The garment now known as the lady's bliaut is a product of the mid to late twelfth century, although it is clearly descended from similar gowns worn in the eleventh and early twelfth centuries (Boucher, p. 169). It appears to have been worn wherever French culture reached at the time, from England to the Crusader states (Boucher, pps. 169 & 174), although the best and most famous examples of the bliaut in period artwork are the statue-columns at Chartres Cathedral, made from about 1145 to 1155 C.E. (Shaver-Crandell, p. 39). It was clearly a fashionable gown worn by the nobility and royals, although lower-class versions of the gown are also represented in artwork of the period (Klapisch-Zuber, p. 401).
It is not known what fabrics were used at this time to make bliauts, although wool, linen, and silk were the three main possibilities in Europe at this time. Written works of the time, discussed in the section entitled "The Bliaut in Period Literature", make it appear certain that the preferred fabric for a fashionable bliaut was silk, although other fabrics were likely used as well, especially by those who could not afford the expensive silken fabrics. Undergowns, called chainses, were usually of linen during this era (Boucher, p. 171). Veils were preferably of fine silk, although other fabrics were certainly used by those who could not afford silk (Crowfoot, p. 89). Belts are not described, but the artwork shows patterned bands, often coordinating with the gown's trim, wrapped twice around the wearer's waist. Long cords are attached at each of the ends and are tied together before being allowed to hang to the wearer's calves, often with decorative knots along their length (Aries, p. 508).
A medieval lady would wear these garments, along with any additional undergarments that might be necessary, under a cloak that was likely as much for warmth as fashion. Her shoes have only a slight point at the toe and may be patterned (Sullivan, "Lady Underfoot"). If she is nobility a crown or circlet of some kind might be necessary to complete the ensemble (Aries, p. 508). Her hair is worn in two braids, usually hanging down her chest to hip level or beyond (Sullivan, "Lady Underfoot").
The bliaut was not invented without reference to previous styles of gowns. It grew out from those previous gowns, changing as it did until it was a recognizably different gown. If one can understand how and why these changes were made, one can better understand the gown that developed.
One might say that the "genealogy" of the bliaut dates back as far as the late Roman era dalmatic, an early overgown with true sleeves (Boucher, p 157). The basic form of the dalmatic appears to change little over the centuries, and the gown is still worn in the early fourteenth century. But while the straight-sleeved dalmatic survives with little change over many centuries, variations abound. One of the most popular has what is now often called "angel sleeves", for their spreading fullness, and dates at least to the late eleventh century, when a woman in the Bayeux Tapestry is shown in a gown with sleeves that hang to approximately knee level (Boucher, p. 169). Boucher states that, "Widely flaring sleeves had enjoyed successive vogues since the middle of the eighth century" (p. 174).
While it is often difficult to tell anything specific about the line of the gowns, many of these gowns have sleeves that actually resemble the heraldic "maunch" sleeve of the bliaut more than the theatrical "angel" sleeve, including the previously mentioned gown in the Bayeux Tapestry (Boucher, p. 169). The form of the bliaut appears to be there, lacking only the particular creasing the bliaut is famous for. This appears by the late eleventh century on a wall-painting in Rome, where two women wear gowns very much like the French bliaut, with the delicate draping wrinkles the bliaut is known for (Boucher, p. 170).
In the mid-eleventh century "Crucifixion" from the Gospels of the Countess Judith of Flanders, the Virgin is represented in a loose but otherwise bliaut-like garment with maunches that reach to her lower calves. The commissioner of the painting stands in for Mary Magdalene, wearing a similar gown with maunches that reach to her knees (Klapisch-Zuber, p. 377).
In an early twelfth century depiction of Countess Matilda, she is shown wrapped in a green half-circle cloak, but several things can still be determined about her blue bliaut-like gown. The neckline is high, with no decoration or opening depicted. Her visible sleeve fits somewhat closely to about her elbow, from which it drops at an angle for about three feet. The cuff is bordered with a wide band of gold and red orfrois, or trim, in a geometric pattern. The countess's skirts are plain but full. Her white chainse, or undergown, is visible at her wrist (Boucher, p. 169).
By far, the most famous depictions of ladies in bliauts are the statues that grace the walls of Chartres Cathedral in France, carved during the 1140's and 1150's (Shaver-Crandell, p. 39). They and the male statues are said to represent the Old Testament Kings and Queens of Judah, along with several of the prophets. While these statues are noticeably elongated, they are also highly detailed. The folds of their clothing appear to be accurately laid out and are reproducible. In many photographs, little details like the patterns of trim are visible. Because of this, the six remaining female statues are of great interest in our reproduction of the bliaut. In order from left to right (facing the cathedral), they are:
Lady Underfoot (Sullivan)
Literally under the feet of a gentleman statue, this lady appears to be little more than sketched out. Her neckline appears to be high and rounded, but there is little detail. The abdominal rucking seen elsewhere is represented here with a simple upward-curving line just below her bust and a downward-curving one at about her waist, so that the ends of the two lines appear to be pulled together at her sides.
There are three lines around the upper arms of the lady's gown, which could represent nearly anything, from the decorative trim seen elsewhere during this time to simple draping of fabric. Her maunches hang to her calves, despite being knotted up. No detail is visible on the front edge.
