- 1). Compose the proper undergarments. Even for a simple costume of the Wife of Bath, there were certain things that a lady was required to wear in polite society so that she did not appear sexually appealing, but conservative. Such undergarments include crinoline, bustles, corsets and petticoats. Unless they were riding in a carriage, fine ladies did not typically wear a corset to travel, but this can add a modern twist to the costume.
- 2). Choose a full length skirt or a dress that is a shade of red or earthy colors such as brown, cream, olive or forest green. Remember that Wife of Bath was attempting to market herself as a sexual woman, but in a very conservative way. She mainly expressed herself with colors, rather than with her skin. Make sure if you choose a dress, that it covers most of your skin from your chest up. If you wish to add a modern twist to the costume, you may wear something that reveals a very small amount of cleavage. Historically speaking, cleavage was never revealed.
- 3). Opt for a conservative top if you do not wear a dress. The top should match the skirt and reach your hips or longer. If you cannot find a shirt that reaches your hips, and is not clingy, then you should wear a skirt that is high waisted that you can tuck the shirt into. If you can find a shirt that has bell sleeves, and meets all of the other requirements listed here, then it would be a perfect match. The style of the period in which the Wife of Bath lived included conservative clothing, as mentioned before, and the bell sleeves provided a conservative look, and also allowed for fashion statements instead of peasantry wear.
- 4). Apply a waist cincher at your natural waistline. Use a belt, thick ribbon or decorative rope. If you are wearing a top and skirt, this is an excellent way to hide the waistline, and if you are wearing a dress, this can allow others to see your waist in an otherwise shapeless dress.
- 5). Put a scarf over your head with the loose ends hanging at your side. This scarf should be decorative and does not have to be thin. Put the right end over your left shoulder and the left end over your right shoulder. Wrap it around your neck and tuck the ends into your shirt. This head scarf not only covers your hair, which is what respectable women did during that time unless they were receiving visitors in their home, or attending grand balls, but it provides a bit of traction for the hat to sit upon.
- 6). Place the large decorative hat on top of your head and secure it with pins if needed. The Wife of Bath's hat was compared to a small shield, so you want to make sure the hat is as large as possible. This was used to draw attention to the Wife in public so that her chances of finding another husband was increased, and so that prominent bachelors would see that she came with her own money.
- 7). Put on high boots. When fine ladies were traveling, they would always remain fashionable, but boots were the standard procedure. The boots would lace up and reach at least to the calf. Fashionable ladies hardly ever resorted to flat shoes.
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