Henry At Court: Dressed to the Nines! Quiz

Answer: Silk

While it is perfectly appropriate for My Lady to wear wool clothing at home, it can only be silk at the King's Court! It is, however, extremely expensive, coming to us all the way from Constantinople on a trade route that is sometimes dangerous! My Lady says that even though it is expensive, silk will last for quite a while if it is carefully worn; it resists tearing and doesn't easily soil.

Although it is not very warm to wear during our winter, it is lightweight and pleasant to wear in the summertime.

Not to worry, though, there are plenty of undergarments and layers worn that keep the ladies warm!

Answer: Squirrel

Vair is made with the fur of the Eurasian red squirrel, which is blue-grey on the back, and white on the belly. Both the Earl and Countess wear mantles that are lined with the fur; it makes a lovely checkered pattern as the pieces are sewed alternately in blue then white, and so on. As you can image, a large mantel uses several furs! Mantles are like cloaks or capes which are the outer-most layer of clothing; the fur gives added warmth for traveling.

Did you know that some nobles keep squirrels for pets? I have heard that some keep them with little collars on their necks! That makes me just shake my head! I wouldn't keep a pet that should eventually end up on the dinner table or lining my cloak!

I would have to say that most of the noblemen use vair to line their clothing; ermine is also popular, but its use is reserved for upper nobility and royals. We have to be careful to dress according to our station, and while the Earl is an important nobleman, it wouldn't be proper for him to wear the same type of fur that is used to make the King's crown or cloak! My cloak? It is lined with animal hide that has the hair facing out. It is quite warm!

Answer: Tunic

According to My Lady, tunics have been a basic style of clothing since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. She laments that it would be nice to have a change in style! All of us wear tunics, but the type of material, dye, and decoration used varies according to station in life. For example, my tunic is shorter and made of wool, as is the style of the working-class men. Tunics are typically the next layer of clothing after undergarments for us all, and in the layering of clothing there can be both an inner tunic and an outer tunic. Some are sleeveless, while others have sleeves. Noblemen and women wear tunics that are longer - sometimes they reach to their ankles; of course, many of them can also afford to make theirs of fine wool or other materials.

In case you didn't know - all of the other choices are clothing worn by men. Braies are a type of linen underwear, and a chaperon is a hat. Knights wear hauberks, which are chain mail shirts.

Answer: Trumpet sleeve

Finally! A new type of fashion and a reason to be thankful to the French! Although the bliaut is technically an outer tunic, it does feature a new style of sleeve, called a trumpet sleeve, which can reach to the floor!

Bishop sleeves are long, but have a cuff at the wrist. Bell sleeves, made so they can be easily rolled up when working, have a bit of a flare at the elbow, but are not as long and do not have as much flare as the trumpet sleeve!

Answer: Wimple

Our noblewomen do not show very much hair - especially if they are married. The wimple completely covers the head, and is wound around the neck. Many times it is a really very long cloth that flows behind the back or front, depending on how it is tied. The cloth is usually made of linen, as it is a fabric that can easily be washed and dried in the sunshine.

I heard My Lady comment that even though the wimple completely hides her glorious hair, someday when her hair turns gray or it begins to thin (oh, no!) she will be grateful to have it!

Answer: Hose

Chausses are used by knights when they go into battle as armor for the legs; they help protect from sword cuts and the like. We all, however, use a form of chausses, and usually call them leggings. Made of wool, they can come in different lengths. In the past, they were worn to the knee and held in place with leg bands.

Some still wear them that way, although now they are also made to go up past the knee and tuck into our drawers, or braies. I have to say, there is nothing worse than a pair of chausses that are too long!

Answer: Embroidery

Don't misunderstand! The Countess has many responsibilities on the manor and works very hard to take care of everyone. She also oversees the actual spinning of the thread and weaving of the cloth. There is nothing, however, that she and her ladies enjoy more than sewing in the solar. In fact, being a talented seamstress is said to be one of the attributes to look for in a wife! I can understand how important that is, considering that My Lady has patched my clothing on more than one occasion, making it look brand new! Honestly, there is very little that the Earl owns - except for maybe his everyday clothes, that doesn't have some kind of embroidery work on it. I even noticed that his court shoes, made of velvet, were decorated with silk threads.

I have heard stories of the Bayeux Tapestry that was made to commemorate the Battle of Hastings. It really isn't named correctly because the design was woven into the tapestry as the cloth was made. It is embroidered as it was decorated after the fabric was woven. I have heard different stories about who made the Bayeux Tapestry; one story is that it was made by the wife of William the Conqueror, Queen Matilda, and her ladies.

Answer: Girdle

Like with many of our fashions, both men and women wear girdles, which serve as belts around the waist, usually used as an accessory. Back in the day when tunics were not sewed up the sides, the girdle was necessary to help, well, cover things up! Nowadays, especially among the nobles, girdles are more decorative. My Lord has a purse that is connected to his, which he uses to carry his coin. He also may use his girdle to carry his dagger or even a sword, which, if you think about it, is very handy! Whereas women wear their girdles more about the waists, men wear theirs lower about the hips.

A coif is a tight-fitting cap that is worn by both men and women, and a chemise is a lady's undergarment. The doublet is just now coming into fashion for men. It is a short sleeveless jacket that is worn under the tunic. Knights especially wear doublets because they help keep the armor from rubbing the skin.

Answer: Surcoat

Knights are known for their long, flowing surcoats, but noblemen and women wear them too! They can either have sleeves - or not - but the main feature of the surcoat is that it has slits in the front and back, which make riding easier. It is common practice to decorate the surcoat with the coat of arms; of course, the purpose of that is to make sure people know who is who! The surcoat can be worn as the top layer in all of the other layers of clothing, or somewhere in the middle of it all! In the picture, it is the layer under the mantle.

The other choices are all types of headgear. A biretta is worn by the clergy, whereas a coronet is a small crown that is worn by some members of the royal family and upper nobles. Covering the shoulders, a cowl is a type of hood.

Answer: Brooch

Jewelry is very popular among nobles; they wear rings, necklaces, bracelets, and brooches that are made of gold and silver, and inlaid with precious stones. They also decorate buckles on belts and shoes, weapons, headdresses, and other accessories with jewels; from time to time, jewelry is even found sewn into clothing! Jewelry is commonly used by nobles to "dress up" a more ordinary outfit of clothing; the amount of jewelry and type worn is an important indication of wealth and status, so much of what the family owns will be brought to wear at Court.

That was a lot of work! While it is important for the Earl's household to dress according to his station, it is also crucial that we do not dress above our class. Have you ever been to the King's Court? Little things like dressing better than the Queen could have serious consequences for My Lady.