The two photographs showing this lady do not show the bottom of her skirts, from the lower calves down, so the hem and its detailing are unknown. Just above the bottom of the photograph, some part of her costume stops on the observer's right, but it is unclear what this is. The only thing about this oddity that is clear is that it isn't her skirt, which continues without break on the observer's left and can be seen continuing under the break on the right.
Lady with Embroidered Hem (Aries, p. 508)
In this photo, the figure to the observer's right is female, and wears a fine example of the feminine bliaut. Her mantle covers her shoulders and most of her arms, but the sleeves of her bliaut are clearly seen to be bordered in decorative orfrois and hang to the lady's lower calf, despite being knotted up. They are open to at least hip level.
A wide band of orfrois outlines the close neckline and the bust-length slit necessary if one is to wear such a high-collared gown. From the bottom of the orfrois to approximately hip level, the torso of the gown is crossed by delicate horizontal rucking. At hip level, a distinct and curved line crosses from side to side and appears to be part of another band of orfrois. Below this level, the skirt falls in a multitude of fine vertical lines to approximately floor level, allowing the toes of the lady's shoes to peak out from under her dress. There appears to be a decorative band of trim or embroidery along the hem of the lady's gown.
The lady's belt, or ceinture, wraps twice around her abdomen. Decorative work much like the orfrois elsewhere on her outfit is clearly visible in one place on the ceinture, but the knot and hanging portions of the belt appear more like multiple or thick cords. The hanging portions of the belt have a series of what appear to be decorative knots and hang almost to the hem of her skirt.
Queen Clasping Book (Miller, p. 24)
On the very outer edge of the left side of the central portal is a Queen who clasps a book firmly in both hands. The lady wears a bliaut with a large roundish neckline, with the higher neckline of her chainse showing under it; unless this is perhaps a long veil wrapped loosely around her head, hanging down to her neckline. If so, she is the only statue wearing a veil and is wearing it in a manner not shown in other artwork of the era.
Her cloak covers most of her arms, but the maunches show underneath and are clearly shown. They reach to about her knees, are flat on the bottom, and are open all the way down. It is impossible to tell whether the edges are decorated, as the maunch edges of other Chartres bliauts are.
The lady's book and sleeves cover most of her torso, but there is a distinct almost-horizontal line at about her waist. Unfortunately, I cannot tell from this photograph what it might be, although the most likely prospects are that it is either her belt or a waist seam. She is definitely wearing a belt, as the knotted cords are clearly visible lower down on her skirts and hang to some point on her calves.
The lady's skirts hang to "ground level" with many vertical lines carved in. Her toes barely emerge from under her dress.
Literary Queen (Shaver-Crandell, p. 40), (Miller, p. 27)
Here, the statue to the observer's left is female. It is possible here to see that the horizontal creasing widely seen on the torsos of these statues is, at least here, topped with creases along the underside of the lady's bust, radiating out from points at the top of the horizontal creasing, directly under the lady's arms. This is in keeping with the theory that the gowns were laced on the sides, and this specific effect is easily achieved with side lacing if the lacing starts immediately below the wearer's bustline.
The lady's maunches hang to approximately knee level. They are clearly cut with a squared bottom and are left open along the entire front. In the Miller photo, many details can be seen, including the "X" 's within squares that are the trim pattern on the maunches.
Her gown is not decorated at the biceps with bands of trim, as is seen on certain other artworks of the period. Instead, her upper sleeves appear rucked. The sleeves of the undergown are visible on the lady's forearms, and appear finely rucked and tight. Her clearly-braided hair hangs over her sleeves and almost down to her knees.
The lady's neckline is a type of "V" neckline, with the shoulder creasing that comes when a long slit opening is held wide by the wearer's neck. A high-necked and apparently full chainse is worn underneath. There is a band of trim along the opening, an inch or less in apparent width, but it does not appear to have ever been patterned.
The lady holds a book in her one remaining hand, completely obscuring the waist of her gown. She is not wearing a hanging belt, called a ceinture, either due to an oversight on the part of the sculptor or because he chose to represent her without one for reasons that are now lost. The lady's skirts fall from her unseen waist to her hem in neat, distinct creases, stopping just high enough to allow her toes to peek out.
Handless Queen (Boucher, p. 175)
This lady wears a light mantle that covers her shoulders and upper arms. Under it, one can see that her bliaut sleeves, called maunches, hang to approximately knee level and have a decorative band of trim called orfrois around the opening, which is not sewn closed anywhere along its length. A narrower orfrois outlines the neck opening, a deep "V" that is made to look slightly creased across the shoulders, as if it is narrower than the lady's neck and may be one long slit which is pushed open when the wearer puts the gown on. [I have made bliauts with this particular neckline, and they automatically crease at the shoulders in this particular manner.] Fine and regular rucking cross the torso from just below the bust to the level of the lower wrapping of the belt. At this point, fine vertical lines begin, making the skirt appear to be delicately pleated on.
The sleeves of the undergown are visible on the lady's forearms, and appear finely rucked and tight. Where visible, the upper wrapping of her belt is a decorative band that strongly resembles the orfrois around her neckline. The lower wrapping of her belt is only visible as a large knot and what appear to be hanging cords that are decoratively knotted.
Cloaked Lady (Sullivan)
This statue and "Lady Underfoot" are ones I have only found photographs of on the internet, so the picture quality is not all that it could be. In this instance, however, the picture quality is not the biggest problem in determining details about the lady's gown, as she wears her cloak closed about the neck and rotated so that the front of her gown is nearly covered entirely. The opening of the cloak is on the statue's right, while the photograph appears to have been taken from her left, so the torso of her gown can barely be seen and no details can be determined.
