Introduction
The Hundred Years' War between England and France lasted from 1337 to 1453. This long-lasting conflict had its ups and downs for both sides, but in the early fifteenth century, England seemed to have achieved victory. In 1429, things looked very bleak for the French: the English and Burgundians had taken large parts of France, and were quarreling among themselves over who would take the throne. The French dauphin (crown prince) Charles VII was devastated by his losses and also lost his grip over the parts of France still in his possession. He was even mockingly called 'the king of Bourges' by his own subjects, because he barely left this city while his enemies slowly conquered more and more of the French mainland. At that same moment, a 17-year-old girl in the French farming village of Domrémy heard voices in her head and received visions of angels and saints, who told her that God had given her a holy mission to make Charles king. This girl was Joan of Arc, the famous female French military leader who in just two years would turn the tide of the war.
After opposition from the church and the court of Charles, she managed to convince the desperate crown prince of her holy mission. She was given a horse, armour and a small French army to command, with which she soon achieved spectacular victories. Her success at the Siege of Orléans inspired not only her own troops, but also the rest of the French armies. Charles had himself officially crowned king of France while his enemies were driven back. Her leadership brought a new phase of the war, in which France slowly began to reclaim all the land that had been conquered by her enemies. Her own luck did not last long, however; when Joan was captured by the Burgundians and English in 1430 and sentenced to the stake, Charles did nothing to help her. In 1431, despite the protests of her companions, she was burned as a witch and cursed by the church. This would remain so for almost 500 years, until she was exonerated by the Catholic Church in 1920 and declared a saint. To this day, she is regarded as one of the greatest French heroes.
Since the fifteenth century, there has been much discussion about the way she broke through social norms and the position assigned to women. There was uproar over the fact that she dressed as a man on the battlefield and also gave orders to men; her enemies portrayed her as a witch because of this. Joan's allies and soldiers were less concerned with the 'role' she had been assigned as a woman, but looked at the victories she achieved. For them, she was not 'man' or 'woman', but the leader who took action to reclaim France. Citizens, soldiers and noble knights alike followed her leadership without doubt. Despite the official position of the church, many important figures such as the Archbishop of Embrun risked their position by advocating for her acquittal. The unparalleled respect she found among her troops and companions was much described by her contemporaries.
In this blog, we give you an interpretation of the clothing, equipment and armour that Joan of Arc would have worn. With this, you can base your own outfit on one of the most studied (female) figures in history.
Outfit
For Joan of Arc's outfit, there are two different options: In her youth, she dressed according to the women's fashion of the day, but when she led the French army, she would also have worn a military (male) outfit. This caused much uproar because Joan of Arc broke through many social norms with this; at her trial, this would even be used as evidence of her 'witchcraft.' However, many figures in the church, in her own time and after her burning, argued that her male clothing was not a reason to persecute her. It is unclear whether Joan of Arc had specific reasons for wearing male clothing, other than that this clothing was simply the most practical for her military role.
Option 1: Regular women's clothing
Joan of Arc's first outfit consists of a cotehardie with an underdress, shoes and a belt with a pouch. This would have been the simple outfit she wore in her life as a farmer's daughter.
Cotehardie
The cotehardie was a long, flowing garment that was fashionable during the late Middle Ages for both women and men. Bright colours were preferred, in contrast to how this period is often depicted. If they could afford it, their clothing was richly decorated, but even without decoration, clothing in the Middle Ages was very expensive. In summer, Joan of Arc would have worn a cotehardie with short sleeves, but a long-sleeved model in winter.
Joan of Arc also wears an underdress under her cotehardie. By wearing underclothing, medieval clothing didn't get dirty from the body as quickly and the top layer didn't need to be washed as often, which also prevented it from fading.
Rosary
Late medieval Europe was predominantly (Catholic) Christian. In this turbulent time, people considered it important to be pious, because death could lurk around every corner (memento mori). The rosary was developed as a tool for ordinary people to recite prayers. It consisted of a wooden cross with different beads that each symbolized a prayer. The medieval 'Carthusian' variant that Joan of Arc would have used was particularly associated with Mary, the mother of Jesus. The rosary became very popular among common people in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, but was also often worn by soldiers on the battlefield to be able to pray without a church nearby or to say a quick prayer.
