jeanoflochiel:costume series: medieval fashion in period drama →hennins (steeple & butterfly) an

jeanoflochiel:costume series: medieval fashion in period drama →hennins (steeple & butterfly) and headdresses (heart-shaped & horned)The hennin was a popular 15th century hat much like that of a traditional Turkish fez. First appearing in France about 1428, it consisted of a cap of a stiffened fabric covered with a rich material with a cone or cylindrical construction over the top. It was worn on a 45 degree angle at the back of the head entirely concealing the hair which was drawn back off the forehead and covered by the hennin. Steeple hennins (1440-1490), were very rarely worn in England, although extremely popular in Europe. In Italy, some steeple hennins reached an astonishing half an ell high- 45 inches or ¾ of a metre from base to tip. Butterfly hennins (later 15th c) became more fashionable and supplanted the steeple hennin. The fabric under-cap with the wide black fold-back front which was worn underneath the hennin previously was abandoned in favour of very thin supporting straps which pass under the ears of the wearer. In an extremely short period of time another decorative feature made an appearance- two silver wires attached to the front of the hennin like a butterfly’s feelers and supported the veil in new and interesting ways. The heart-shaped headdress combined two of the medieval woman’s favoured headdress elements to make a new style of headdress the earlier caul or coif, and the padded roll. The top of the padded roll extended heavenwards, the middle of the roll descended into a V at the centre of the forehead making a heart shape when viewed from the front, hence the name. The horned headdress consisted of cones or which projected out at roughly a 45 degree angle and were wired up to resemble horns from which a pendant veil curtained the back of the head. The hair was completely concealed as decorum dictated. Starched white veils would then be attached to the headpiece using pins. It was worn from 1410 to 1420, but rarely to 1460. [x] [x] -- source link

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