plaited hair.

One must remember always that the advance of costume only affected the
upper classes in the towns, and that the knight's lady in the country
was often fifty years behind the times in her gowns. As an instance of
this I give the fur tippet hung with bells, used when hawking.

[Illustration: {A woman of the time of Richard II.}]

In the early part of the reign the cotehardie was the universal
woman's garment. It was made in two ways: the one a simple,
well-fitting garment, skirts and bodice in one, buttoned in front,
with neck well open, the skirts ample and long, the sleeves over the
hands to the first joints of the fingers, and ornamented with buttons
from the elbow to the little finger--this was the general form of the
garment for all degrees of rank. The lady enriched this with a belt
like a man's, narrow in width round the waist with hanging end, or
broad round the hips and richly ornamented. The other form of
cotehardie was exactly as the man's, ending short below the hips,
under which was worn the petticoat.

[Illustration: {Three types of dress for women}]

The winter addition to these was the surcoat (as usually worn by a
knight over his armour); this was often lined with fur. The surcoat
was a long garment without sleeves, and with a split down the sides
from the shoulder to the top of the thigh; through this split was seen
the cotehardie and the hip-belt. The edges were trimmed with fur, and
very frequently ornamental buttons were worn down the front.

Over the shoulders was the cloak, left open in front, and fastened by
means of a cord of rich substance passing through two loops in the
backs of large ornamental studs; this cord was, as a rule, knotted at
the waist, the ends hanging down as tassels.

[Illustration: {Two types of dress for women}]

Later in the reign, when the second Queen of Richard had brought over
many rich fashions, the ladies adopted the houppelande, with its heavy
collar and wide, hanging sleeves. Every lady and most women carried a
purse in the hand or on the girdle, ornamented according to their
station.

The merchant's wife wore, in common with her maids, a white apron. The
child who was spinning a peg-top in the street was simply dressed in a
short-skirted cotehardie.

[Illustration: A WOMAN OF THE TIME OF RICHARD II. (1377-1399)

Her loose surcoat is cut away to show her under-dress. Her hair is
completely hidden by her jewelled caul.]

For r