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Gentleman's Cote |
Catherine de Arc |
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| The cotehardie
(daring coat) was a fashion revolution. For the first time anyone
could remember overgarments were cut from more than the minimum number
of pieces and the pieces were not all rectangular. Garments were
not simply tight, as they had been a century before, they actually
fitted. Instead of simply covering the body they were starting to
emphasise its shape, and for men, they were getting shorter. Materials This cotehardie is made from wool cloth. There are a number of surviving pieces of wool cloth from late 14th century London. The vast majority are tabby woven. They usually have a z spun warp and an s spun weft though almost a quarter had an s spun warp and weft as this piece does. (Crowfoot, 2002) It has about 12 threads per cm, which is about average for wool cloth of this period. It is not heavily napped but would still be an example of an average broadcloth. (Crowfoot, 2002). The pieces were stitched together with silk thread, which was in common use as a sewing thread in this period, especially for the visible stitching, though it was also used for seams and hems on all types of fabric. It was usually a fine 2 ply thread just like mine. (Crowfoot, 2002) Linen thread would have been a more common choice for this purpose due to its lower cost but these days it is the same price as silk thread and nowhere near as nice to work with. The facings are linen. Linen does not survive well in the ground and so we have fewer extant examples. Many of those that do survive have a z spun warp and weft and are about 19-22 threads per cm in a plain tabby weave. (Crowfoot, 2002) The linen I used is about 20 threads per cm and the warp and weft threads are both spun in the same direction. Construction The seams should have been sewn with running stitch. (Crowfoot, 2002) There were actually sewn by machine as I have a life and you can’t see them any way. Machine sewn seams are also stronger, which is important, as Nathan can be rough with his clothes. The seams are finished by folding the allowances to one side and oversewing them. (Crowfoot et al, 2002) This is the strongest of the seam finishings used at the time. The cote is not lined. This would probably have been quicker and easier than finishing off all the seams and was occasionally done at the time. But it gets hot in Aneala, even in winter, and this over a linen shirt should be enough. The neckline and buttonhole edges were faced with a strip of linen. Silk was also commonly used for this purpose in period. (Crowfoot et al, 2002) The strip is not cut on the bias as we would do today. This helps to prevent the neck from stretching out of shape and reinforces the buttonholes. The bottom hem is turned only once. This is less bulky in this thick fabric and the oversewing holding the hem up is sufficient to control ravelling in this fabric. This was the hem finish usually used for wool in period. (Crowfoot et al, 2002) The buttons are made from the same wool fabric, cut into small circles with the edges gathered and turned into the centre of the ball. As in the surviving examples they are close together and stitched to the very edge of the cote. The buttonholes are also closer to the edge than you would expect in a modern garment. To prevent them tearing through the buttonhole edges are reinforced with tablet weaving. Colours Green was a common colour at this time. The best greens were produced by overdying yellow from weld (or any number of other plants) with blue from woad or indigo. (Crowfoot, 2002 & nha-Jandria, 1993) Pattern This garment evolved towards the middle of the fourteenth century, as the older tunic became more fitted and shorter (13). By around 1350 this garment was figure hugging from shoulder to thigh (1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11). This tight fit meant that the cote could no longer be pulled over the head. Instead it had to be fastened, possibly with lacing, or, if you could afford it, with a row of small buttons down the centre front (4,6,7,11). The length of this garment varied with the wearer’s modesty from knee length (3,4,5,6,7,11) to mid thigh (3,4,6,7,8,9), to crotch length (1,4,5,9). Its hem was often decorated with dagging (decorative shapes cut into the hem). Scallops, large zig zags and wavy points were popular (3,4,6,7). Later fantastic leaf shapes were tried, as decoration became more and more ornate. The sleeves of these cote hardies were usually fitted (4,5,6,7,11), although they were occasionally fuller around the upper arm (8,9). The sleeves could be full length (4,6,7,9) occasionally extending over the hand (5,8). They could also stop just above the elbow (4,7,11) to reveal the sleeve underneath. The neckline, when not covered with the hood, was usually round (5,7,8). A belt was usually worn around the hips. It could be rather plain, possibly leather, (1,3,4,6,7,9,11) or very decorative with metal plates (2,5,8). It was often hung with a sword or knife (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11) or perhaps a purse (4,6,11). Occasionally a belt was not worn at all (7). |
     There are some cotes surviving from this period. Their patterns vary considerably, from similar to the tunics of the past (and the current shirts) to the pourpoint of Charles de Blois which is quite radical in its cut. My pattern falls between the two. It is based on Herjolfsnes 63 from Greenland. Greenland is some distance from England but at this time fashions were similar throughout Europe. It is made in eight panels, with a set in sleeve, which has a small gore at the top to fit the armhole. It is buttoned down the front and up the sleeves to the elbow as seen in contemporary illustrations. I left off the collar the Greenland tunic had as this is not common. References Crowfoot, Elisabeth, Frances Pritchard, Kay Staniland (2002) Textiles and Clothing, Boydell Press, Woodbridge Nha-Jandria, Gwennis (1993) Dyestuffs, Compleat Anachronist 41 References 1. Backhouse, Janet (1979) The Illuminated Manuscript, Phaidon, Oxford, p56 2. Norris, Malcolm (1978) Monumental Brasses, The Craft, Faber & Faber, London, plate 161 3. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 23 4. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 24 5. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 35 6. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 19 7. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 25 8. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 34 9. Avril, Francois (1978) Manuscript Painting at the Court of France, George Braziller, New York, plate 40 10. Hay, Judith (1985) A Survey of Fabric and Color, in The Known World Handbook 11. Effigy of Sir Walter de Heylon c1360 12. Boucher, Francois (1966) A History of Costume in the West, Thames & Hudson, New York, plate 372a 13. Boucher, Francois, (1966) A History of Costume in the West, Thames & Hudson, New York,p195 14. Harris, Jennifer (ed) (1993) Textiles, 5,000 Years, Harry N. Abrams, New York, p 168 15. Rutt, Richard (1989) A History of Hand Knitting, BT Batsford, London, p40 16. Rutt, Richard (1989) A History of Hand Knitting, BT Batsford, London, p45 17. Rutt, Richard (1989) A History of Hand Knitting, BT Batsford, London, p49 |
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