Plunging necklines aren’t new….!

    When we think of women’s clothing in the medieval period, we don’t generally think of revealing necklines. Nay, plunging necklines! But if you go to this extremely interesting article  you’ll see some rather eye-opening illustrations. Some of these little off-the-shoulder numbers could be worn on red carpets today. Mind you, you couldn’t see…

The “naughty” corpse of Henry VI….

The link below concerns an exhibition entitled ‘Costuming the Leading Ladies of Shakespeare: From Stratford to Orange County’ at UC Irvine’s Langson Library, West Peltason and Pereira drives, Irvine; http://www.lib.uci.edu/langson. The exhibition is there through to the end of September. Several amusing anecdotes are described in the article, including one about Lady Anne’s apparent effect…

Britain’s most historic towns

This excellent Channel Four series reached part four on 28th April as Dr. Alice Roberts came to Norwich, showing streets, civic buildings and even a pub that I have previously visited, describing it as Britain’s most “Tudor” town. She began by describing Henry VII as “violently seizing” the English throne (or at least watching whilst…

Snowballing, medieval style….!

An unlikely scene, surely? Would medieval ladies really go out snowballing in such décolleté gowns? Can’t believe it. One of them is even bending down to present a better target. I would be far  better wrapped, and so would all of you, I’m sure. Or do I have some very daring minxes among my lady…

A GOLDEN GOWN

Queen Margaret (also known as Margrethe and Margareta) was a Scandinavian queen who died in the early 15th century. Briefly she was monarch of Sweden, Norway and Denmark and earned herself the title of ‘the Lady King.’ Her only son died young and hence her heir became Eric of Pomerania; it was her desire to…

Was Richard the big-spender on fashion? No, it was Henry….

  I must admit that the following article didn’t come as quite the surprise it should. Henry has always struck me as a man who enjoyed the good things in life, and was prepared to be lavish when he felt like it. Yes, indeed! And he enjoyed being entertained and so on…but that he was…

At last, Richard gets a smidgeon of the Renaissance credit he’s due….

English Costume from William I to George IV by Dion Clayton Calthrop, published 1937. I have just received this book, and of course turned immediately to the reign of Richard III. Dismay promptly ensued. Hump-backed Richard! Oh, natch. Then: “The axe of the executioner soiled many white shirts, and dreadful forebodings fluttered the dovecots of…

Another very interesting WordPress blog…

I have just found a very interesting site at https://sevenstarwheel.wordpress.com/. It belongs to a lady who makes 15th-century clothes by studying the old illustrations. It’s packed full of photographs and old pictures, and a LOT of information about the fashions. She is very talented and tells her stories very well. Worth a really good look.

A very interesting site for many things medieval….

http://sarahpeverley.com/tag/medieval-expert/ Well, I may be late on the scene again with this one, and everyone out there already knows all about it, but I’ve only just stumbled over the site. I have to say it’s well worth following for all things medieval. The article about Elizabeth Woodville I found particularly informative, describing her clothes, her signature, the…