The lady's right maunch is visible and hangs to her lower calves, open along the front edge down to at least her hips. At this angle, it is impossible to determine if there is any decorative treatment done on her sleeves, as is seen in other art from this era.
A short section of what appears to be the lower wrapping of the lady's belt is visible between her maunch and cloak on her right side. It is patterned in a design that resembles "X" 's and appears to be about two inches wide, compared with the rest of the statue. Knotted strands hang, as from her belt, to her lower calves. The lady's skirt hangs in fine, even creases to a relatively short ankle-length hem.
Besides the Chartres ladies, several other ladies are shown wearing versions of the bliaut. They include:
Herod and Salome (Aries, p. 78)
This sculpture is part of a capital from the basilica of St. Etienne, done in the second half of the twelfth century (Boucher, p. 171). Here, Salome is shown wearing what appears to be a classic bliaut, although there is no sign of falling sleeves (nor does her hand appear to be present). The draping lines are characteristic, both of the manner in which silk drapes and of the stylistic drape of the bliaut in architecture, although it is not as detailed as the Chartres sculptures. It is richly decorated at neckline and cuff with wide bands of orfrois. Parallel bands reaching from the neckline down to just below the target-patterned breasts presumably outline a center slit that allows the wearer's head to pass through the close neckline. Horizontal creases cross her abdomen and arms. Vertical creases behind her legs appear to be extra fullness from her skirt, while creases on her legs make it appear as if the fullness of the skirt is cascading off her displayed leg.
Ladder of Virtue (Klapisch-Zuber, p. 356)
Three women in this twelfth century miniature are of interest here.
The wife wears a gown that fits closely through the arms and torso, with a high "V" neckline. Her skirt abruptly becomes very full at about waist level and has a train, which hangs about two feet beyond her shoes. The woman's arms are hidden behind her husband, so it is uncertain whether the artist considered her to be wearing a bliaut with maunches.
The cleric's mistress wears a gown with a high neckline that fits somewhat closely through the torso and at least her raised arm. The right sleeve flares from about her wrist, while the left is full from elbow to bicep. The fullness of her skirt cannot be determined, but it appears to have a short train.
The nun wears a darker gown than the others, but it appears to be cut in much the same style. Again, her neckline is high, although she lacks a train. Her knee-length maunch sleeves flare from the bicep or elbow and are very full all the way down. The gown is snug in the torso but has a full skirt.
Claricia's Self-portrait (Klapisch-Zuber, p. 401)
This precious little self-portrait dates to approximately 1200 C.E. The miniaturist portrayed herself as part of the letter "Q", wearing a bliaut and holding the rest of the letter. Claricia's bliaut is simply decorated, with only a contrasting band around her high neckline and its short front opening. Symmetric light bands along the cuffs of her maunches appear to be further decoration. If so, these orfrois are approximately three inches wide. Her sleeves appear to flare from the bicep and are square or rounded along the bottom edges, which line up with her upper thighs as they hang from raised arms.
The gown fits closely through the torso. There is a series of short lines along the visible side that seem to represent rucking, as they resemble the lines on the sleeves of her chainse, a type of undergown. The skirt does not appear to be nearly as full as those on the Chartres statues, but there are several lines in the skirt that seem to indicate fullness, predominantly along the side of the gown. The skirt is long enough to cover all but the toes of the miniaturist's shoes, and has no train.
Marriage Chest (Duby, after p. 260)
The artwork on this twelfth-century marriage chest is not likely to entice anyone to wear this style gown, but it does provide some clues as to possible variations in the design of the bliaut. The maunches are very narrow and hang from sleeves that appear tight down to nearly the wrists, yet they widen as they fall and are decorated at the bottom with contrasting bands and what might be embroidered or appliquéd patches. The gown fits closely through the lady's torso, but her skirt is full enough to have a rippling hem.
The "sweetheart" shaped neckline is high and bordered by two dark lines that likely represent decorative orfrois around the neckline. Besides these decorations, the lady's gown is decorated with several more sets of paired lines. Those on her arms may represent orfrois or wrinkles, although the ones just above her elbows are symmetric and placed where one would expect the decorative bands that are mentioned by historians and seen in other art of the period. The three pair of lines between her bust and hips may represent wrinkles, a belt, or more decorative bands. Due to the lack of realism in the painting, it cannot be determined for certain exactly what these lines are meant to be.
From these artworks, it is possible to determine that the bliaut of the era:
Ms. Belinda Sibly wrote an article for the Winter 1993 issue of Tournaments Iluminated in which she described her theory about the bliaut. In that article, Ms. Sibly quotes several pieces of literature from that period which described the clothing of people in the stories. While I have acquired books that include some of those stories, or lais, the versions in the books are unfortunately re-worded in order to suit the average American reader's desired reading difficulty level, so my best source for some of these lais is still Ms. Sibly's article. "L'Escoufle", a lai from c. 1204, describes a damsel's gown, with a pleated skirt:
A most courtly damsel had put a lot of effort into the pleating. It had more than six feet of skirt And was very delicate and tight... (p. 29).
The description seems to describe the bliaut very well, with its full and apparently pleated skirt. A bliaut made of silk could certainly be described as "delicate and tight", and the piece dates from the right era to be describing a bliaut.
