Clothing
was very important in the Tudor age, people dressed according to their status
and there were laws which dictated what people could and could not wear. The
higher in status a person was the more luxurious their clothing could be. For
example only the Royal family could wear crimson, this defined them as royalty,
while lower class people simply could not afford such rich fabrics for
clothing, not to mention it would not be practical to wear such delicate
garments while doing physical labour.
In
addition to this, during the reign of Henry VIII married women had to cover
most of their hair. Headdresses including the Gable Hood and French Hood were
the two main headdresses worn by women of the court. Just as the gowns they
wore, a woman’s headdress was a statement of their status and wealth. Women of
the Tudor court would wear lavishly decorated headdresses and many would try to
copy and emulate what the Queen wore. In this article I will be discussing two
types of Tudor headwear, the Gable Hood and French Hood. But first I must talk
about the Tudor Coif….
Coif
Women
were supposed to have their hair covered. There were some exceptions, girls
could wear their hair down and the Queen of England could wear her hair down on
her coronation day – but other than this a married lady had to wear her hair up
and covered. The coif one of the most common pieces of headwear worn by all
classes of women during the Tudor age. Coifs were usually made of linen, any
cheap material, or even silk for a richer woman, and they were either white or
light in colour.
The
coif was essentially a cap that was worn to cover the head and to hide most of
a woman’s hair. For the common woman, those that worked upon the land, spun for
a living or other types of physical labour, the coif was a way to keep the hair
back from the face. For women of nobility and the Tudor court the coif was worn
under the hood to hold back a woman’s hair from the face and to protect the
hood from the hair’s natural oils. The coif could be simple in design and
appearance or beautifully embroidered with fine thread. A woman’s hair was
commonly braided and tied up under the coif.
Women at court,
ladies in waiting and the Queen, would have worn a coif that would most likely
have been made of silk or another type of expensive material and it would have
been intricately embroidered. Despite not being able to be seen, the coif was
still a fashion piece and more so a statement of a woman’s position. The
prettier and more expensive the better!
Gable Hood
There
were two types of hoods, the English hood otherwise known as the Gable and the
French Hood. The Gable Hood was most popular during the later years of Henry
VII’s reign and the first decade or so of Henry VIII’s reign. The Gable covered
all of a woman’s hair and was often made in a triangle shape with the point at
the top. Thanks to painters during this time, such as Hans Holbein, we have
many wonderful examples of the Gable Hood.
Like
any fashion, the style of the Gable Hood changed over time. The lappets (white
parts that hang down to the shoulders) shortened over the years, and changed in
length depending on the desire of the wearer. The hood (the material that hangs
down the back) also changed quite dramatically over the reign of Henry VIII and
we have several examples were the hood hung completely down the back, one of
these being in a portrait of Queen Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife.
·
 |
| Katherine of Aragon |
There are also examples in paintings that show half of the hood pinned up. An example of this can be seen in Queen Jane Seymour’s portrait. The right half of the hood was turned up and folded or twisted and then pinned so it would project on the left side. The left side of the hood was then brought across the back and draped over the right shoulder. This style of Gable Hood was also referred to as the ‘whelk shell headdress’ as the hood was sometimes folded in the shape of a whelk shell.
 |
| Jane Seymour |
Another example of
how the hood was designed and worn has a square shape at the back of the Gable
hood, and the hood is split into two parts or panels that hang down loosely and
could have been worn over each shoulder. There is a wonderful Holbein sketch
that shows this split hood.
 |
| Holbein Sketch |
The Gable Hood was
also decorated with lavish jewels depending on the wealth of the wearer. It was
made out of expensive materials and designed in a variety of colours to suit
various coloured gowns the Queen or noble woman was wearing. As with fashion of
the day the decoration of the hood changed according to the person’s style,
their wealth, and how much they wanted to display their status.
The Gable Hood was
quite popular during the later years of Henry VII’s reign and the early years
of Henry VIII’s reign however, it did not completely disappear from usage until
around 1570.
 |
| Gable Hood made by Amanda Reiman |
French Hood
It
is commonly believed that Anne Boleyn brought the French Hood to the Tudor
court when she returned from France and made her debut at court in 1522.
However this is not the case, it was most likely that Mary Tudor, younger
sister of Henry VIII, whom had the greatest influence upon the introduction of
the French Hood as a fashion statement at court, especially upon her return to
England after her short lived marriage to King Louis XII of France.
The French hood was far more scandalous than
the Gable Hood as it was worn back from the hairline and showed some of the woman’s
hair. It was also designed in a circle or oval shape. The hood may have been tied under the chin by
a thin piece of ribbon or may have been fitted to the head and pinned to the coif
or hair.
At the front of the French hood was a
coloured piece of material, sometimes frilled or for royalty made of gold
gauze. This rested upon the hair and toward the back of the hood was a fixed
wire which was covered with material and often lined with expensive jewels.
This wire provided the oval shape of the hood. A black or dark colour tubing of
material was attached to the back of the hood and hanged down the woman’s back.
 |
| Mary Tudor wearing a French Hood |
The
style and decoration of the French Hood changed over the years depending on the
fashion of the time and person wearing it. Sometimes the back of the hood was
raised higher and more intricately decorated, while other styles pushed the
front of the hood back to reveal more hair. As in modern times the overall
design, shape and decoration of the hood changed with personal taste and
courtly fashion.
 |
| French Hood made by Gina Clark |
Sarah Bryson
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About the Author
Sarah Bryson is a researcher, writer and educator who has a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Honours. She currently works with children with disabilities. She is passionate about Tudor history and has a deep interest in Mary Boleyn, Charles Brandon, the reign of Henry VIII and the people of his court. She is the author of Mary Boleyn in a Nutshell and Charles Brandon: The King’s Man. Visiting England in 2009 furthered her passion. Sarah lives in Australia, enjoys reading, writing and Tudor costume enactment, and wishes to return to England one day. Find out more at Sarah's website sarah-bryson.com and follow her on Twitter @SarahBryson44.
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