Shoes
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, pointed shoes were worn. Over time, the fashion trend became to make them increasingly longer and more pointed.
Option 2: Military clothing
The military outfit Joan of Arc wears consists of a caprion, surcot or arming doublet, hose and a belt with her dagger and sword. The pious Joan of Arc would still have kept her rosary close at hand.
Caprion
The caprion was a medieval garment originally intended as a cap to protect the head against rain and cold. In the fourteenth century, among the nobility and middle classes, it became fashionable to wear the caprion as a kind of turban by turning it inside out.
Surcot
This garment originated from the tabard that knights wore over their armour in previous centuries to recognize each other on the battlefield, but in the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries it was also worn on its own. Joan of Arc wears this garment to make herself visible as a military leader both on the battlefield and in everyday life.
Much clothing in this period was also worn in a half-and-half colour pattern, also known as Mi-parti. This surcoat model is available in different halves, so you can mix and match colours yourself.
Joan of Arc also wears an undershirt under the surcot. By wearing underclothing, medieval clothing didn't get dirty from the body as quickly and the top layer didn't need to be washed as often, which also prevented it from fading.
Arming Doublet
In the fifteenth century, fashion moved away from long, flowing garments towards short, tight-fitting clothing. Men began wearing doublets, which ended around the hips and emphasized the chest and waist. Full-length breeches consequently also became increasingly fashionable. Joan of Arc wears this garment not only to be able to wear her armour, but also to display her important status as a female military leader.
A gambeson provides a layer of quilted protection under mail and plate armour, but was worn on its own by poor soldiers. With developments in armour, thick gambesons became unnecessary for knights and they began to wear a thinner, lighter quilted variant that also fitted with the fashion of the day, the so-called arming doublet. Armour pieces could be attached to this tight-fitting variant of the gambeson that fit well to the body.
In Italy, the arming doublet was even worn as a regular garment by citizens and non-military nobility to give a warlike appearance, similar to wearing combat boots or camouflage-print clothing in our day and age.
Underbreeches with Hose
In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, men generally wore hose (chausses). These long stockings were attached to the underbreeches (braies) and were usually worn under long garments. Joan of Arc wears underbreeches with hose to be able to wear her armour.
During this period, there was also a gradual transition to full-length breeches. It is a personal choice whether to wear hose or breeches.
TIP: Hose and fifteenth-century breeches should fit snugly to the body. From the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, people often tied a cord or leather string below the knee to pull their hose and breeches tight and make them fit better on the legs. This is a matter of personal preference, but it's an easy way to add historical details to your outfit.
Belt
People of all ranks of society hung pouches and other useful items from their belt. When putting together your outfit, think about what you would consider important to carry with you in your daily life as Joan of Arc, such as your cutlery but also your sword.
Shoes
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, pointed shoes were worn. Over time, the fashion trend became to make them increasingly longer and more pointed. On the battlefield, form followed function and the pointiness of the shoes was considerably more modest, so that one wouldn't trip over them during a fight.
Joan of Arc Weapons and Armour
Joan of Arc was known for leading her men on the battlefield in full armour. Joan of Arc's armour was custom-made for her and she fought in it: there are even multiple primary sources referring to the fact that she did not take off this armour until a battle was over, despite the serious wounds she had sustained on the battlefield. Joan of Arc's armour consists of a cuirass, an open helm, full arm and shoulder armour and upper leg armour.
TIP: Throughout the Middle Ages, knights had squires or other servants who helped them put on their armour: plate armour was almost never designed to be put on by the wearer alone. Read here about how to put on armour. We recommend asking someone to help you with fitting, dressing and adjusting your armour. Also note: the armours we sell are not custom-made, which means they may not fit all body types. Cuirasses and leg pieces are usually made for a male figure; armour pieces can be bent and modified to fit your body better.
Cuirass
Joan of Arc wears a cuirass that protects her entire torso. Unlike earlier breastplates such as those of the
