10-14th c. Linen Kirtle

10-14th c. Linen Kirtle

$199.95

    • Based on contemporary medieval artwork(see Historical Inspirations below)
    • Made in 100% Linen
    • Also available made to order Wool
    • Available in a medieval palette of natural and jewel tones
    • Can be custom ordered in any color combination as a Parti-colored gown +$40
    • The perfect base layer for all your medieval gowns – comfortable and smoothing
    • Works equally well as an authentic undergown as well earlier period simple overgown
    • No visible machine stitching
    • All interior seams finished
    • Comes in five sizes to accommodate most body types
    • size 6 is available as a custom order +$40

Size & Color Options

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  • Linen Color Options *

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We are pleased to offer our medieval kirtle, a simple, elegant linen gown that pulls on without lacing. Medieval artwork of the 10th - 14th centuries often depicts simple, smooth gowns with tapered sleeves and full skirts. In the 12th and 13th century, this gown is often worn as a simple overdress by common women and wealthy ladies as well being used as an under gown with apron dresses, bliauts and pendant sleeved gowns. In the later 14th and 15th centuries the kirtle remains an overdress for commoners, while being depicted beneath the cotehardies, sideless surcoats, and houppelandes of the high born. Very often these images show undergowns of widely contrasting colors and in our quest to provide you with the means to create that wonderfully medieval look our kirtle is available in a rainbow of colors.

This versatility and long period of use makes our kirtle perfect for many different periods and portrayals. Wear it as an undergown with our popular Apron Dress, bliaut, scoop-sleeve dress, half-sleeve gown, or our houppelande, to look the part of a well-born lady, or on its own, perhaps with a hood, thin belt and linen chemise for the simpler fashions of the 13th century. Finally, whatever your period of choice, the kirtle is the perfect solution on hot, summer days, where you keep cool while still maintaining the proprieties of a lady!

The kirtle's neckline is shaped to peek out from the neckline of your gown so that it can be seen beneath the overdress. The sleeves are slightly fitted to avoid bunching when worn with an overdress and provide a slight flare at the wrist for that distinctly medieval flare. As with our plain, white linen underdress our kirtle is fitted to the bust and then flares outward, ending just above the floor so that it fits smoothly under your gown without interfering with your train. Our kirtle is made out of 100% linen, with no visible machine stitching.

1 review for 10-14th c. Linen Kirtle

Alphonse Strope

I just put the link of your product on my Facebook Wall. very nice indeed.

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Size Chart

Note: In our women’s clothes we’ve abandoned ‘standard’, modern sizing because it is far from standard, and tends to cause more confusion than provide accurate information. So, please judge your size by your chest and waist measurements. We do not give waist and hip measurements because the kirtle  is an ‘A’ line style and flares out from the bust so that fit at the hip is generally not an issue.

Size Max. Bust Measurement Length (from shoulder)
2 36″ / 91cm 56″
3 40″ / 102cm 56″
4 46″ / 117cm 57″
5 50″ / 125cm 57″
6 54″ / 137cm 57″

Size 6 is available made-to-order only.

White, Black, Red, Royal Blue, Burgundy, Purple

Slate Blue, Sage, Dark Green, Oatmeal, Dark Brown, Gold

Note: Please note, with the difficulty of accurately representing colors on a variety of monitors, the color names are meant as descriptions along with the 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 Wool, Silk and Linen are different and do not exactly coordinate.

We are pleased to offer our medieval kirtle, a simple, elegant linen gown that pulls on without lacing. Medieval artwork of the 10th – 14th centuries often depicts simple, smooth gowns with tapered sleeves and full skirts. In the 12th and 13th century, this gown is often worn as a simple overdress by common women and wealthy ladies as well being used as an under gown with apron dresses, bliauts and pendant sleeved gowns. In the later 14th and 15th centuries the kirtle remains an overdress for commoners, while being depicted beneath the cotehardies, sideless surcoats, and houppelandes of the high born. Very often these images show undergowns of widely contrasting colors and in our quest to provide you with the means to create that wonderfully medieval look our kirtle is available in a rainbow of colors.

This versatility and long period of use makes our kirtle perfect for many different periods and portrayals. Wear it as an undergown with our popular Apron Dress, bliaut, scoop-sleeve dress, half-sleeve gown, or our houppelande, to look the part of a well-born lady, or on its own, perhaps with a hood, thin belt and linen chemise for the simpler fashions of the 13th century. Finally, whatever your period of choice, the kirtle is the perfect solution on hot, summer days, where you keep cool while still maintaining the proprieties of a lady!

The kirtle’s neckline is shaped to peek out from the neckline of your gown so that it can be seen beneath the overdress. The sleeves are slightly fitted to avoid bunching when worn with an overdress and provide a slight flare at the wrist for that distinctly medieval flare. As with our plain, white linen underdress our kirtle is fitted to the bust and then flares outward, ending just above the floor so that it fits smoothly under your gown without interfering with your train. Our kirtle is made out of 100% linen, with no visible machine stitching.

Drawing after a detail of the Romance of Alexander, MS. Bodley 264, circa 1340 in the Bodeleian Library, Oxford, England

Drawing after Le Tres Riches Heures of Jean Duc de Berry circa 1413 in the Bibliotheque du Musee Conde, Chantilly, France

Drawing after Le Tres Riches Heures of Jean Duc de Berry circa 1413 in the Bibliotheque du Musee Conde, Chantilly, France

Drawing after Le Tres Riches Heures of Jean Duc de Berry circa 1413 in the Bibliotheque du Musee Conde, Chantilly, France

Drawing after an illuminated manuscript Cod. ser. nov. 2644, folio 34r

Drawing after Book of Hours for Rome Use, MS M.287, fol.64v, circa 1445 in The Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department, Pennsylvania, USA

Drawing after the Maciejowski Bible circa 1250 in the Pierpont Morgan Libary, New York, USA

Drawing after the Maciejowski Bible circa 1250 in the Pierpont Morgan Libary, New York, USA

Three views of our Linen Kirtle in Soft Gold

Our Linen Kirtle in purple worn as an overdress with a Turret Hat or Short Tailed Hood and Decorated Belt

Our Linen Kirtle in burgundy worn under our Linen Surcoat and with our Linen Fillet, Barbette and Turret Hat“>Linen Tasseled Pouch

Two views of our Linen Kirtle in dark green worn as an overdress with a reversible silk hood and Thin Medieval Belt

Two views of our Linen Kirtle in Black worn with a blue Linen Frontlaced Gown, Decorated Belt, and Flemish Hood (on left) and Turban (on right)

Our Linen Kirtle with Rectangle Veil and Market Bag

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