An early 15thc headdress in blue silk, gold braid and mounts.
I offered to make headwear for my friend Miriam, to match her new court garb – an early 15th century English sideless surcoat.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/02/15thc-Caul-complete.jpg)
Research and Design
The headwear needed to cover all her hair (but not her ears), and be wearable alone or under a crown. Her preferred colours were blue and gold.
I found inspiration in the effigy sculpture of Lady Mainwaring, c1410, depicted in A Visual History of Costuming (Scott 1986). Although she was wearing a houppelande, the style would also work with the formal surcoat and had the right elements – above the ears, covering the hair, and a fine pinned-on veil.
This style of headwear was worn by ladies of the nobility in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and was known by several names – crespine, crespinette, caul or tire.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/Lady-Mainwaring-D-1.jpg)
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/Lady-Mainwaring-detail-1.jpg)
Construction
The first challenge was to size the side cases – they needed to sit above the ears, but below the crown – not much room! I padded up the head-form, made a 3 piece coif toile to work on, and a card circlet to stand in for the crown
I used stiff paper to make a 3D version of the cases– large in the middle and tapering to nothing on all sides. I made a paper pattern over the top of these, then cut it out in stiff felt, sewed this up and tested it out.
Once I was happy with the pattern, I made a basic linen coif, sewed up and attached the felt case supports, then covered this base in bias cut blue silk, working in sections.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/15thc-Caul-pattern-sides.jpg)
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/15thc-Caul-patterning.jpg)
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/15thc-Caul-silk-cover.jpg)
Next step was planning the placement of the net so that it worked well over the heavily contoured shape – always tricky. I worked the side cases as separate sections, to simplify the process and make them stand out.
I stitched the gold network of braid in place, covered the edges with a wider braid and sewed gold quatrefoil mounts over the intersections. To finish it off, I lined the headdress in matching blue linen, slip-stitching this around the edge behind the gold braid.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/15th-Caul-laying-the-grid.jpg)
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/15thc-Caul-sew-mounts.jpg)
![15thc Caul headdress](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/Main-finished-web.jpg)
Finally, I made up a small rectangular veil in fine linen, pleated into a band, as seen on the effigy of Lady Mainwaring above. This is pinned on, so it can be removed for washing.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/02/15thc-Caul-veil.jpg)
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/02/15thc-caul-final-test.jpg)
Afterthoughts
I was concerned about whether the cases would make the crown sit badly, so they are not as pronounced as on the effigy. They worked fine, but I think more distinct bulges would have looked even better.
![](https://rowantreeworkshop.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/Mirriam-Coronation-May-2021-web-1.jpg)