Hans Holbein the Younger Young Woman with a White Coif 1541 LACMA M44 2 9 2

A coif () is a close fitting

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

worn by both men and women that covers the top, back, and sides of the head.

History

Coifs date from the 10th century, but fell out of popularity with men in the 14th century."A New Look for Women." Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Gale. 2005. Retrieved August 13, 2012 from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G2-3427400451.html Coifs were worn by all classes in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

to the early 17th century (and later as an old-fashioned cap for countrywomen and young children). Tudor (later Stewart in Scotland) and earlier coifs are usually made of unadorned white linen and tied under the chin. In the Elizabethan and early

Jacobean era The Jacobean era was the period in English and Scottish history that coincides with the reign of James VI of Scotland who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I. The Jacobean era succeeds the Elizabethan era and precedes the Ca ...

s, coifs were frequently decorated with

blackwork embroidery Blackwork, sometimes historically termed Spanish blackwork, is a form of embroidery generally worked in black thread, although other colours are also used on occasion, as in scarletwork, where the embroidery is worked in red thread. Originating ...

and

lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is divided into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...

edging. Coifs were worn under

gable hood A gable hood, English hood or gable headdress is an English woman's headdress of , so-called because its pointed shape resembles the gable of a house. The contemporary French hood was rounded in outline and unlike the gable hood, less conservativ ...

s and hats of all sorts, and alone as indoor headcoverings. Coifs were also worn by a now-defunct senior grade of English lawyer, the

Serjeant-at-Law A Serjeant-at-Law (SL), commonly known simply as a Serjeant, was a member of an order of barristers at the English and Irish Bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law (''servientes ad legem''), or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are wri ...

even after they became judges. A

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

law school honor society is called the

Order of the Coif The Order of the Coif is an honor society for United States law school graduates. The name is a reference to the ancient English order of advocates, the serjeants-at-law, whose courtroom attire included a coif—a white lawn or silk skullcap, whi ...

. The traditional religious habit of Catholic nuns and Religious Sisters included a coif as a headpiece, along with the white cotton cap secured by a

bandeau A bandeau (pl. bandeaux, diminutive of french: bande meaning "strip") is a garment comprising, in appearance, a strip of cloth. Today, the term frequently refers to a garment that wraps around a woman's breasts. It is usually part of a bikini in s ...

, to which the

veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...

would be attached, along with a white

wimple A wimple is a medieval form of female headcovering, formed of a large piece of cloth worn draped around the neck and chin, covering the top of the head; it was usually made from white linen or silk. Its use developed in early medieval Europe; i ...

guimpe The guimpe (from the French ''guimpe)'' was a garment which developed in medieval Western Europe. It was a silk or linen kerchief, sometimes sheer, sometimes starched, which covered the neck and shoulders of the wearer, sometimes the entire chest ...

of starched linen or cotton to cover the cheeks, neck and chest. A mail coif was a type of armour, made of

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal sys ...

, which covered the head (face excluded), neck and shoulders.

References

External links

Tudor and Elizabethan Coifs
{{RC consecrated life Caps Children's clothing English clothing Medieval European costume Catholic religious clothing Medieval armour

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links