Medieval Wool Half Circle Cloak

Classic Half Circle design Made in substantial blanket weight wool A warm, authentic outer layer for high to late medieval portrayals Double cording closure in gold, as shown in period 59" long, reaching from mid calf to ankle on most people Available in Blue, Burgundy, Olive and Black Price: $219.95   About our Woolen Cloaks A garment that stretches back into Antiquity, the cloak is the completion and final layer to almost any pre-modern wardrobe. (Even today, it clings to life in the opera cape.) As a wrap, it serves as an outer layer, can be easily moved aside to free the arms, or removed and used as blanket. We have chosen to introduce our cloaks with a simple, half-circle design that first appeared in Europe during the late 11th century. It quickly supplanted the older rectangular cloak, and variations of its design remained in use for the next eight centuries. We have chosen a very basic style that is period appropriate to our entire men's and women's product line, including all our Full Wardrobes from the late 11th to the 15th century.

Our Half Circle Wool Cloak in Black, shown with Black Wool Chauses, Blue Wool Hood (draped over shoulders), and Blue Ankle Boots

 

Most medieval cloaks did not have an integral hood. Instead, it was worn with a separate hood that usually had a cowl that fell completely over the shoulders. Although the lack of integral hood at first seems odd, when you wear all of the layers together in cold or very wet weather, the reason becomes clearer. You now have two layers over your neck, throat and shoulders, which works much better to keep rain, snow and cold air out. When the liripipe tail is wrapped around your neck and tucked in, it also becomes a scarf. In a world where “escaping the cold” was limited to the size of your hearth fire and the amount of warm fabrics you could pile around you, every little bit helps. The next time you're out in the elements in your garb, try wearing all of these layers, and you'll be surprised at how much it helps keeping your throat and collar triple wrapped in wool! 

 

Made of rich, warm wool, this 59” long cloak will fall between mid-calf an ankle on most customers. The cloak fastens shut with tasseled cords, the most common method of closure in the 12^th -14^th centuries. 

 

Our Half Circle Wool Cloak in Olive, shown with
Black Wool Chauses, Burgundy Wool Hood, Green Decorated Belt and Red
Ankle Boots (Tunic and Undertunic are custom work)

 

 

Our Half Circle Wool Cloak in Dark Plum, shown with
Black Wool Chauses, Wool Hat, Green Decorated Belt and Red Ankle
Boots (Tunic and Undertunic are custom work)

 

 

Colors and Fabrics

 

Olive, Plum, Blue and Burgundy

Note: Due to the difficulty of representing colors accurately on a variety of monitors we've included color descriptions along with our swatches. Please use both when deciding on what color to order. Also, despite how the colors may appear on your monitor the same color names in other fabrics are different and do not exactly cooridinate.

Dark Plum - a deep, rich purple
Heathered Olive - a darker olive green with flecks of lighter green and grey
Black - a solid color