Medieval Costume Links

Also:

Medieval (Pre-15th century) Costume Sites

  • Adventures in Dagging — Research on how dagging was possibly created, using pictures of clothing fragments.
  • Aibell's Garb Page New! — Instructions, documentation, patterns & more. Specific regions & eras include: Roman, 5th-10th c. Irish; 10th-11th c. English; 15th c. Italian; and 12th c. bliaut. Also cloak patterns.
  • Ariadne la Noire's Cotehardie Documentation Page Updated! — Information on men's and women's cotehardies.
  • Artifact — "Articles to provide instruction in various fields of Medieval arts or for Medieval re-creationists, by people with a passion for their subject." Info on Cotehardies, braies, kirtles, etc.
  • Bliaut Files, The — by Marguerie (see Marguerie's Pages below). A 12th century French dress diary with accompanying documents.
  • Bohemian Bathhouse Keepers Updated! — (aka "The Bohemian Bathhouse Babes"). Information from the 14th century Wenceslaus Bible with pictures of the bathhouse keepers and their garments. Of particular interest is their garment with "spaghetti straps."
  • Buried with Friars — An article from British Archeology about clothing that was found at an Augustinian friary in Hull, England, from the 14th and 15th century.
  • By My Own Hand — by Marguerie Jancourt. Articles on bliauts, Norman hairstyles, jewelry, period sewing stitches, mantles, costume construction, etc. Also patterns for medieval gowns, surcotes, smocks, and cloaks.
  • Clothing of the 12th and 13th Century Updated! — by Galiana de Baiona. Contains lots of information, such as: definitions of the period's terms; fabrics used; pictures and text excerpts describing the clothing; a section on how to make the various pieces; a bibliography; and links.
  • Clothing of the Middle Ages — By Marc Carlson. Site includes numerous articles about clothing of the middle ages, such as kirtles, cotes, tunics, hoods, hose, and cloaks. There is a link to another whole separate site on Shoes of the Middle Ages. Many patterns for extent clothing from the time, e.g. "bog dresses," the many Herjolfsnes garments, and Charles de Blois' pourpoint.
  • Cotehardie and Houppelande Homepage — Includes information on the history of Cotes and Houppes, patterns and fabrics.
  • Cunnan — Wiki for Medieval and Renaissance reenactors.
  • Cynthia Virtue's Medieval Clothing Pages — Articles about medieval clothing, hats, hair, and accessories. Includes articles by others on same.
  • Dame Helen — Information and patterns for Cotehardies based on the Greenland gown and "Houppelande Theory". Also 14th century sewing and textile information.
  • Drafn — Viking website with instructions and patterns, including one for a Viking Apron Dress
  • Early Manuscripts at Oxford University — "Digital facsimiles of complete manuscripts, scanned directly from the originals." FABULOUS!!
  • Early Period — From the website: "Early Period is published quarterly...for the advancement of early period arts, crafts, sciences and research. Early Period deals in the pre-1066 A.D. topics of interest to persons with early period personae in the SCA or similar organizations."
  • Eva's Costuming Page — Medieval & 16th c.
  • Fingerloop Braids — Instructions and examples of fingerloop braiding, which was very popular in Europe in the 13th-17th centuries.
  • Frankish Costume Updated! — Some information about 6th & 7th century Frankish clothing, Queen Bathilde and Queen Arnegunde.
  • Garb in these Current Middle Ages — How to make a T-Tunic and Greenland gown. Also information on hoods with liripipe, a cotehardie and kid's garb, with links to other sites from which the construction information came.
  • Houppelandes — Pictures of gorgeous houppelandes. Not a lot of construction info, but lovely to look at.
  • How to make an authentic Viking Era tunic — From an SCA class handout, instructions and diagrams on how to make a Viking tunic.
  • In Nova Corpora — In German. One family's website of medieval through renaissance costumes - really lovely stuff. "Kleidung" is Clothing; "Quellen" is Sources; "Anleitungen" is drawings of the patterns they made;
  • It's Not Who You Are, It's What You Wear — Articles on historic clothing by Susan Reed, including an article on men's headdresses from 1400-1519.
