Location: Most of Medieval Europe Date: 14th Century Culture: Various Estimated Social Class: All (This example being lower-class) Garment Type: Linen Coif Nearly any foray into Medieval artwork will show a plethora of headwear being worn throughout the era’s duration, however, one form, in all its simplicity, stands out above the rest if for no other reason that the sheer high amounts in which it shows up: the linen coif. Appearing at least as early as the 12th Century (see The Hunterian Psalter, August [Hunter 229, fol. 4v], c. 1170), this prolific design would continue use in some form or another throughout the entirety of the Medieval Period, well into the 16th Century, and would be seen being worn by men and women alike, as well as the poor, the middle-class, and the rich. Due to this, to eliminate confusion and over-saturation of information, we will focus solely on its use during the 14th Century in this article We know from most contemporary art that the coif was rather simple in design, with a white linen body and a tie to secure the garment underneath the chin. Most artwork fails to show much detail of the lowly piece of headwear, and likewise, there is a lack of knowledge on how it was constructed. An absence of physical extant finds from the period also adds to this mystery, though we can assume that the average coif consisted of two body pieces, with a seam that ran front to back. The attachment of the “chinstrap” is a bit of a mystery, and whether this was a separate piece that was attached to the bottom hem of the garment, or was integrated and cut from the same piece is unknown. Coifs made for daily wear (meaning, non-padded ones not meant for wear underneath armored headwear) were likely made from linen, with the quality varying based on income and wealth status. This means lower-class ones would have been less-bleached white, coarser, etc., with the finest being clean white and very soft. Most do not appear in the artistic record as being lined, and decoration, even on upper-class ones, seems to be virtually non-existent. This lack of lining, decoration, or other extra work seems to indicate these were viewed almost in an undergarment-like sense, and were meant to protect the head for utility purposes, rather than a complete fashion ideal. Aside from being depicted as being worn alone for nearly any task, from courtly duties to working the fields, some artwork also depicts the coif as being paired with other forms of headwear, most commonly with the famed “bycocket” and “pilgrim’s” hats. The reasoning here is likely that it was meant, just as linen undershirts and underwear protect the wool outer garments from soiling from body oils and sweat, so too would the coif protect one’s hard-earned wool hat from getting soiled when worn for laborious tasks such as making a pilgrimage or hunting. While we are on the topic of wearing the coif, we should also discuss the manner in which it is worn. Most artwork depicts these as ending mid-head, rather than extending all the way to the forehead, and it is very common to see men’s hair peeking out around the front of the coif. They are also almost always seen tied under the chin, and only in a few instances are the ties depicted as hanging loose down by the head. Our reconstruction is made from 100% hand-woven and un-bleached linen. It features the center seam across the head mentioned earlier, and since the lower tie construction is conjectural, I opted to add this as a separate piece that spans the lower hem of the coif and terminates in two parts that hang down on either side and are long enough to tie. The entire reconstruction is sewn using linen thread. Photo & Information Sources
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AboutThis page will focus on the lifestyles of those living in Medieval Europe from approximately the 11th Century through the 14th. Archives
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