Two later quotes in the same article speak of women wearing tightly laced garments, one of which specifies that the lacing is " 'along the sides' " (Sibly, p. 31). Another quote, this time from "Huon de Bordeaux" describes a man wearing a bliaut laced in the same way: " 'The King was dressed in an embroidered bliaut, all of natural silk, that fitted tightly and was laced at the ribs with a thread of gold' " (p. 31). The description of this handsome masculine bliaut makes it clear that side-lacing was a sufficiently common practice to be found on garments belonging to both sexes.
As has already been noted, some women's bliauts had trains. This is noticed by the traveler Ibn-Jobair, who describes a wedding celebrated in Tyre, in the year 1184. He notes that "all the ladies present wore sumptuous gowns with trailing trains -- 'in the French style' " (Boucher, p. 174). If these gowns are truly French bliauts, it is not surprising that bliauts with trains also find their way into period art.
References to clothing in this period being made of silk are numerous. The 1161 trousseau of Melisande, sister to the Count of Tripoli, contained " 'gowns of rich, silken stuffs worked in many different fashions' " (Boucher, p. 174). One Guillaume of Tyre "speaks of their first astonishment before 'these innumerable garments all in silk', captured as booty or received as gifts " (p. 174). Crusader lords later write of the " 'far from despised' " silken clothes they wear (p. 176).
From these quotes, it is possible to determine that the courtly gown of the era, and presumably the bliaut in particular:
When one is researching the bliaut, one soon realizes that each expert seems to have his or her own pet theory concerning its construction, and each theory is different from the next. This can be incredibly confusing to a newcomer to the field, especially one who really wants to get it right. The first writer whose opinion seemed about right was Belinda Sibly, known in the Society as Lady Rowena le Sargent.
Sibly published her article, "The Bliaut: A Reconstruction Based on Primary Source Material", in the Winter 1993 issue of Tournaments Illuminated. She makes a very convincing argument that the bliaut was cut with a separate rectangular skirt, but proposes a simple curved-line pattern for the upper part of the gown.
This cut appeared sensible when the article was first read, but later practice made it apparent that the curve she suggests is wrong for anyone with any amount of bust. In order to make the lower bodice tight enough to hold its rucking, it must be laced tight or almost tight. The bust, however, must have much more room or even a small-busted woman will find the gown somewhat uncomfortable and will not be pleased with her reflection. The change in fabric widths must occur in the space of a vertical inch or two, close under the bust, or the rucking does not appear like that on the statues.
Sibly also proposes that the body of the bliaut be cut on the bias, a method that would waste an inordinate amount of fabric, although the inherent bias stretch would explain why she didn't need to alter the curve of the side-seam to allow room for the wearer's bust. This cutting method is very wasteful of incredibly expensive fabric, making it unlikely that it was used for garments like the bliaut. There is also no evidence of bias layout being used until the fourteenth century, with the possible exception of woven hose.
Francois Boucher has much to say on the bliaut (which he terms a "bliaud") as it was worn during the latter half of the twelfth century. He describes it as "...an outer tunic, also sleeved, wider for men, decorated with embroidery and braid and perhaps even with insets of cloth in different colours" (p. 171). He then clarifies:
Initially the bliaud pouched over the belt, which it hid, but at the end of the twelfth century women wore it fitting so tightly that it outlined the torso, perhaps as the result of the use of silk.... The sleeves of the bliaud worn by women began to be flared in elegant costume: they were to become so long that their ends were knotted to prevent their trailing on the ground (p. 171).
On a later page, Boucher states that the "influence of the Crusades on clothing showed itself much more in textiles than in the form of garments" (p. 174). But this alone is no proof that the Crusades had any real influence on textiles in European fashions. He then quotes Crusader writings on their reaction to the wonderful fabric they were finally able to acquire (pps. 174-6). Silks return to Europe with the Crusaders, forcing seamstresses to change their methods to suit a material unlike those they had long been accustomed to. The classic bliaut would seem to be the result.
No known descriptions remain, telling us how the sleeves of the bliaut were attached to the rest of the gown. Sibly, however, mentions a Chartres statue on which the lady's gown has a "ring of braid around the bicep, as in the men's garments, suggesting that the sleeve is not 'set in' but attached with a straight seam hidden under the braid" (p. 33). Indeed, Boucher shows us a fine example of a man in a twelfth century manuscript wearing a male bliaut with just such a band around his biceps, although his is perhaps three inches wide (p. 169). It would also appear to be trim, possibly even layers of trim, rather than what we commonly think of as braid.
It is therefore apparent that the style of the bliaut was taken directly from the style of the preceding gown, with most of the changes due to the difference between silk and the linens and wools that were widely used for these gowns before silk became available. But precisely how did the style change?
Silk drapes with a delicacy unknown in those materials that were previously available. It seems to float, in a way that not even the lightest linens and wools can. Earlier rectilinear fabric layouts in which the main body of fabric is all in one piece may work, but lack the full impact promised by the fabric. If the torso is laced and the skirt is cut in one piece with the rest of the gown, a sensible first step if one is redesigning the preceding gown, the skirt ripples in the manner seen on the Chartres men (Aries, p. 508). I have made one in this fashion, and, while the ripples look great, the style does not translate well to floor-length gowns!
It seems apparent that seamstresses soon began cutting the women's version of the bliaut with a full, straight skirt pleated or gathered onto a snug bodice, which was in turn shirred in fine horizontal rucking across the abdomen. The upper torso and sleeves of the gown fit in much the same way as they did in similar previous gowns, although the maunch sleeves are longer than those on earlier gowns.