  • Jessica Clark - Irčne leNoir — Jessica's site includes information and patterns for cotehardies & houppelandes. Page on how to make a truncated hennin.
  • Keradwc's Medieval Page — Pictures from SCA events, good for inspiration!
  • La Cotte Simple — by Tasha McGann. 14th & 15th c. clothing and accessories. Has articles on the Charles de Blois pourpoint, embellished purses, and "building the feminine silhouette.
  • Larsdatter's Medieval Material Culture Linkspages New! — Karen Lardsdatter's website about Medieval culture, education, crafts, clothing, etc.
  • Levantia — A " social history of the Roman Empire and Near East, roughly between the ninth and thirteenth centuries"
  • Maggie Forest's garb site — Articles on Viking clothing, including tunics, the Viborg shirt, costumes of the Oseberg Queen, etc.
  • Manesse Codex — German site of medieval illuminations.
  • Marie Chantal Cadieux — 10th century Norse, and miscellaneous 14th & 15th century men's and women's costumes.
  • Medieval Beads — An online study of beadwork in the Middle Ages.
  • Medieval European Costume Links — From the Costumer's Manifesto
  • Medieval Tailor, The New! — Site on 14th century English and French women's clothing. Lots of demos on sewing techniques and garments, such as kirtles, stocking, etc.
  • Medieval Textiles New! — Site with some information about medieval textiles, although there is a "members only" area, which probably has more info.
  • Medieval Woodcuts Clipart — Fun for use in your own website.
  • Men's and Women's Work Clothing — Images of working people's clothing from the "Les Tres Riches Heures du Jean, Duc de Berry" and "The DaCosta Hours"
  • Midgard Basic Clothing Standards — Site for a reenactment group with instructions on how to make medieval period garments, including tunics, braies, hosen, gowns, etc.
  • National Library of the Netherlands: Manuscripts — Site has many medieval manuscripts. 100 Highlights of the Koninklijke Bibliotheek – quick link to online highlights of the collections
  • Nessa of the Lox — Pictures of her medieval, Elizabethan and Middle Eastern costumes.
  • Ravensgard Costuming and Textiles Page — An SCA site with lots of links, including a section of Celtic links.
  • Reconstructing History - Articles — Has a really good "for beginners" section. Also information on ancient Irish, Scottish and Japanese clothing.
  • Robin Netherton — Not really much of a website yet, but has a link to download Robin's handout on the Gothic Fitted Dress.
  • Sally Pointer Updated! — Includes diagrams & instructions for making medieval dresses. Also pages on perfumes and cosmetics, herbs, pointy hats, and more.
  • Slavic Interest Group: Hungarian Page Updated! — Articles on Medieval Hungary, including clothing and history - although as of 03/2011, Hungarian page is not available.
  • slumberland.org: costume gallery — Images and information on 13th-14th century cotehardies, surcotes, gowns, and cyclas.
  • Stewart: Medieval Knitting — Site with info on 14th thru 16th century knitting, weaving and more.
  • Surviving Garments Database — "A searchable catalog of surviving garments from Europe and the Mediterranean from the dawn of time up through approximately 1500."
  • ThirteenthCentury.com — Website with information about men's clothing from the mid-13th century. (Site used to be "Circa: 1265")
  • T-Tunic the Period Way (Maggie Forest) — Page with diagrams and instructions to make a t-tunic.
  • Understanding Houppelande and Burgundian Clothing Construction (PDF) — by Mistress Corisander.
  • Viking Answer Lady, The — Viking age literature, history and archeology. Articles on Viking clothing in the 'Daily Life' section.
  • Viking clothing — Museum of National Antiquities, Stockholm. Information on the clothing of Viking men and women. (Site used to have pictures of recreated clothing and downloadable files with patterns, but they are now gone.)
  • Viking Embroidery Stitches & Motifs — Article with illustrations on Viking embroidery.
  • Viking Resources for the Reenactor — Links to articles about the Viking age: clothing, textiles, cooking, etc.
  • Women's Fashion from the Time of Wm the Conqueror — Article from About.com on Early English Costume. Runs from William the First through to Henry the Third. Has links to related sites.

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