Ahouppelande orhoupelande is an outergarment, with a long, full body and flaring sleeves, that was worn by both men and women inEurope in the lateMiddle Ages. Sometimes the houppelande was lined withfur. The garment was later worn by professional classes, and has remained inWestern civilization as the familiaracademic and legal robes of today. However, back then it was always worn over adoublet by men.
The houppelande appeared around 1360 and was to remain fashionable well into the next century.[1] It had its origins in theherigaut, a similar 13th-century garment with hanging sleeves.[2] The edges of the houppelande were oftendagged, or cut into decorative patterns such as scallops, "embattled" tabs or even leaf shapes.[3]
The termhouppelande is of French origin; in England it was called agoun, a term of mockery, and in Italy, apellanda.[4] It is first mentioned in French royal inventories in 1359 and is thought to have originated as a man's housecoat worn over the pourpoint.[5]
The woman's and man's houppelande were similar in that both featured flared sleeves, high collars and voluminous skirts. However, there were a few key differences. The man's houppelande was belted at the waist, whereas the woman's was belted beneath the bust.[6] Unlike the woman's houppelande, which was always floor-length, the man's houppelande could be of any length. Some men wore houppelandes that extended only as far as the buttocks, prompting critics to claim that they looked like women from behind.[4] Longer versions were mostly worn on ceremonial occasions. A mid-calf version known as thehouppelande à mi-jambe gained popularity in the 1400s.[5]
