17th Century 3

Womans-hat.jpg

17th Century 3

Hats

Nowadays many re-enactors acquire a high crowned wide brimmed felt hat, but there are many alternatives. The beret and Monmouth caps were very popular with the common man. In 1644 Symonds wrote of the town of Bewdley " The only manufacture of this town is the making of caps called Monmouth caps, knitted by poor people for two pence apiece, ordinary ones sold for two shillings, three shillings, and four shillings. First they are knit, then they mill them, then block them, then they work with tassels, then they sheer them".

This may seem a very complicated process, but an ordinary cap knitted from thick wool (a bobble hat without the bobble) will suffice. A beret is simply a headband with material gathered into it so that it flops on the head.The wide brimmed felt hat can be worn as it is, or the brim may be pinned or buckled up at the front or side.

The simplest type of cap worn by women can be made by taking a rectangle of white or cream cotton about 10 inches by 20 inches. Fold this so that you have a 10 inch square. The fold will be on top of the head. The back of the cap is gathered and the front can be folded back. Embroidery or lace may be added to the fold back if your station in life allows.

Collars

A round cotton collar can be worn by either sex. They can be up to 8 inches in width and are tied by tapes or cords at the front. A seam at the back of the collar helps it to sit properly. A square collar did not come into use much before 1640.

A collar band can be added to a man's if he wishes to wear it with a high collared doublet. This will enable it to fit snugly inside the doublet. All ranks of both sexes wear collars ( unless you are a courtesan, or a female who wishes to flaunt herself unseemingly !! ).
Sometimes a stock was worn instead of a collar. It is just a yard length of linen, sometimes unhemmed and rough, wound around the neck under the doublet collar.


17th century costume for re-enactors