14th Century Chemise

Throughout the Middle Ages clothes were worn in layers, with a light, linen tunic forming the foundation over which additional linen or wool garments were worn. The exact nature of these earliest garments is unknown, but by the 13th century, the man's tunic had evolved into a simple, relatively short, white linen shirt. Unfortunately, the exact nature of women's undergarments is far less clear; women generally being depicted in period illuminations either fully clothed or stark naked.

What is clear is that some sort of undergarment was worn, and it had to be designed to work with the tight sleeved gowns and cotehardies fashionable amongst 14th century ladies. An answer may be found in the Bohemian King Wencesclaus IV Bible (c.1400), which depicts repeated examples of serving women at work, stripped to a simple, sleeveless chemise. Experimentation has shown that this chemise fits beautifully under reconstructions of 14th century gowns and smooths the lines of the overdress, creating the elegant silhouette shown in artwork of the period.

Following this example, our chemise is made of a light-weight, white linen, sleeveless with a square neckline. Ankle length on most women, the chemise will help improve the lay of your gown without interfering with your train. Best of all, this chemise not only makes a perfect underdress, but following the lead of good King Wenceslaus' ladies, it is perfect, authentic clothing for working around camp or lounging in your pavilion.