The join between the horizontal rucking across the abdomen and the vertical pleats of the skirt is the most problematic part of the design puzzle. Previous gowns were cut with the skirt and torso in one piece, with triangular godets added in the center front, center back, and sides of the skirt (Crowfoot, pps. 176 - 7). The look this yields is quite different from that of the bliaut.
On the bliaut, the skirt hangs in fine vertical lines from an abdominal area that is crossed by numerous fine horizontal creases. For this unusual combination to work, a separate skirt must be pleated onto a lower bodice that is laced at the sides and under some tension. Yet pleating does not appear to have been used on preceding garments, which leads one to wonder why it appears here.
Due to increased travel to the Middle East, silk was finally available to European nobility in reasonable amounts, but it remained an expensive material (Crowfoot, p. 127). The sensible seamstress or noblewoman would therefore do her best to get as much impact as possible from her length of silk, piecing it so as to waste as little as possible. The pleating of a rectangular skirt onto a snug bodice displays the silk magnificently while causing minimal waste. The torso and sleeve sections can then be cut out without referencing the skirt, allowing waste to be minimized there as well.
In order to be under sufficient tension, the lower portion of the bodice must be cut smaller than the upper part, where there must be sufficient room for the lady's bust. Vertical strips one quarter of the difference must therefore be removed from the sides of the pieces for the lower bodice, curving outward at the boundary so the area looks normal. A similar curve at the bottom of these pieces improves the look of the waist seam.
Since necklines varied, a wide variety of necklines are suitable for the bliaut. The necklines of the gowns previously mentioned range from a long tight "V" to an almost-modern "sweetheart".
One theory on the cut of the bliaut is that the torso of the gown was cut on the diagonal, in order to give that part of the gown a certain amount of stretch where it might be needed, such as the bust. Ms. Sibly suggests cutting the chainse and the body of the bliaut in this manner, but this theory does not make sense. It would be a very wasteful use of expensive fabrics and would necessitate diagonal seams throughout the garment. There is pictorial evidence from the fourteenth century for bias cutting, but "probably more for the novel visual effect than for body-fitting qualities" (Crowfoot, p. 185). So bias cutting is unlikely to have been a period way of achieving the fit of the bliaut.
Another theory on the construction of the bliaut is that the entire top, or at least the abdomen, is smocked. This might explain the rucked pattern on the abdomen and the sudden fullness of the skirts. But smocking would yield a vertical pattern in the abdomen, not the horizontal one that is clearly visible in much of the art examined earlier. And, unless the smocking continues all the way up the torso, there would be either a great deal of fullness to the upper torso or a seam separating the fitted chest from the smocked abdomen. Neither is the case. As can be clearly seen in a close-up of the "Handless Queen", the smoothness of the upper torso gradually gives way to the horizontal lines crossing the abdomen. Tension creases radiate out from the back of her neck and the creases across her abdomen curve under her bust. This is the look of a smooth, well-fitted garment laced into rucking across the wearer's abdomen. The tension creases are because her neck hole is actually a long slit that is forced wide when she puts the garment on. The same effect has been accomplished several of my bliauts in just this manner.
In period art, it appears that garments of this era were cut in such a way as to place a straight seam somewhere on the wearer's bicep (Boucher, p. 169). The most commonly documented fabric widths of the time were between twenty-five and thirty inches. If the bodice of the bliaut is cut in one piece from a bolt of fabric this wide, the sleeve will need to be pieced on and the seam will fall at some point on most women's biceps. On a larger person or if the fabric is narrower, multiple piecing might be necessary, but this is still the easiest place to accomplish this piecing.
The maunches look most like those of the Chartres statues if they fall to some point between the wearer's knees and the floor. They should be cut almost as rectangles, with only a slight angle along the seam from the elbow. If cut long, as I prefer, they strongly resemble those of the "Lady with Embroidered Hem," from Chartres Cathedral (Aries, p. 508).
It is necessary to change the basic bliaut pattern due to the fact that a large rectangle of cloth, if hung from a vertically-gathered piece of cloth, causes that cloth to sag in those areas that are not securely gathered. A sagging hem in the back of a gown like the bliaut becomes a pleasant short train, but a sagging hem in the front of almost any gown makes it difficult for the wearer to avoid tripping on her own skirts. By cutting about three inches out of the length of the skirt in the center front on the top edge and curving this cutting line up toward the original cutting line as it approaches the sides, this sag can be eliminated. If the gown worn by "Lady with Embroidered Hem" is correctly represented, ladies in the twelfth century altered their bliauts in a similar fashion, for the front of her hem is straight, even though the line at her waist is distinctly curved (Aries, p. 508).
The next step at this point is to plan the layout of the gown. The layout shown is appropriate for any fabric approximately 60" in width, although one may need to change certain measurements. If one were using fabrics of about 30" in width, like many of those documented to the era, one would simply cut the maunches and the body of the gown from separate pieces of the fabric and use four panels instead of two for the skirt. When planning the layout of the fabric, it is easiest to think of the fabric as being in multiples of approximately fifteen inches. Four multiples each are needed for the front and back panels of the skirt. Two are needed for the bodice, and one each for the sleeves. If the fabric is narrow or the person is large, some extra piecing may be necessary at the bicep, but these seams can be easily covered with a band of trim or braid.
