#gable hood

[witchesofmysticchurch]

French hoods just don't have the power and aura English hoods do. A french hood just makes you look cute, an English hood will you look like you're the head bitch in charge.

[isadomna]

The evolution of English hood (gable hood) from the 1490s to the 1540s, after which English court fashion was replaced by French fashion.

[hellomadamebutterfly]

God, I want a Gable hood so bad right now

[realcatalina]

Gable hood trivia-the back

English gable hood is today not very favoured by people who recreate Tudor outfits. And too often, despite trying, they get this headwear wrong.

But documentaries also, despite being created with help of proffesionals!

Hence, I’ve decided to show you some interesting details and examples and lead you chronologically from year 1500 up to mid 16th century when the headwear disappeared for good. 

(This headwear’s history is actually stretching at least to beginning of Henry VII’s reign. But it is too complicated mess in 15th century and I failed establishing chronological sequence there.) 

Enjoy

1)RULE. DON’T YOU DARE TO FORGET THE BONNET

 Gable hood was called in Tudor times as frontlets and bonnet.

Frontlets refers to decorative lappets in front. (Not to the stripy fabric above forehead). People understand that they are esential part of the headwear, but forget the other essential part-the bonnet! (not the 19th century type of Bonnet, but tudor kind.)

Bonnet in this case refers to the box like shape at the back which most people think appeared in 1520s. No, it didn’t! One of gable hood’s ancestors was short henin.

Over time the roundish/tube-like shape instead fallowed shape of gable.

Bonnet was always there! Gable hood was never flat at the back, as french hood was. (Bonnet also changed size a lot prior to 1500, but afterwards the change is negligable.)

Hence rule 1:Without bonnet it is not actually the proper Tudor gable hood! No matter how well made is the front!

2)RULE: Frontlets and veil-not proper gable hood.

There are several depictions of people wearing just frontlets and veil(no bonnet). 

Most famous of all-lady Margaret Beaufort

But she is hardly an example of what fashionable women at court would wear!

She took wows of celibacy(despite being married) and dressed almost as nun. 

But she wasn’t only one who wore it like that. In my opinion it seems like frontlets and just veil were worn mostly by those considered to be older generation already in 1500. 

Another group frequently depicted with just frontlets and veil(or a cap) were the the little girls. Probably young unmarried girls up to certain age. But when exactly would they switch? Idk.

(Children are depicted at tombs of parents usually as tiny figures beneat or on side of parents.)

So to summarize. Frontlets and veil after year 1500 would be worn by either old women or very young girls.

3)Rule:The veil over the bonnet was essential part also. Pinning or splitting it correctly is important! And it helps one date the hoods in historical paintings. Hence is it crucial to not ignore how veil was styled. You don’t want to end up with c. 1520 front and 1540s back.

At beginning, the back veil( the fabric which went over the bonnet) would look like this:  

Single piece of veil, hanging loose over gable shaped bonnet. 

(version Elizabeth of York would wear, it was prominent even before year 1500)

Since at least early 1510s(possibly already in mid 1500s), it was fashionable to pin the veil under the bonnet.Such as on these 1511 examples:

Imagine that behind bonnet, just where neck and head join, the previous image is pinned to undersite of bonnet).

From late 1510s point we have two veils, or two ends of veil, at the back.

From front split back veil looked like this:

From front and from back:

The split ends of veil were left hanging loose up to c.mid to late 1520s, when 1 veil started to be pinned up.

Then sometimes in late 1530s or possibly in early 1540s, both veils started to be pinned up.Which is exactly why I don’t believe this is portrait of Jane Seymour:

Not even posthumous portrait, because Henry VIII always had her portrayed in style with 1 veil up(fashion of her lifetime). 

In this form gable hood continued towards its end. 

And its popularity lowered, people no longer fallowed strictly how it was worn(hence missing stripy fabric on portrait on right)

The probable last example of gable hood is the portrait of lady in red dress, estimated to be c. 1560.(i am no expert on elizabethean fashion)

4) Colours of veil and bonnet

Most of time black was used.

But tournament in honor of New Year’s prince in 1511 shows many examples of colours.

It is hard to tell if it was such special occasion that they celebrated this way, or if it was popular in early 1510s, but I couldn’t find single example from later on, which would also have coloured veil. Hence I can only conclude that in 1510s it was ok to have coloured back veil, but by 1520s only black was used.

5) Veil is NEVER traluscent, but always solid fabric

In 16th century, that is absolute rule. Dark organza is really unsuited for the veil.

[grimwcr]

TUDOR HEADDRESSES DONE PROPERLY 2/?

[gablehood]

The “why put two bad bitches against each other?” meme is me talking about the french hood and the gable hood 

[bforbetterthanyou]

Thinking about how sometimes when women wore gable hoods they would pin their veil up to the side and like, I get it, but also it just looks so weird in portraits 😂

[catherinesboleyn]

The Other Boleyn Girl + gable hoods