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Customs of Female Peasantry
The Pirate King's Notes on the life of Female
Commoners
and Peasantry
during the European Renaissance
Women of the lower classes worked
hard and had little or no real
education. Her highest ambitions in life
were to marry well and bear healthy
children.
The average peasant woman bore
approximately seven children, two or
three of which would die before reaching
two years of age. Because she worked as
hard as her husband, her clothes were
made to be strong and warm.
A peasant woman wore a long-sleeved
shift under everything. She wore at
least two skirts over that, with the
upper skirt, usually newer than the
underskirt, tucked up out of the dirt.
The primary reason for wearing several
skirts was that two or more skirts were
better insulation than one. Remember
that there was no central heating in a
peasants shack, and much of their time
was spent outside anyway.
She had an apron on over the skirts to
keep them clean if she was doing some
work, which was most of the time. She
wore a tight-fitting, scoop or square
necked bodice or vest, which usually
came to a point in front. The bodice
would usually be laced in the front
because lacings in the back required a
servant, or compliant husband, in order
to get dressed in the morning. It had
removable sleeves which were worn or
not, depending on the weather.
All women over the age of thirteen had
their hair covered by some sort of
headgear. Ladies of the Court wore
several hair coverings at once. Women of
the lower classes may wear as many as
their character could afford or as
little as a snood, but all women are
required to wear a hat. The reason hats
were so prevalent,•~was that people
believed that bathing was unhealthy, in
fact dangerous. It was common for
Nobility to have lice, and likely that
peasants did. Wearing a hat kept lice
out of your hair if you didn't already
have them, and out of your food if you
did. The hair itself was usually braided
or bundled up out of the way.
Participants will not be allowed to wear
sun-glasses or any non-period accessory.
The only acception to this rule is the
sunhat. Although they are not remotely
period, sunhats are acceptable headgear.
If you want to brave the sunshine,
period hats are preferred.
Lower class women sometimes, but not
always, wore knee-length cloth hosen
held up by garter ties and, if she was
lucky, wore some kind of shoes.
She had a belt pouch and carried a small
eating knife. She had a basket to carry
things gathered in the fields or bought
at morning market. In cold weather, she
would have a cape or shawl wrapped
around her.
FABRIC COLORS
Clothing would be made of rough fabric
such as wool and cotton. She would not
wear taffeta, satin, silk, brocade,
velvet or lace, unless she was weaver or
lace maker. Colors would tend to be
earth tones with a few accents of
brighter color. It was unlawful for
peasants to wear purple fabric of any
shade. Only the royal family was allowed
the wear that color. Black dye was rare
and very expensive, it was therefore,
worn only on very formal occasions and
only the richest of the Nobility could
afford to wear black even then. The
custom of being buried in black and
wearing black at funerals may have
stemmed from this.
White fabric would not remain white for
very long under the conditions it would
be subjected to. If you want to wear
"white", use unbleached muslin to give
that worn look. Indigo blue was one of
the only dyes grown in England. This
made blue fabric cheap and readily
available. Anyone of high birth, status
or ambition avoided that shade because
peasants wore it frequently. This does
not mean that all peasants should wear
blue, in fact we are trying to avoid
having everyone wear the same color! Any
color fabric, excepting purple, is good
as long as it is muted or looks like its
seen a lot of use. Fabrics which are
printed, or even look printed are not to
be used.
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NOTES: |
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Printing on fabric had not yet been
invented and therefore, should not be
used in your costume. Designs which are woven into
the fabric are acceptable as long as the
design is not reminiscent of another
period, i.e. plaid or paisley, etc.
Remember, though, fabric which is woven
into a design would be very expensive
and would be worn by peasants (those who
could afford it) on great occasions and
only with great care. When choosing
fabric, ask yourself if it could have
been made in the sixteenth century, and
if your character could afford it. If
the answer to either question is no, or
you are not certain, don't buy it.
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If you are using 100% cotton fabric,
such as muslin, remember to wash it in
hot water and dry it on high temperature
before you cut out your pattern. That
way it will shrink as much as it is
going to and will not have to be handled
with special care come wash day!
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