The history of England from the time of William the Conqueror to that of King John and Magna Carta furnishes a wealth of material for the mask. Stories of William the Conqueror, Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the Canterbury Pilgrims and Ivanhoe, will come to your mind. English costumes show little change from the IXth to the XIVth Century. The men wore a sleeved tunic, rather short, partly open at the sides, confined by a girdle. Over this tunic, usually very plain, was worn a mantle. It was a universal custom to cross-bandage the legs from the knee down. Pointed caps and shoes or low boots were worn. Women wore long tunics or gowns with close-fitting sleeves, made loose and girt in about the waist. A short tunic with very wide sleeves at the wrist was worn over this. This garment was often richly embroidered. For the out of doors there was an extra mantle with hood. Beautiful ornaments of gold and bronze were worn by both men and women. Coverchiefs were worn over the head, encircling the face and covering the throat and shoulders. The coverchief later became the wimple. Women wore their hair flowing or in two braids brought forward over the shoulders. The men wore flowing hair and the two-pointed beard. The garments of royal persons were made of very rich materials.
An illuminated portrait of Eleanor of Acquitaine represents her “with a wimple with a circlet of gems; her under tunic fitting closely and having tight sleeves is gathered into a rich collar about her throat; over this dress is a long tunic, loose and flowing, bordered with ermine, its full and open sleeves being lined with fur; and over all, there is the ever-present mantle so adjusted that at the pleasure of the wearer it might be drawn over the head.”
XIIIth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble
Richard the Lion-hearted wore over a white under tunic a longer tunic and an almost equally long crimson dalmatic slit up at the sides. The latter garment had very full sleeves. The mantle of royal blue and gold was fastened in the center over the chest by a large morse. He wore gloves jeweled at the back of the hand, and enriched boots with spurs attached with buckled straps.
Here is a description of a XIIIth Century costume of King John. At a certain Christmas festival he appeared in a white damask tunic with jeweled girdle and gloves, his mantle being of red satin embroidered with sapphires and pearls.
XVth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble
XVIth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble