What were women’s beauty standards like in the Middle Ages? Some of their beauty standards seem pretty wild today!
Women hid their hair under hats constantly. However, they still cared about how they styled their hair; plenty of people had fancy hair-dos under their veil. They liked having high, big foreheads. The church discouraged cosmetics, but women still used makeup. They simply ended up wearing less makeup, and it looked chiefly natural; it was simply enhancement. Clothing was a noteworthy part of style, just like today. Women used fancy cloth when they could afford it. They also tried to wear dresses in the latest fashion. However, some people didn’t have that option because they could barely afford to clothe themselves at all. The latest styles sometimes included quite a bit of cloth so it was cheaper to do simpler styles that required less.
What were women’s hairstyles like? What about their cosmetics?

Hairstyles

How did women style their hair in the Middle Ages? Married women could not leave their hair down, or they could get in immense trouble, in fact they could only show their undone hair to their husbands. Women often wore their hair in braids or buns. Poor women especially wore their hair tightly bound in braids or buns. It was also useful because with their hair pulled up, it wouldn’t get as dirty when they were working.

Braids and buns were popular. They could be simple and easy to do alone, and they were also lovely. In a pinch, braids or buns were considered fairly modest however, wearing veils or hats was best. Women did not have to wear veils in some places because of the heat, for example women in Portugal abandoned veils long before their English counterparts. However, they still kept their hair tightly bound and decorated. Even though women generally kept their hair covered, many still wanted extensions.

With extensions, they could do fancier hairstyles. They could also make it look like they had a ton of hair. Folks could still tell if women’s hair was thick and long because it took up more space under the veil. The Church hated this and told women that the hair they used for extensions came from someone burning in Hell. Some extensions came from horse hair, but some also came from dead people.

Beauty Standards Pertaining to Hair Color and Plucking

Today, blond is the most common color for women to dye their hair. Unsurprisingly, medieval people also liked blond hair. Many images depicted angels with blonde hair, so it stands to reason that women would want to match. Maybe we need more brunette angels!

To get blonde hair, women tried a variety of things. First, the sun bleaches hair. Therefore, some women would sit outside in the sun, trying to lighten their hair. However, they had to cover their face, or they would get a tan or freckles, which were undesirable. They also tried a variety of pastes and suggested methods to lighten their hair. Unfortunately, those often included alum, ashes, gall, and other gross elements.

One of the beauty standards in the Middle Ages is the opposite of modern styles. Women wanted large, round foreheads. They wanted high hairlines. Therefore, that led to women using tweezers to pluck their hair to lift their hairline. They would pluck the hairline pretty high. They also plucked out their eyebrows, or at least the majority, to enhance the look. If they felt like they plucked too much, they would occasionally use rat hair to add back some brows!

Sometimes they used things like cat dung or quicklime to remove the hair faster. Some of their hair-removal methods could be dangerous. The Church considered plucking hair a mortal sin unless a woman did it so her husband would not look down on her. I agree with the Church that women should not be plucking their hairlines!

How to do Your Hair Like a Medieval Woman:

A big thanks to my mom, who is depicted in the next two pictures with her hair done in a medieval style.

1. Part your hair. Traditionaly, women parted their hair down the middle.
2. Split your hair in two parts and French braid. You should have two plaits, one on each side of your head. Tie them off.
3. Cross the braids at the nape of your neck and bring the ends to the top of your head.
4. Use bobby-pins to fasten the ends to your head. You can also use hairspray.

Makeup Beauty Standards in the Middle Ages

The Church condemned wearing cosmetics because of the sin of Vanity. However, women believed they needed makeup to get and keep their husband. Therefore, they wore makeup that appeared natural. It was simply an enhancer. Disfigured women had permission to wear makeup.

Women who worried their husbands would commit adultery if they did not wear cosmetics also had permission to wear makeup. They used a lot of the makeup we do today. First, they put on a foundation. The foundation hid any marks on their skin and lightened it as well. People favored white skin because it meant you didn’t have to work outside all day.

There were a few ways to make the foundation. First, the Madonna Lily’s root lightened skin. There were some lead-filled foundation products. Finally, some women made foundation with flour.

Put very pure wheat in water for fifteen days, then grind and blend it in the water. Strain through a cloth, and let it crystallize and evaporate. You will obtain a make-up which will be as white as snow. When you want to use it, mix it with rose water, and spread it on your face which has first been washed with warm water. Then dry your face with a cloth.

Some beauty recipes from L’ornement des Dames (Ornatus Mulierum) – Martha Carlin

Women used lip stains and lipstick a lot. Because their makeup had to be light and not very noticeable, women were creative. One way was to mix a little bit of wine and a bit of grease, creating a tinted chapstick. Women also used berries to tint their lips.

Wiping a little lemon juice on the lips naturally brightened them. The colors were not dark, because all they did was make the lips a little more vibrant. People made a little bit of rouge to tint the cheeks. Brazilwood chips mixed with rosewater produced a pretty color. Women did not wear eyeshadow.

