"Timeless Middle Ages" Woolen Hood

Chaperon style 14th-century hood with long tail

If you’re looking for a versatile piece of clothing that can be layered in a few different ways and worn as both a mantle and a hat, look no further than a hood! Back in medieval times, the “hoodie” didn’t exist yet, so the hooded part of a garment was worn as a separate piece, often with a little bit of shoulder coverage as well. From the Romans to the Renaissance, everyone figured out that hoods were very useful and a perfect addition to any outfit.

This particular hood is designed based on 14th and 15th-century examples and takes elements of history and fantasy to create the ideal accessory. This hood is larger than a lot of historical hoods, which means it gives you generous coverage and will protect you well from wind and rain. When worn up, the hood casts a decent shadow, which also makes this a great sun shade in a pinch. It’s easy to pull this hood on or take it off, as there are metal buttons up the front to help you get the right fit.

The most interesting design elements of this hood are the dagging and liripipe. Dagging refers to the scalloped shape along the bottom of the hood. Historically, it appears that this was a practice done to stop edges from fraying without extensive finishing, but also simply for decoration. When civilians were short on material and other ways to embellish their outfits, cutting patterns into the bottoms of hoods and garments afforded them an easy way to change things up. We chose a simple scallop shape because it’s simple but still different enough to draw attention.

The liripipe is the long, dangling bit of fabric at the end. Though the liripipe on our hood is not accessible on the inside, historical hoods gave wearers an extra “pocket” at the end of the hood, where they could store coins or even rocks! It’s documented that this part of the hood was used in games (to hit each other with!), as well as just another piece of rebellious fashion. It was considered rebellious because it was viewed as a vapid use of fabric, and a very long liripipe could be used as a vapid display of wealth. Naturally, we have made the liripipe on this hood quite long so that it trails down behind you - which can be tucked into a belt to adjust the length.

But wait - this isn’t just a hood! We’ve created this item in such a way that you can also turn it into a fabulous hat with a little bit of rolling of the bottom and adjusting of the liripipe. Watch the video below to see the different ways you can wear this awesome item. This type of hat was called a Chaperon. Originally, this style was worn by adjusting hoods and putting them on your head, though eventually in the later 15th century they began to manufacture this type of hat on its own without the hood.

Our chaperon hood is made from woolen cloth which has a very soft, even texture. This means that it protects you from the wind and also gives a little bit of rain resistance. The inside of the head part of the hood itself is lined with linen, which feels very nice against your skin and also adds a contrasting texture.

Please note that dark blue wool has a very dark shade, that may appear black under electric light indoors.

To check how to measure yourself please click here.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.