This layout, shown for a 60" wide piece of fabric, may appear to be wasteful, but it wastes less fabric than any other layout I have seen for the bliaut. With the exception of the fabric trimmed off the front skirt panel, the waste pieces are all of a size and shape that would make them easily used in future projects. Additionally, the "increasing pressure to fit cloth closely to the human body, from the time of the Norman conquest at least, slowly produced increasingly inventive use of what were essentially geometric shapes" (Crowfoot, p. 176). Wasting fabric had become acceptable, to a degree, in the pursuit of the more fashionable look.
From the period descriptions quoted earlier, it is apparent that silk was the preferred material for a fashionable bliaut. Silk is certainly mentioned far more often in relation to the bliaut than were other fibres of the era. But wool and linen were easily available in Europe at that time. They were widely used among the lower classes and were certainly still being used by the nobility for some things. Could the bliaut have been designed for one of them instead of the more expensive silk?
Wool is the most likely suspect here. It takes most natural dyes well, although not as well as silk, and has been used since Ancient times as the fabric of choice for the overgarment (Barber, p. 137). By the Middle Ages , wool "was the chief raw fibre used for textiles" in England and presumably elsewhere on the continent (Crowfoot, p. 15). Wool fabrics from this time range from fine worsteds to fluffy woolens that might be given a flannel-like nap (Crowfoot, pps. 28 - 35). The worsteds, with their smoother, harder yarns would be most appropriate fabrics for bliauts to be made of, as they can be lighter in weight and therefore hang more like the garments of the Chartres statues. But there was nothing new about wool fabrics by this time, so unless the bliaut's development was due entirely to someone's creativity, the bliaut was not designed for wool fabrics.
Perhaps the bliaut was designed for linen fabrics. Linen takes a pleat very well and tends to hold a crease until it is next washed. But linen is traditionally a fabric for undergarments, bed "linens", and table "linens" (Crowfoot, p. 80). At a time when fabrics of other fibres are commonly dyed colours that are as bold as possible, linen is most valuable when a pure white (p. 81). This is likely due to the fact that linen neither takes nor holds natural dyes very well (Barber, p. 103). Yet the bliaut is clearly shown in paintings to be dyed in bright, bold, or dark colours (Boucher, p. 169; Duby, after p. 260). It is only in modern times that we are able to dye linen in shades like this, so the gowns in the artwork are not made of linen.
That leaves silk. We already know from the literature of the period that silk was a highly prized commodity that was often chosen for fashionable garments during this era (Boucher, p. 174). It flows in lightweight waves, pleats finely, and holds up despite its fineness. Its rich sheen makes it even more lovely and desirable, something people would willingly redesign their clothing in order to properly use. It was also only recently become available in large quantities to European nobility, with the increase in travel to and contact with the Middle East. It seems clear that silk was the fabric of choice for bliauts.
A good thread must also be used for the bliaut and accompanying garments. Among the upper classes, silk thread was preferred over others and used extensively in their clothing, especially in those places where the stitching was decorative or simply visible (Crowfoot, p. 152). Linen thread was "usually used for the main seams", interior seams where the stitching would not show (p. 152). Wool thread, on the other hand, is not mentioned as being used for the clothing of the nobility, although its use "must still have been widespread in the lower classes of society" (p. 152).
The first step after cutting out the pieces of the bliaut is to finish the neckline. It is far easier to hem and trim a flat piece of fabric than one that is folded in half and sewn closed along the sides! I strongly suggest that the neckline be sewn by hand, as this is the only way to do such a fine neckline very well.
Next, the cors, or body of the garment, is hemmed along the lower sides where the lacing will go. The sleeves are then sewn onto the cors at the bicep, using a French seam to keep the raw edges from fraying out. The long side seams are now sewn closed from the bottom of the maunch opening to the top of the lacing area in the cors. A French seam is also used here, and for the same reason.
At this point, the trim is handstitched to the edges of the maunches and sewn over the bicep seams. This step could easily be accomplished later in the construction of the bliaut, but I prefer to attach the trim before the great quantities of skirt fabric is added to the bliaut.
The skirt panels are now prepared to be sewn to the cors. A narrow piece of fabric, curving down to about three inches wide at the center of the front panel is removed so the belly droop that occurs once the sides of the cors are laced doesn't cause the wearer to trip constantly on the hem of the bliaut. This curve is cut to resemble an elongated sine wave overlaid on a simple arc. In other words, the cutting line is above the simple arc near the sides and below it as they approach the center. The skirt hangs better if the extra fabric is removed from the top of the skirt instead of from the bottom, so the skirt doesn't bag as it hangs from the drooping seam.
Now the fullness of the skirt is spaced out across the width of the lower edge of the cors. Knife pleats are too directional for this look and many others are too late-period, but I've found that fine pin-pleats work well. Small (less than an inch across) box pleats should work just as well, and may be better for springy silks. Leave a standard seam allowance of skirt fabric on either edge of the cors so the skirt panels can be easily sewn together later without destroying the line of pleating.
The front and back panels of the skirt are now sewn together along the sides. The top three or four inches of these seams are left open, to facilitate dressing. There is no need to close this opening in order to solve a modesty problem, as the bliaut is not the only layer of clothing worn and the opening drapes shut when the gown is worn because of the way the gown is cut. The remaining seam allowances here are now hemmed for a neater appearance.
