on historic fashions.

Men's Medieval Tunic, based on Kragelund Tunic found in Denmark and dated 1140-1155 AD Three sizes.

Class handout for a class on recreating the fashionabl e hairstyles of 12th century Western European court ladies. Instructio nal material and historical background .

Line drawings from extant medieval garments.

A cursory examination, for people interested in historical recreation and replication, of the extant archaeological and museum materials relating to clothing in the Middle Ages.

The bliaut, a garment popular for about 50 years during the 12th century, is known for its excessive droopy sleeves and tight waist. Facets of the bliaut can be seen expressed differentl y in the varied cultures of Europe.

Mistress Enid d’Auliere' s take on the pleated bliaut.

A searchable catalog of surviving garments from Europe and the Mediterranean from the dawn of time up through approximately 1500.

The clothing of a French-speaking lady of noble birth. A lack of existing garments or lifelike illustrations from this period makes reproducing 12th century clothing somewhat difficult. The artwork is often unclear and confusing. Thankfully, the French literature of the 12th century, with its frequent references to women's clothing, helps fill in some of the blanks.

1927 PhD thesis by Eunice Rathbone Goddard, analysing contempora ry French literature that mentioned 11-12th century clothes.