We would like to point out that the cotton fabric is not waterproofed. Our body-length, hooded cloak is made from plain cotton and closes at the front with a single wooden button and loop. There were numerous ways to fasten this particular type of coat or cape - with a fibula (brooch), a small chain, ties or, later on, buttons. Generally worn by the common people as a protection from the elements, cloaks could be of many different lengths, hooded or without hood, and came in a variety of styles or patterns. The cloak also differed between a garment of fashion and an everyday outer wear for bad weather let this reflect the colour you choose.In the Middle Ages, the cloak was a staple garment. A commoner or person living in rural areas maybe had an undyed homemade cloak, while a fashionable burgher would wear something bought, dyed and cut to their taste. Use artwork again blues, reds and browns are seen often, and during the late medieval period dark hues and black seems to be popular. The best colours for your cloak is: “yeah, it depends on.” you are starting to get this right? Period, area, status, wearer… like with all the other garments the medieval person would buy or make a garment according to what they could afford and what was available/allowed for them. Very thick and warm fabric, or a softer and warm choice. If you just want a good, affordable fabric right now I include some links here to that sells good thick woollen fabrics for cloaks. Buy enough fabric to give you the size of the cloak you need! Generally speaking, the right kind of fabric and the way you drape your cloak is more important than which model you choose, if you want to look dramatic. A sturdy, dense wool fabric that has been fulled would do well for a cloak, and beyond that, it is more a matter of when you need it (a lined winter cloak or a thinner, fashionable draped summer cloak?) There are examples of both twill and tabby woven cloaks, so again- to find the perfect cloak fabric for your period, status and adventure you would have to do some research for yourself. There are examples of velvet and silk cloaks, but only for ceremonial or high-status wearers. Wool, unlined or lined with wool or fur is both practical, and the most used material in cloaks during the medieval period. If you want to decorate your cloak try to find artwork from the period you want to recreate. For an everyday cloak, I would go with a sturdy, fulled fabric without decorations. Putting the cloak on the body and adjusting the hem afterwards is another method.įinds, paintings and statues indicate that embroidery, woven bands, silk or a combination of these were used to decorate the cloak, however, these examples are mainly seen on religious or high-status garments. If you want to make a full circular cloak more even by the hem, you may cut the neck hole nearer the front hem than the back hem (my full cloak is 70 cm at the front, and 80 cm long at the back). The cloak does not need to have an even hem, many examples are just draped over the body or longer back. Small shoulder seams or darts can be made as a more modern solution to make the cloak stay over your shoulders. I have found no evidence for the cloak with vertical sections/seams to create a fit (which is popular when buying modern cloak patterns) instead, I would recommend you to choose a simple cut and then drape it on your body to your liking. Cloaks are fairly common in period art sources, so if you browse through a bunch of paintings you might get the idea on what to choose. Choose your method based on which period you would like it to reflect. (Hoods on cloaks can be seen in 18th c fashion, but let’s leave that century to another time)Ĭloaks may be fastened with a seam, pin, clasp, strings, ribbons, brooch, ring brooches or buttons. So if you want to make an outfit close to historical sources, make a cloak and a separate hood that correspond with the fashion of the time. I have not found evidence of hoods or head covering sewn onto the cloak in any finds, and when a hood is shown in contemporary art it is commonly separate from the cloak, even though it might be in the same colour as the larger garment. Clearly, the garment was both used in a religious context as well as an everyday travel item. There is also evidence of cloaks lined with fur or fabric, cloaks with slits or trains, and of different lenght. In written sources, cloaks go under many different names depending on the time, period, appearance and who the wearer is. Full cloak with sleeves, collar and decorative borders
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