Get the look: 15th-century woman in cotehardie

For this composition, we were inspired by paintings from the early Renaissance. We have set up a beautiful table with a still life and played out several domestic scenes between the lady of the house and her servant.

Are you curious about the other characters in this composition?

The cotehardie was a popular form of clothing worn by both men and women in the Middle Ages. It was a close-fitting garment that covered the body from the shoulders to the ankles. Originally, the cotehardie emerged in the 14th century in Western Europe and became increasingly popular during the 15th century.

For women, the cotehardie usually had a tailored fit, emphasizing the waist. The garment featured long sleeves and a high neckline. The hem of the dress could vary from just above the ankles to the ground, depending on the fashion and social status of the wearer.

The buckle of the belt is based on an original made between 1390 and 1420 and was found in Newhamptonshire, England.

The shoes are based on various examples from the 12th to 15th century.

Pearl necklaces were especially favored by the nobility and upper classes because pearls were rare and valuable. They were hand-harvested from oysters and were difficult to obtain. As a result, pearls were a symbol of luxury and wealth.

The used underdress is a bath dress based on an image from the Wenceslas Bible. The bath dress or baignoire was usually made of lightweight fabrics such as linen and was often worn under regular clothing between the 14th and 16th centuries.

We wanted to reflect the bathing ritual of a lady in this composition. In the photo’s we use a tub, but women of high social status would more likely use a bathtub.

A jug was used to pour water into the bathtub or tub, or to wash oneself. Jugs or bowls were used to rinse the body and to rinse out soap or herbal mixtures.