Women’s Medieval Underdress

About our Linen Underdress

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 long sleeved gowns fashionable of the early and late medieval periods. Experimentation has shown that this underdress fits beautifully under reconstructions of 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th century gowns, smoothing the lines of the overdress and creating the elegant silhouette shown in artwork of each of the periods.

Our underdress is made of lightweight, white linen. The neckline is shaped to match the gown, but with a smaller opening so that it can be seen beneath the overdress. The sleeves are loose enough to be comfortable, yet close-fitting enough to avoid bunching when worn with an overdress. As with our chemise, the underdress is fitted to the bust and then flares outward, ending at the ankle so that it fits smoothly under your gown without interfering with your train.