I have constructed a (re)creation of a set of garments depicted in Matthew Paris’ manuscript “The Life of Edward the Confessor.” The outfit consists of a linen smock, a linen/cotton fustian tunic, and a woolen overdress as well as a veil and hosen (socks); everything is handsewn, made from linen, linen/cotton, and wool, and I wove the purple bands on the blue dress. The only thing I didn’t make is the hairnet.
I call it a (re)creation because it’s not actually a recreation of an extant outfit – rather, I took a medieval illustration and my research on the clothing of the late 13th century and combined them in order to make this outfit.
You can read more about the project in my paper about the creation process (pdf), and in documentation for the gown and the trim (also pdf files).