This is the best point at which to sew in the lacing rings. The smaller the rings are, the less obvious they are on a finished garment, but they must also be large enough for a strong lucet cord to pass through them easily. At this point, the smallest functional rings I have been able to find are a half-inch in diameter, although I am certain smaller suitable rings must exist. Plastic cabone rings cost pennies a piece and are the preferred choice if the fabric might snag easily or is unusually expensive, like silk. Small metal washers look more appropriate and are quite inexpensive, although they must often be filed after purchase to remove the remaining snags. I place my lacing rings 3/4 - 1 inch apart, which achieves the right look. Modern-looking rings can be easily covered once they're sewn on by chaining buttonhole stitches around the visible length of ring.
The bliaut is ready to be laced, but it needs a strong, smooth cord, one that is strong enough to bear the weight of the skirt and the occasional person stepping on it. I prefer to use lucet cords and make my own using my handmade lucets and crochet yarn, which is available in any fabric and crafts department. I use one strand of cord to lace them and do so by passing from front to back and back again in the simplest manner I know, since I have no precise information on how the sides were laced in the period.
The depth of the hem is determined at this point. Going by the artwork, it appears that the bliaut almost always touches the ground and is sometimes long enough in front for a minute puddle of fabric, but nothing approaching the great puddles associated with fashionable gowns of the late fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Once the skirt is hemmed, the gown is complete.
During the Middle Ages, all seams were sewn by hand, a fact that goes without saying as the sewing machine was not invented until the eighteenth century. Based on the evidence found amid the London landfills, it appears that the usual type of seam for connecting two pieces of fabric was a seam running parallel to the two raw edges, as we see in traditional sewing today (Crowfoot, p. 155). The main stitch used in this type of seam appears to have been the running stitch, with sizes varying from 2 - 4 mm in length (pps. 155 - 6). Backstitch is believed to have been used in situations where the fabric was under more stress, as is done in modern hand-sewing (p. 156). Sometimes, running stitches are sewn through the visible outer layer and the seam allowance on each side of a seam, in order to strengthen the join (p. 156).
During the period of the bliaut, hems are folded up twice, as is done today, only if the fabric is likely to fray (p. 156). Otherwise, they are folded up only once, a practice most often seen on woolen garments (p. 156). The hem is then sewn down using a hemstitch, running stitch, or even topstitching (pps. 156 - 7). Hemstitch is the only one of these three stitches known to have been used on silken fabrics at this time (p. 157).
A bliaut is not truly complete without proper decoration. Considering the aforementioned period representations of bliauts, it appears that proper decoration includes trim or bands of other decoration that is apparently an inch or more wide along the cuffs of the sleeves, trim in one of a range of widths along the neckline opening, and sometimes trim at the wearer's biceps. Trim may decorate the waist seam and possibly the hem of the gown.
This trim, or orfrois, is not necessarily a rich band with a repeating pattern, sold ready to use. It can be something as simple as a contrasting band of fabric, as that on Claricia's bliaut surely is (Duby, p. 401). On representations of royal or noble women, it is patterned (Boucher, pps. 169 and 174; Aries, p. 508). Card-woven trim (the process is also known as tablet-weaving) is appropriate to the era and location, and can be quite fine and decorative, perfectly appropriate for trimming a bliaut (Crockett, pps. 15 - 17). Photographs of two pieces of extant twelfth-century trim make it clear that the art form was well-advanced by this time (p. 17). Sketches of trim from the Chartres statues give further understanding of trim patterns of the era.
The Chainse:
The chainse is a type of long-sleeved chemise or undergown worn under the bliaut, and is generally made of linen (Boucher, p. 171). Art of the period shows it with finely rucked sleeves, so they are apparently cut longer and tighter than is absolutely necessary. Since the high round neckline with an opening down the center front is a widely-used neckline during the era and one of the Chartres ladies clearly has such a neckline as part of her chainse, the neckline seems appropriate to the chainse and allows for a wider range of necklines on the bliaut itself (Boucher, p. 175). The only times in this sampling that it is represented in colour, it is shown as being white (Boucher, p. 169; Duby, after p. 260).
While the neckline and lower sleeves of the chainse can be seen in period artwork, the rest of the garment is unseen, so its exact design is unknown. The sleeves need extra length for rucking, and some of the statues appear to show chainses with extra fullness around the neck opening. Aside from that, it seems most likely that cut of the chainse is rectilinear, with triangular godets most likely added for extra fullness in the skirt. This basic design for gowns and undergowns was well-established by the twelfth century, and would continue to be used for some time afterwards.
During the twelfth century and for some time before, decorative brooches were the "preferred fastening at the neck" (Crowfoot, p. 168). Kohler shows a photograph of one such brooch in his book (p. 145). I have no desire to wear a brooch at my neck while in close contact with my two small and energetic children, so I replace the brooch with a hook and eye, hiding them behind a decorative button that looks appropriate. With this arrangement in place, I need never worry about one of the children causing my brooch to fly off or stick someone in the wrong place.
The Ceinture:
The ceinture, or belt, is shown wrapped twice around the wearer's middle and tied at the center front of the lower wrapping, with knotted belt cords hanging down to the wearer's calves. Four of the six Chartres statues pictured wear ceintures, each decorated in patterns that seem to coordinate with the orfrois from elsewhere on their outfits (Boucher, p. 175; Aries p. 508). The belts appear to be about two inches wide, although this is only an average based on appearances. Trim works well for this if given a backing, or one can use a lovely tabletwoven belt.
