Even with restrictions based on everything from tight kirtle to heavy headwear, I think there's a fallacy in the notion that there was no point of relaxation for upper class medieval women - and we do see them doing active things as well in illustrations, from feasting to riding on horseback to dan...

They are beautiful images - thank you, I have only seen black and white images of those, and certainly without such detail. 'Narrow girdles' such as these, I do believe were more often layered, lined, enforced - and probably all of these methods. These commonly were (such as the examples you have po...

Thanks fot the heads-up Karen! First, that is a beautiful piece of weaving! Having woven quite a few of these very fine girdles with filament silk, I understand your concern (and have to say congrats for having such a lovely buckle and strap end for it - I've had clients who wanted to use cast bronz...

ADVANCE NOTIFICATION Tak v Bowes Departed: A 15th Century Braiding Manual Examined by Elizabeth Benns and Gina Barrett Tak v bowes departed is an in-depth study of Article 4, British Library Manuscript Harley 2320. This treatise, which dates to the fifteenth century, gives instructions for making f...