Research & Essays - Houppelands/Gowns
1380 to 1416

Houppelands and gowns are the same garment the terms are just from different languages; houppeland being French and gown being English. Among those who create costume of the past a houppeland means a large armed garrent from Les Tres Riches Heures Du Duc De Berry and some many people think this style is from the late 14th century but it is not it is early 15th century. One this page I have images ranging from abut 1380 to 1416 ending with the Duc De Berry images to show the evelution of the gown from the late 14th century to the early 15th century.

More text coming soon

1380 to 1390 - Paduan Bible Picture Book

Items to notice:

• Lots of buttons
• Long gowns
• Sleeves that are not baggy
• Bagpipe sleeves
• Hoods and hood hats

1390 - Histoire Romaine

Items to notice:

• Buttoned gowns
• Long gowns
• Sleeves that are not baggy
• Tight fitting body panels
• Splits in the gown body along the seems
• Some garments look to be padded and quilted

1390 to 1400 - Alsace Tapestry

Items to notice:

• High collars
• Buttoned fronts
• Bagpipe sleeves with hand coverings
• Parti colored gowns
• Striped material
• Hoods, hood hats, and bag hats

1399 - New Testament with the Old Testament Epistle Readings - Netelhorst in Guelders

Items to notice:

• High collars
• Long fur lined sleeves
• Bagpipe sleeves
• Dagged body panels
• Dagged hoods, hood hats, and bag hats

1400 to 1410 - St. Denis Manuscript

Items to notice:

• High collars
• Bagpipe sleeves with hand coverings
• Some images show different colored sleeves than bodies
• Some gowns lace up
• Some gowns button shut
• Some gowns are parti colored
• Some gowns have dags at the hem line
• Some gowns have sleeve caps with fringe or dags
• Dagged hoods, hood hats, and bag hats

1405 - Gaston Phoebus, Book of the Hunt

Items to notice:

• High collars
• Some gowns button shut
• Tight fitting pigioned breasted bodies
• Bagpipe sleeves
• Some gowns have sleeve caps with fringe or dags
• Dagged hoods, hood hats, and bag hats

1410 - Ellesmere Chaucer

Items to notice:

• This is the only English manuscript for those interested in England
• I added alt tags with the name of each character from the book so you get an idea of the look for each station in life. Mouse over the image for the tags
• The Summoner (3rd image) is wearing a gown that looks padded and quilted
• The Merchant has a large split up the side of his gown and he has turned cuffs
• There are parti colored gowns
• High collars
• Just a note on the coif on the Clerk; coifs are out of fashion in clothing in this era with a few exceptions including clerks a clergy. A coif is part of their uniform. Also we know law clerks were issued parti colored gowns through out the 15th century to identify them in court.
• Hoods, hood hats, and other odd hats

1410 to 1411 - Collected Works of Christine de Pisan

Items to notice:

• Turned down fur collar
• Fur collars and edging
• Shaped and dagged sleeve caps
• Dagged sleeves and body panels
• Pleated shoulders
• Buttons to close the body in the front
• Hood hats and bag hats

1412 to 1416 - Les Tres Riches Heures Du Duc De Berry

Items to notice:

• Fur linings
• Fur collars
• Some gowns are parti colored
• Large dagged sleeves
• Splits in the gown body along the seems
• In the 3rd image the man on the left has dags on the sleeve and the lowe quarter of the body
• In the 3rd image there are several men with heavily dagged hood hats
• Pleated shoulders
• Dagged hoods, hood hats, and bag hats

1400 to 1415 - Mixed Images

Items to notice:

• Fur collars
• One man is wearing a gown that looks padded and quilted and laces shut
• Hoods and hood hats