The Veil:
While the Chartres ladies do not appear to be wearing veils, they are ubiquitous elsewhere. Countess Matilda wears a white veil that hangs below her shoulders in front and disappears inside the back of her cloak (Boucher, p. 169). The Madonna on the southern portal of Notre-Dame wears just such a large, long veil (Duby, after p. 260). On the subject of veils, Boucher says only that, "their hair, which was generally dressed in long, dangling plaits, was concealed under a fine veil" (p. 172). Crowfoot mentions silk veils of that general era which have been kept as relics (p. 89). For a truly fine veil, I suggest utilizing a stitch described in Textiles and Clothing:
Another form of hem particularly suited to fine silks is the rolled hem. This is less conspicuous than the double hem but demands more skill and manual dexterity as it cannot easily be pinned in place before sewing. The left hand rolls the raw edge and holds this in place whilst it is stitched by the right hand (Crowfoot, p. 158).
The process is not really as hard as it sounds, and adds some give to the seam. It also makes it possible to make the hem much finer than it could be using a normal hemstitch. Nor does it take long to pick up -- the first time I tried that stitch on silk, I was able to make it as fine as the hem described in the book within a few minutes of starting.
It is clear that the bliaut, the fashionable gown of French culture through most of the twelfth century, owes much of its look to its immediate predecessor. The style changes that differentiate the two appear to be due in no small part to the new availability of silk to the upper classes of this time, although the style has been shown to have been copied by those who would not have had access to such expensive fabrics and must have used the wools they could afford (Klapisch-Zuber, p. 401).
While it is extremely likely that more than one cutting style for the bliaut existed, one high-fashion style was certainly cut with a separate rectangular skirt pleated on to the bodice of the gown, as can be seen on the Chartres statues. Other specifics of the gown may not be so easily clarified, but this style of bliaut is a close match for the gown described in sculpture and literature and is a sensible interpretation of those descriptions. Waste is minimized, yet the gown is impressive in its opulent use of fabric and decoration. It is also quite comfortable to wear, a necessity when one is wearing it for many hours at time.
Aries, Phillipe, and Duby, Georges. A History of Private Life: II: Revelations of the Medieval World. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1988 (Original French 1985).
Boucher, Francois. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment. Expanded Edition. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987 (Original French 1965).
Crockett, Candace. Card Weaving. Loveland, Colorado: Interweave Press, Inc., 1973. Revised 1991.
Crowfoot, Pritchard, and Staniland. Textiles and Clothing c. 1150 - 1450. From the Museum of London's "Medieval Finds From Excavations in London" series. Norwich, UK: HMSO, 1992.
Duby, Georges. France in the Middle Ages 987 - 1460. Malden, Mass: Blackwell Publishers, Inc., 2000 (Original French 1987).
Holy Cross, College of. "Chartres Cathedral, Chartres France". <http://ashby.holycross.edu/departments/visarts/chartres/chartres.htm>. This site contains many excellent photographs of the Chartres statues, including ones that are not published elsewhere.
Klapisch-Zuber, Christiane, editor. A History of Women: Silences of the Middle Ages. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1995 (Original 1990).
Kohler, Carl. A History of Costume. NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1963 (Original English version 1928). Used solely for photograph of extant item.
Shaver-Crandell, Anne. The Middle Ages. From Cambridge University's "Introduction to the History of Art" series. NY: Cambridge University Press, 1982.
Sibly, Belinda. "The Bliaut: A Reconstruction Based on Primary Source Material." Published in Issue #109 (Winter 1993) of the Society for Creative Anachronism's Tournaments Illuminated series, pages 28 - 34. Milpitas, CA: The Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc., 1993.
Sullivan, Mary Ann. "Images of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France -- page 5". <http://www.bluffton.edu/%7Esullivanm/chartreswest/jambs.html>. This site contains many excellent photographs of the Chartres statues, including ones that are not published elsewhere.
While I have tried to explain any specialty words in context, some may need further explanation. I have attempted to explain any that would be unfamiliar to the reader.
bliaut, also bliaud: the term used for the fashionable gown worn during the mid to late 12th century, especially in French use.
card-weaving, also tablet-weaving: a method used during the Middle Ages to make detailed bands that can be used as trim, belts, or for numerous other uses.
ceinture: a French word meaning "belt" or "girdle", it is the term used for the type of belt worn with a bliaut.
chainse, pl. chainses: the term used for the undergown worn with the bliaut. It is, according to Boucher, "a long under-tunic with long sleeves, generally made of linen" (p. 171).
cors: from the French word for body, the term used for the part of a gown covering the torso and abdomen. I prefer this term over the more commonly used "bodice" because the connotations associated with bodice are of a stiff, tightly fitted garment, like the Elizabethan bodice.
lai, pl. lais: story-songs dating from the twelfth century, often told by traveling troubadours.
lucet: a hand tool shaped somewhat like a lyre, used to make a strong, smooth cord perfect for lacing bliauts and other garments. Cord made on it is called lucet cord.
maunch: the French word for sleeve, in twelfth century fashion it is shaped like the heraldic maunch, with a wide strip of cloth falling from the wearer's lower arm to her knees or lower.
orfrois: decorative bands sewn to garments of this period at neckline, cuffs, and sometimes bicep and hem. These could be embroidery, tablet-weaving, or simply contrasting cloth, although many of the Chartres ladies have patterned orfrois.
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