Here is a simple handout I created for a class on clothing shown in the Decameron.
Women's clothing
Underwear
Smock
Rarely visible - sleeves and neck covered by outer clothing. Round neck, no lower than necessary to admit the head. Small pleats centre front on some.
Hosen
Since women do not wear a jack to point long hose to, and since there are contemporary art pieces showing knee high hosen in the low countries, assume the hosen seen are knee length. Can wear footed hose alone or shoes (poulaines or pattens).
Basic layer
Kirtle
Round neckline, often no lower than the collarbone. Cleavage is never visible. Some worn loose and clearly not laced up (seen being pulled over the head). Others are very tight around the torso. With assistance, it is possible to be pulled into and out of a very firm garment, though side lacing was also known in Germany, France, Italy and other Flemish art of the time. No waist seam. Long sleeves - usually without an opening at the wrist, though buttons and lacing to 2/3 of the way up the forearm was known in the region at the time. No lining it evident, though some show fur at the edges, indicating possible lining. Sometimes 2 kirtles were worn. Upper classes could wear a second kirtle with hanging sleeves. Lower classes tended to wear two kirtles of the same style, for warmth. Ankle to below floor length - again, this increased with the station of the wearer. Excess length was bunched over a belt, worn at the waist.
Outer layer
Houpeland
This outer layer is worn by the middle and upper classes. Working women who require an extra layer for warmth wear an extra kirtle or cloak. The body is cut wide. Pleats are formed high on the waist and held by a belt. The gown can have wide straight, dalmatian or hanging sleeves. No bag sleeves are visible on women's houpelands in the Decameron, though they are present in contemporary art. Collars can be part of a centre opening, standing, low, fur lined or turned down high square. Gowns can be floor length but are often longer. Contrasting colours were used for linings, especially for styles with turn down collars and open hanging sleeves.
Accessories
Belts
There are 3 varieties of belts worn by women in the Decameron. Hip belts were worn over kirtles. Belts worn over the houpeland layer were sometimes wide, and always worn high on the waist. The belts that were worn to hold up a long skirt were narrow an often decorated. One is shown as black and studded, in a style very similar to men's belts, and another is pictured as coloured to match the gown. Perhaps these belts are of the woven variety, found from the same era. The belts worn over a kirtle, hanging low in the front are often called ovary belts. They pictured with some sort of twisted gold hanging end, in this document.
Headwear
In this document, the only time a woman wore her hair uncovered was when she was in a state of undress, unmarried girls and Queens wearing a crown. The bourelet or padded head roll was worn in many guises, with the extravagance linked to higher status. Some women still wore veils. Working women and older ladies wore simple wrapped styles, while some younger women wore veils supported by hidden structure. The hair was sometimes styled into twin buns above the ears, on either side of the temple. These buns were covered a net-like fabric, and secured with ribbon, crossed on the top of the head. Hoods of a particular style were worn by Flemish women. These hoods had long liripipes (tails) and stiffened brims. The lower edge sat neatly wrapped around the shoulders. These hoods came in a variety of colours, but red was by far the most common.
Shoes
The black, pointy toed poulaine is the most common type of women's footwear in this text. A pair of yellow slippers is visible on a servant. They appear to be made from felted wool. Women's pattens in this document have red uppers, with a single band over the arch.
Pouches
Women are seen with square bags that are suspended from one cord and drawn tight with another two. These can be small or medium sized. There is a shoulder bag, worn by a traveller.
Cloaks
Cloaks are shown in 3 styles: Semi circular with a standing collar, semicircular with no collar (like a mantle) and full (or almost full) circle in a buff colour, with buttons at the shoulder.
