More of this Feature • Introduction • Woman's Costume in the Time of William the First • Woman's Costume in the Time of William the Second • Woman's Costume in the Time of Henry the First • Girls' Clothing in the Time of Henry the First • Woman's Costume in the Time of Stephen • Woman's Costume in the Time of Henry the Second • Woman's Costume in the Time of Richard the First • Woman's Costume in the Time of John • Woman's Costume in the Time of Henry the Third

Related Resources • English Women's History • Fashion History • Medieval Women • Index to Etexts on Women's History

From Other Guides • Medieval History

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Jone Johnson Lewis

What did the clothing of a Norman woman look like? Here's one author's presentation of a typical noblewoman during the time of John's reign in England.

Source: Calthrop, Dion Clayton. English Costume: I. Early English. London, 1906. This article is an excerpt from the chapter, "John." Color plate and line illustrations also from this chapter.

John
Reigned seventeen years: 1199-1216.
Born 1167. Married, in 1189, to Hadwisa, of Gloucester, whom he divorced; married, in 1200, to Isabella of Angoulême.

THE WOMEN

As may be seen from the plate, no change in costume took place.

The hair plaited and bound round the head or allowed to flow loose upon the shoulders.

Over the hair a gorget binding up the neck and chin. Over all a wimple pinned to the gorget.

A long loose gown with brooch at the neck. Sleeves tight at the wrist. The whole gown held in at the waist by a belt, with one long end hanging down.

Shoes made to fit the shape of the foot, and very elaborately embroidered and sewn.

A long cloak with buckle or lace fastening.

In this reign there were thirty English towns which had carried on a trade in dyed cloths for fifty years.

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