A Rain Hood
A lined, waterproof hood made from PU backed cordura, faux sherpa, polyester, and faux nacre buttons.Ceres Miller, 2024
The hood is based on the shape of medieval liripipe hoods, a type of chaperon from the 14th and 15th centuries. These were made of felted wool and provided some warmth and resistance to the rain.
These hoods would have been made from two silhouette-shaped pieces of fabric sewn together down the centerline. There may have been gussets on the back and front to cover the chest and back. The length of the tail was just the fashion at the time, and varied similar to trends in poulaine shoe length and codpieces of the same and following centuries.
My hood however wasn't based on medieval patterns or methods, just the shape. I added an interior lining, a cap peak, and fluffy sherpa around the edges to prevent rain dripping on the wearer's face.
At the end of the liripipe I put a star and stuffed it with polyester. Novelty is fashionable right now.
The hood is comfortable and waterproof, but not very flexible and quite warm. The lack of flexibility can be appealing for the feeling of weight and toughness, but the polyurethane coating isn't breathable. I think heat collects in the tail to help with temperature regulation, but this hood might be improved either with vents added or by using a GoreTex shell over a soft cotton or crushed linen lining.
GoreTex has not great ecologically however, so cotton duck sized with beeswax and paraffin might also be nice as a waterproof shell.
