15th century

A Stylish Paper Doll July: 15th Century Gown with Hennin

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Okay, so today’s paper doll dress was one of the first I drew and inked, but somehow I forgot about it in the shuffle, so it is ending up being one of the last that gets shared. That’s just how things work out sometimes, I suppose.

When it comes to citing manuscript illustrations, I try as often as possible to go back to the original source if I can and I try to give enough information that if I was working at the front desk of the library that had one of these books and a person handed them the information I provide, that person would be able to find the item (or at least make a really good guess at it.)

The reality is that not all websites give all the details that might be needed, but I do my best to provide as much as I can. Medieval documents generally don’t have title pages and usually don’t have clear authors, but places often give them titles, which is what I’ve used here. It’s not perfect, but it is at least a place to start. I’ve included a manuscript number or shelf-mark when I could find one.

I am endlessly frustrated when I see a great manuscript illustration on some website and there’s absolutely no clue where the book is from or how one might actually verify the details. It’s not that I think people are intentionally making up things, but dates and locations are especially easy to get messed up in the Internet’s game of telephone. Plus, context matters when looking at what people are wearing.

A Stylish Paper Doll July: Late-15th Century European Gown

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Today’s 15th century fashion paper doll is more cobbled together from a variety of primary sources than my last paper doll attempt at the 15th century. The dress is a late 15th century fashion for women from France, but it’s been pieced together a bit. It’s impossible to know if someone from that era would recognize it.

These dresses are called Burgundian gowns and are named for the Duchy of Burgundy which was super rich and fashionable in the 15th century. France has always had the best clothing, I guess.

About 1450, this style of gown became popular. The deep V-neckline revealed the kirtle (under dress) beneath. The trimming could be wool or fur (mostly fur, from what I have seen). The wide belt was placed above the natural waist and gives the gowns a pregnant look. The belts are decorated in studs or with super fancy buckles and can be fastened in front (like this one) or behind (like this one).

I decided to forgo the more popular fur trimming on these gowns for something else, though I am regretting that a little, because fur was certainly more commonly depicted. The hennin headdress is somewhat of a mix of several styles that I saw. The headdresses in this era fascinate me, but I confess I don’t know much about them. I get the sense that they carry a lot of meaning, but I’ll be darned if I can figure out what that meaning is.

I do have another paper doll from this era drafted, but I haven’t finished her yet, because I need to pick out shoes. I wanted to do a doll, because of the headdresses and the fact that fashionable women in the 15th century plucked their hairline which is obvious in portraits like this one or this one. It helps with the headdresses, I think.

Anyway, the dresses’ motif was handplaced and was drawn off this wool and silk velvet in the V&A, though I did simplify it a lot. I sort of had too. I’m still learning how to do patterns in Procreate and I need to work on that more. So many things to learn. Since I got a new ipad, I am discovering that I need to get used to how it “feels” which is different from how my older model felt.

A Stylish Paper Doll July: Early-15th Century European Gown

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Based on these three manuscript illustrations, I worked on this gown. The style is early 15th century French. The headdress is referred to today as a “heart-shaped hennin”, but I don’t know if that was a term in the 15th century for it.

Given that this is paper doll #15, it might surprise you to know it was actually the first or second one I sketched out. Most of the 1910s stuff was the first stuff I worked on, but the 15th century paper dolls were being worked on at the same time. Historical 1400s clothing is not an area that I’m super knowledgable about, but I have been itching to do some for a long time. Even more than the 1910s, it is an era I’ve largely neglected.

This is partly because I don’t know much about it and because I find it all a little intimidating. Also, the headdresses are…. bananas.

I went back and forth about this dress and the headdress. In the end, I decided the sharing things I’m not sure about is an important part of this month long project. Finish it and move on is my motto right now.

