Women's Dress with Surcoat

Women's Late Gothic Dress with Surcoat and Magnificent Cap

Historical Context and Garment Details

These richly layered Gothic dresses are based on the aristocratic fashion of Late Gothic Europe, specifically the 15th century. In this era, strongly influenced by the luxurious Burgundian court, noblewomen wore outfits consisting of several layers, which symbolised their high social standing. The foundation of this set is the underdress, known as the cotte, which features exceptionally long, baggy sleeves. Over the cotte, the surcoat is worn; it reaches majestically to the floor, is completely sleeveless, and features a row of small decorative buttons on the chest. This layered style visually elongated the figure, which was the absolute ideal of beauty at the time.

The overall impression of this sublime costume is enhanced by the beautiful, magnificent cap. In the High and Late Middle Ages, headwear served not only an aesthetic purpose but also a highly social one—covered hair was the sign of an honourable, usually married woman. This garment is crafted from genuine cotton velvet and high-quality satin fabric with a touch of elastane for maximum freedom of movement.

Gothic Dress Parameters

Available Sizes and Custom Tailoring

This Gothic dress with magnificent cap is available as standard in ready-to-wear sizes according to this size chart. Without any surcharge, the garment is custom-tailored exactly to your body measurements. In this case, please carefully fill out the measurement chart after completing your order. Upon request, the dress is also manufactured in other colour combinations according to these fabric swatches. The desired colour (swatch number, letter, and colour name) should be noted in the order comments. If a fabric with a different composition is chosen, the final price may change.

Costume Care and Safety Warnings

My lady, to ensure your new robe lasts for many years in perfect condition and always looks as good as new, give it the proper care. Always follow the cleaning and maintenance instructions. As the garment is made of 100% cotton velvet and satin, professional dry cleaning is strongly recommended. Never wash the dress in a washing machine or tumble dry it, as this could cause the fabrics to shrink and irreversibly damage the velvet pile. Ironing must be done only from the reverse side on a very low heat setting. When wearing the flowing dress with long sleeves, exercise extreme caution when walking up or down stairs and especially near open flames (candles, torches, campfires) to prevent the fabric from catching fire unintentionally.

Recommended Accessories

To achieve an absolutely authentic Late Gothic look from the 15th century, it is advisable to complement the dress with period leather footwear—ideally the typical Gothic pointed shoes known as poulaines or crackowes. Fine historical jewellery or a period leather purse will also suit you perfectly. Please note that footwear and other accessories shown in the illustrative photographs are not included in the delivery of this set.