How to do Your Makeup Like a Medieval Women:

1. First, apply light foundation to your whole face.
2. Now, lightly add some type of lipstick or lip stain. Make sure it looks fairly natural. If you would prefer, rub lemon juice on your lips instead.
3. Finally, add a tiny bit of blush.

Clothing Styles in the Middle Ages

Clothing is one of the most influential parts of style. That wasn’t different in the Middle Ages. Women wore multiple layers. First was the chemise, a type of linen underclothes. Over the chemise, women wore at least one kirtle, which could be anywhere between ankle and floor length. Women sometimes wore multiple kirtles and cut the hems shorter so people could see all the layers.

One specific type of kirtle was the bliaut, a kirtle that was more fitted to the body. It had laces on the side to tighten it. The sleeves were tight until the elbow, where they widened into angel sleeves. The skirts were also voluminous. Over the top, women sometimes added mantles, which were fancy capes. Poor women didn’t usually have the money for cloaks or bliauts. They wore one, or maybe two, kirtles.

Women also wore two hosen, a kind of stocking, tied up with garters. Wealthy women had inside and outside shoes, while poor women only had outside shoes. Indoor shoes were made of soft, comfortable materials, while outdoor shoes went over the top, and people made them with wood or leather.

Fabric as Part of Beauty Standards Pertaining to Clothing

In the Middle Ages, a couple of different fabrics were available when making their clothing. First, a lot of the undergarments people wore were made of linen. Linen was one of the best fabrics to clean in the Middle Ages. It was also easy to whiten because people could set it in the sun to bleach. Most fabrics weren’t white, so that wasn’t an option.

The main cloth for outer clothing was wool because it helped regulate temperature. It was also pretty strong, so it lasted a while. Silk was expensive because it was imported from the east. However, the wealthy could buy it without a lot of difficulty. They just had to have enough money for it. Finally, people wore a lot of furs. The furs kept them warm. Squirrel fur, called vair, was one of the most popular furs for people who could afford it. They also used ermine, rabbit, snow weasel, marten, beaver, fox, genette, lynx, and otter. They used the whole animal they hunted, fur, skin, meat, etc.

Hats and Head Coverings as Part of Beauty in the Middle Ages

There were a variety of hats women could wear in the Middle Ages. One of the best-known medieval hair coverings was the veil and wimple. Veils were part of most hats and head coverings of the time. They needed a veil to be modest. People tried to have white veils even though white gets dirty quickly. If they could keep their white veil clean, they had the time and money to clean and bleach it. They also had a spare to wear.

The wimple was a cloth that covered the chin and neck. When attached to a veil, it hid the hair and neck. Sometimes a woman left a little of her hair out. However, the hair was not ever left down. The Saint Brigitta’s Cap was another popular type of head covering in the Middle Ages. The cap held the hair and was often underneath veils. Some poor women wore straw hats to keep off the sun. Women often wore cowls, also known as hoods and wealthy women decorated them heavily.

Some women tried out a variety of hat styles. Most people have heard of the Hennin, a fancy hat style. One of the best-known Hennin styles is the Steeple Hennin, a tall cone hat. It was fragile, and women mostly wore it with a veil. The veils could be as long as the ground. Another type of Hennin is the Butterfly Hennin. People called it the Butterfly Hennin because it had curved wires to look like butterfly wings.

Sometimes women wore Gorgets with their fancy hats. The Gorget was for fancy hats, but it was a lot like a wimple in every other way. Women often used see-through veils with their fancy hats. Italian women abandoned veils before any other country, favoring fancy hairstyles.

Some medieval beauty standards are downright weird, but not all of them! What beauty standards seem strange to you? Which seem normal? Let me know in the comments! Also let me know if you have any questions.

To Learn More…

(and check out my sources…)

Hair…

Hair care for the Medieval Woman – Naked History

Medieval Hairstyles

Makeup…

History of Makeup: The Cosmetic Universe at a Glance

Rosalie’s Medieval Woman – Cosmetics

Powder and Paint: Make-Up and the Medieval Woman by Catherine Hokin

Clothing…

Wardrobe | Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

Medieval Headwear

Medieval Beauty Tips…

10 Bizarre Beauty Tips From The Middle Ages That You Won’t Believe Actually Existed

Some related posts…

Hygiene for Wealthy Folks in the Middle Ages

Did Poor People Practice Hygiene in the Middle Ages?

Purposes of Sachets and Perfume in the Middle Ages

The Life Of Wealthy Girls In The Middle Ages

Life of Peasant Women in Medieval Times

If you liked this you will like…

What Hobbies did People Have in the Middle Ages?

What Animals Were Kept in a Medieval Castle?

Cuisine of Wealthy People in the Middle Ages

What You Need to Know to Eat Like a Medieval Peasant

Valentine’s Poems and Love Letters in the Middle Ages

Wedding Traditions in the Middle Ages: Good and Bad

Superstitions People Had in the Middle Ages

And finally, my homepage…

lifelongago.com