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		Ladies Houppelande
	This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site! Most historians date the medival period, or the middle ages, from the fall of the Roman Empire during the 400's until the beginnings of the Renaissance in the early 1500's. This is a rather wide span of time for considering clothing style changes. In Great Brittan the period between the 400's and 1066 (the Normal Invasion) is referred to as the Anglo Saxon period. This limits the middle ages to the period from 1066 through the ascention of the first Tudor king (Henry VII) in 1485. There were many innovations to clothing during this period, many of which were a direct result of The Crusades. Not many people know that this is how the button was introduced to European society! During this period clothing transitioned from the draped clothing and tunics of the late Roman Empire and Byzantine times to styles that more closely fitted the body. It was the beginning of tailoring. Clothing fastened either with the new fangled button or lacing - often called "points".

Ladies Houppelande This style appeared in the 1380's in Europe and was popular well into the 1400's. The houppelande is really an outergarment that was worn by both men and women. It survives to this day in the form of academic robes and church vestiments. It could be long or short (knee length) for men. Under the houppeland a lady woud wear a smock, sometimes also called a chemise. This is a losely fitted linen or wool undergarment, on the order of a slip or nightshirt. Over the smock she would wear a kirtle, which was a fitted underdress. Over this she would wear the houppelande. Houpplelandes often had very long sleeves and dagged hemlines. The fullness could be caught in with a belt, but the waistline was high, about halfway between the underbust and the true waistline. For noble ladies these gowns were often very long and were worn held up in front of them as it was very fasionable during this time to look pregnant.		Houppelandes portrayed in Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Avril the Musée Condé, Chantilly.
I made this garment many years ago as more of a costume than an authentic reproduction, so instead of a true kirtle it has a collar and undersleeves that are sew to the houppelande to look like there is a kirtle underneith. The false kirtle is made from purple brocade, and the houppelande from green taffeta. It has a belt, floor length split tube sleeves and an elaborate oak leaf dagged hemline. The garment is lined in a contrasting purple taffeta. The headdress is a wimple made from purple taffeta and jacquard ribbon with a gold organza veil (shown on Millinery Page). This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site!

Ladies Houppelande

This style appeared in the 1380's in Europe and was popular well into the 1400's. The houppelande is really an outergarment that was worn by both men and women. It survives to this day in the form of academic robes and church vestiments. It could be long or short (knee length) for men.

Under the houppeland a lady woud wear a smock, sometimes also called a chemise. This is a losely fitted linen or wool undergarment, on the order of a slip or nightshirt. Over the smock she would wear a kirtle, which was a fitted underdress.

Over this she would wear the houppelande. Houpplelandes often had very long sleeves and dagged hemlines. The fullness could be caught in with a belt, but the waistline was high, about halfway between the underbust and the true waistline. For noble ladies these gowns were often very long and were worn held up in front of them as it was very fasionable during this time to look pregnant.

Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry
Houppelandes portrayed in Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Avril the Musée Condé, Chantilly.

I made this garment many years ago as more of a costume than an authentic reproduction, so instead of a true kirtle it has a collar and undersleeves that are sew to the houppelande to look like there is a kirtle underneith. The false kirtle is made from purple brocade, and the houppelande from green taffeta. It has a belt, floor length split tube sleeves and an elaborate oak leaf dagged hemline. The garment is lined in a contrasting purple taffeta. The headdress is a wimple made from purple taffeta and jacquard ribbon with a gold organza veil (shown on Millinery Page).

This site is no longer being updated - Go to NEW Site!

Houppelande Front	Houppelande Front Detail

Houppelande Back	Houppelande Back Detail

Detail of Dagged Hemline	Detail of Sleeve


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