The Tudor Society

Tudor Clothes Quiz

ADMIN Tim

How much do you know about Tudor clothing? Test your knowledge with this fun quiz.

Tudor Clothes

Q1) What was a "biggin"?

A close fitting cap tied under the chin

A woollen undergarment to keep the chest warm

The slang term for a codpiece

A tunic worn by people from Kent

Correct! Biggin was a common name for a coif.
Wrong! It was a close fitting cap tied under the chin. Biggin was a common name for a coif.

Q2) What were tailclouts?

Nails in the soles of shoes

A device similar to a bustle

Diapers (or nappies) worn by Tudor babies

Small metal pins used to hold up a longer dress

Correct!
Wrong! They were diapers (or nappies) worn by Tudor babies.

Q3) What were you wearing if you had on “braies”?

Brightly coloured arm bands

A thread wound through the hair

Leather gloves worn by a blacksmith

A medieval form of mens underwear

Correct!
Wrong. They were a medieval form of men's underwear.

Q4) A cassock is an outer garment, but how long is it?

Down to the ankles

Down to the top of the thighs

There wasn't a standard length

Often it would drag on the ground behind the wearer

Correct!
Wrong! It went down to the top of the thighs.

Q5) A labourer in 1519 could buy a yard of canvas with a day's wages. How long would he have to work to buy a yard of cloth of gold?

Six months

Two weeks

One year

He could never have earned enough

Correct! Canvas was 4d per yard, cloth of gold was 58s 8d a yard. A fine cloak would have cost more than three years' work.
Wrong! The answer is six months. Canvas was 4d per yard, cloth of gold was 58s 8d a yard. A fine cloak would have cost more than three years' work.

Q6) The 1533 Act of Apparel did what?

Made it illegal for squirrels to be killed for their fur

Outlawed flat caps for the gentry

Enforced the wearing of leather for all horsemen

Denied the lowest of agricultural workers the right to wear fur

Correct!
Wrong! It denied the lowest of agricultural workers the right to wear fur.

Q7) As part of the 1533 Act of Apparel, who could wear blue velvet?

Only women, men could not wear blue

Nobles and garter knights

Anyone who could afford it could wear it

Only the king could wear blue

Correct! Blue and Crimson velvet were reserved for Noblemen and Garter Knights by the 1533 Act.
Wrong! It was nobles and garter knights. Blue and crimson velvet were reserved for Noblemen and Garter Knights by the 1533 Act.

Q8) What is kermes?

A red dye derived from the dried bodies of certain insects

A green cloth said to look like the skin of a frog

The Tudor London name for a waterproof hat

The name for handed-down clothing

Correct! Kermes vermilio insects live on the sap of certain trees, especially the Kermes oak tree found in the the Mediterranean region.
Wrong! It is a red dye derived from the dried bodies of certain insects. Kermes vermilio insects live on the sap of certain trees, especially the Kermes oak tree found in the the Mediterranean region.

Q9) Why was linen worn next to the skin?

Sumptuary laws prohibited any other material for undergarments

Because it was warm in the Tudor "ice age"

Because it could easily be washed.

Anything else was thought to stain (or damage) your eternal soul

Correct!
Wrong! It was worn next to the skins because it could easily be washed.

Q10) What is buckram?

A woollen material taken from the finest wool of male goats and sheep

The measure used to weigh unwashed cotton

A hat worn during the mourning period

A stiff cloth made of cotton

Correct! Buckram was used (and still can be!) to stiffen clothes without the need for boning.
Wrong! It was a stiff cloth made of cotton. Buckram was used (and still can be!) to stiffen clothes without the need for boning.

Q11) What was a billiment?

A flowing night garment similar to a modern "nightie"

A jewelled band on top of a French hood

A re-enforced patch on the back of trousers, worn by farm labourers

A leather glove worn by falconers

Correct! A billiment or habilliment (sometimes spelled bilament) was an ornamental band that formed the border on a Medieval head-dress. Usually this was jewelled and was worn on the front, near the forehead.
Wrong! It was a jewelled band on a French hood. A billiment or habilliment (sometimes spelled bilament) was an ornamental band that formed the border on a Medieval head-dress. Usually this was jewelled and was worn on the front, near the forehead.

Q12) What is "damask silk" actually like?

Silk with a “ribbed” cloth effect

Completely smooth silk of the highest quality

Cloth with a smooth weave with a design created by bringing the weft to the surface

Silk dyed with the colour purple

Correct!
Wrong! It is a cloth with a smooth weave with a design created by bringing the weft to the surface.

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