MovieChat Forums > A Man for All Seasons (1966) Discussion > What's with the chin straps

What's with the chin straps

posted 4 years ago by SpoiledBrat (1)
1 reply | jump to latest

First: so happy to have discovered this board, now that IMDB (sadly) discontinued theirs.
My question doesn't fit into the same category as the weightier ones concerning politics, but as a viewer who will watch *anything* in which women are wearing French hoods, I have to ask, why are these female characters wearing those unflattering chin straps to secure them, and other headdresses? I briefly wondered if it was historically accurate, since, after all, the Tudors didn't have the same materials we do for making things fit, but no one wears anything like that in the paintings from the period. I don't know what materials were used to fashion the hoods, but everything was handmade, which would have helped with ensuring a good fit ;-).
I not only haven't seen, I didn't even know about the 1988 version until three minutes ago, so I don't know whether the costume designer fell into the same trap.

[–] spacecomedy (2043) 4 years ago

This film has always had a special place in my heart, but, to be honest, I've never given much thought to the costuming except to imagine how uncomfortable 16th century English clothing must've been.

I came across this article which may answer your question.
http://frenchrenaissancecostume.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/The-French-Hood-14-Jan-2017.pdf

Both the cap and the hood get shorter, more tightly fitting and worn further on the back of the head. The cap sometimes has a chin strap, presumably to secure the cap/hood combination as it sits far back on the head.