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Heraldic Cotehardies: Short article concentrating on the concept of "heraldic cotehardies" and featuring links to excellent sights about the cotehardie.

Heraldic Arts and Sciences:
Beyond the Banner and Shield
Cotehardie with Badge!

In searching about for period, heraldic clothing, I noted quite a number of paintings and illuminations featuring a heraldic marker worn at the side breast. Sometimes it's a badge, sometimes it's an entire shield of arms. The heraldic marker is usually worn on clothing that is otherwise not remarkable.

In the SCA, we get quite a lot of belt favors. These are often very lovely, but they are not period.

In my early days as a scribe, I often painted myself in the border of the scroll wearing a blue cotehardie. This was a reflection of reality, of course, because one of my favorite dresses was a blue cotehardie. In time, that cotehardie was worn to pieces, and I eventually had to replace it.

The first blue cote was made with a commercially available princess-seamed dress, and I wanted my new cotehardie to be a bit more period. Thus, I purchased and tried Costume Connection's Late 14th Century Kirtle and Sideless Gown.

The badge I would wear upon it is a modified belt favor, a blue velvet background featuring the badge of the scribes of the Middle Kingdom. I simply cut off the belt hoop, hemmed the cut, and pinned it to the dress with a period-style straight pin.

Particlored dress featuring heraldic badge.

This was my first event wearing the dress, and, while it is a comfy dress, it doesn't fit like a period kirtle/cotehardie should, even after much modification.

First problem: The pattern is cut too big according to the sizes of the size chart. I cut this out according to the size that matched my measurements, and it was vastly oversized. Second problem: the pattern isn't really period. The arms have to be gathered to fit into the sleeve setting, the sleeve seam is under the arm instead of down the back of the arm, the CF and CB seams are completely straight, and the majority of the skirt's fullness hangs from the sides rather than distributed through the whole skirt. This makes the skirt too short in the front and too heavy at the sides. While this cut does have the advantage of making walking easier (no worries about tripping over the front of the skirt, as the weight at the sides pulls the hem clear of your feet), it looks and feels very odd.

After adjusting the dress to eliminate some of the excess material, the dress still doesn't fit correctly, because we were not able to get enough material out of the waist area while maintaining enough across the chest. Too much alteration made the material pull strangely.

I actually don't mind the fit; I will use this as a work dress. One wants something comfy when cleaning feast halls and crouching over drafting tables. However, in future, I will wear it with a tighter belt; that will prevent the excess material at the waist from creeping up and creating the bizarre "mushroom torso" look. I'll also bind my hair with something more secure that a set of hair combs; by the time this picture was taken, I'd given up the fight!

At this point in time, I do not plan to use this pattern again. I really don't like it. I need one work dress, not fifteen.