Marisole Monday’s Printable 15th Century Dress

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme circa 1488-1496, Boccaccio, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes circa 1475 and Maria Maddalena Baroncelli Christus circa 1470.
A 15th century dress for a paper doll with a headdress based on manuscript illustrations to print and play with from paperthinpersonas.com

A 15th century dress for a paper doll with a headdress based on manuscript illustrations to print and color from paperthinpersonas.com.

Today’s Marisole Monday paper doll gown is a 15th century dress. Women’s fashions of the 15th century included a long gown worn over a kirtle or under-gown. These gowns were in a high-waisted style with fullness over the belly decorated with a super wide belt. The belt often had a decorated buckle.

The deep low neck was enough to reveal the decorated front of the kirtle beneath. The neckline was sometime filled in with a sheer linen partlet.

I used a partlet on today’s gown, but getting the transparency was tough. So, it’s not as transparent as it should be.

This headdress is known as a hennin. It was usually cone shaped or a flattened cone. They got pretty extreme over the course of the century, I have to say. If you think of the stereotypical princess than you are thinking of the hennin headdress.

The sources of today’s 15th century dress were Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme circa 1488-1496, Boccaccio, Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes circa 1475 and Maria Maddalena Baroncelli Christus circa 1470. One is a painting and the rest are manuscript pages, mostly from France.

I really wanted to play around with color as well. The colors in today’s gown are based on Boccace, Des cleres et nobles femmes, traduction française anonyme. I really loved the green, red and the blue belt. There’s more images of 15th century dress on my 15th century Pinterest board.

The hardest thing to draw for today’s paper doll outfit was the hennin headdress. I must have re-sketched the angle of that headdress a dozen times. The drape on the headdress should be transparent, but I didn’t really want to try

Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here. 

Ms. Mannequin’s 15th Century Burgundian Gown and Headdress

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Manuscript Illustration from 1470, this Manuscript Illustration from 1401-1500, this one from the same work, and this Manuscript Illustration from 1475

A Burgundian gown for a paper doll based on illuminated manuscript illustrations. Along with the gown, there is a headdress based on the designs of the 1450s.

A Burgundian gown for a paper doll based on illuminated manuscript illustrations. Along with the gown, there is a headdress based on the designs of the 1450s.

Today’s paper doll dress and headdress are both from the 15h century. The gown is known as a Burgundian gown named for the Duchy of Burgundy.

About 1450, this style of Burgundian gown became popular. The deep V-neckline revealed the kirtle (under dress) beneath. The trimming would have been fur or wool. The wide belt was placed above the natural waist and gives the gowns a pregnant look.

(Remember, being pregnant was a good thing for women in this time. After all, fertility was seen as a super critical part of a woman’s value.)

Women never had uncovered hair in this era. So, I needed a headdress to go with the Burgundian gown.

The headdress I chose to draw was based on this illustration of the Whore of Babylon from an 1470 manuscript. The headdress is from 1450, according to the Morgan Library where the manuscript is housed. I’m afraid I don’t know quite enough about the era yet (though I am studying) to make any claim either way.

By the way, the wonderful book Illuminating Fashion: Dress in the Art of Medieval France and the Netherlands, 1325-1515 is currently on sale from the Morgan Library for just 20 dollars. I bought a copy for my library and I’d recommend it if you are at all interested in medieval dress. Though it doesn’t touch on how these garments were made, nor does it discuss how to make them yourself, so… don’t buy it if that is what you want.

Secondary Sources:

Houston, Mary G. Medieval Costume in England and France: The 13th, 14th, and 15th Centuries. N.p.: Dover Publications, 1996. Print.

Scott, Margaret. Fashion in the Middle Ages. N.p.: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011. Print.

Scott, Margaret. Medieval Dress & Fashion. N.p.: British Library, 2009. Print.

Ask me if you have any questions about the books or the manuscripts I looked at. There are links to all the manuscript illustrations at the top under the “inspiration” links list. I was just too lazy tonight to bother citing them all properly.

I know. I’m a rebel librarian sometimes. Happy Friday!