More about the coif

Today we use the word coif to mean a hairstyle. In the Middle Ages it was a bonnet. According to Rosalie Gilbert (http://rosaliegilbert.com),the coif was nearly universal, worn both during the day and at night,for both men and women. "The coif remained one of the few items of headwear which remained unchanged by virtue of its simple design. It is best described as a close-fitting linen bonnet or cap, usually tied under the chin. It was constantly used as a hair covering in bed, or under hats by the working classes and was the commonest daytime headwear worn by all classes of the community throughout Europe during the 13th century. Many early medieval illuminations show women wearing white coifs to hold their hear in place. Long after they were abandoned by women, men continued to wear the coif under other types of hat. Coifs were generally replaced by wimples and veils in the case of women. Coifs were made of fine or coarse linen, the only difference between those worn by the upper and lower classes was the material from which they were made. Upper classes naturally opted for luxury fabrics such as silk or finer linens. The finer examples were meant to be seen and not hidden under layers of other head dresses." Refer to the previous post picture of a musician with a coif.

Women's headdresses



For the most part, women in the Middle Ages did not let their hair go uncovered. Girls might let their long locks flow free, but that was considered too enticing to men for older girls and women. The nobility allowed the tresses to show for coronation and other ceremonies. Prostitutes were sometimes mandated to show their hair to distinguish them from modest, proper women. Most women braided long hair and covered the head with a coif. The coif, also worn by men, was a simple bowl-shaped piece of linen or cotton, often with strings to tie under the chin. It looked something like a baby bonnet. But, of course, the demands of beauty and fashion could not leave well enough alone. In Murder at the Leopard, we have a scene in which Ysabella and Angelica dress in their best clothes to impress Ferdinand. Angelica's long, dark hair is swept up on the back of her head and covered with a crispine. The crispine is a variation of a caul or coif. The crispine is a mesh net that slips over hair buns. These hairnets served dual purposes, holding hair back and dressing the hair up, as they were adorned with stone, pearls, precious gems or crystal beads. A somewhat later fashion divided the hair into two buns on each side of the head, Princess Leia like, and covered the buns with smaller hairnets called crispinettes. This was often accompanied by a band around the head holding a gauzy veil. More on other head coverings in the next post.

Detail of crispinette from rre-enactment costume

The crispinette with veil