| The Pillbox Hat , Page 2 |
| By the middle of the 14th century, the fillet and barbe have gone out of fashion, and hairstyles start to widen. Instead of a braided bun at the back of the neck, the hair is parted and braided into coils at the sides of the face. Later they go from round to cylinderical. Sometimes elaborate metal cauls cover the braids, sometimes not. |
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| In the mid 15th century in Flanders we finally encounter something that looks pretty much like a pillbox. After the pointy henin went out of fashion, a shorter, truncated cone version was the mode. In Antwerp and Brugge, maidens wore a truncated henin that sometimes was no more than a hairband. These were worn over loose hair which cascaded from the open top. When a veil was worn with this style, it was so sheer as to be merely decorative |
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| Note on Italian “pillbox” hats. Some ladies in the SCA have a fantasy that the Italians wore an oval or round pillbox shaped hat in the late 15th century. I’ve never seen any real evidence for them. I believe that they are mis-understanding the “trinzale and coazzone” style where a very elaborate and valuable piece of cloth (the trinzale) is placed over the back part of the head, and then bound around a plait hanging down the lady’s back (the coazzone). Nineteenth century theatrical costumers used to put little caps on the back of Juliet’s head thinking that is what was worn in Italy, but they were wrong. |
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| Here in this front view it is easy to see why people think they are seeing a cap |
| But when you look at a profile picture (above) you see how the trinzale and coazzone really look |
| Part of the confusion also arises from the custom of binding braided hair on the back of the head with “bende” (narrow linen bands) and covering it with cloth. However Italian maidens often wore beautiful jewelled “cufia” that shaped a lot like baby caps. They were not worn anywhere but Italy. |
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| Note: the headress on the left is what happens when the trinzale is on the very back of the head and the braid is wrapped into a bun instead of hanging long in the coazzone style |
| So the answer to your question is No, I don't think anyone just wore anything that looks like a pillbox hat without a veil except for very young maidens of Flanders in the middle of the 15th century. |