Breast-binding in the Middle Ages

Throughout the No Man is Her Master series, an essential plot element is Christina’s need to successfully deceive others into believing she is a man. Her strong facial features, tall stature, broad shoulders, and contralto voice are all extremely helpful in carrying out her masquerade. Another important aspect working in her favor is that the male garments of the early 14th century tend to be bulky, loosely-fitting, and worn in layers. Despite these advantages, one problem remains that could expose Christina’s true gender: her female bosom.

During a recent book signing, a young woman related that she really loved reading about Christina’s adventures, but she couldn’t imagine going through life, especially such an active one as our heroine leads, with her breasts strapped down. Surprisingly, this practice was not uncommon in medieval times.

Unlike Christina, the primary rationale for women to bind their bosom in the High Middle Ages was not to disguise themselves as men, but to enhance their beauty and social acceptance. The ideal female form of the period was one that was slender and barely post-pubescent. Perfect breasts are described by medieval troubadours as no more than “apples,” or even “nuts.” Consequently, achieving a flat chest was an essential aspect of an attractive woman’s feminine identity.

A 12th century English Cistercian abbot, Gilbert of Hoyland, instructs:

“The breasts are most pleasing when they are of moderate size and eminence… they should be bound but not flattened, restrained with gentleness but not given too much licence.”

In the 13th century French poem by Guillaume de Lorris, Roman de la Rose, it is suggested that women should  "Compress them [their breasts] as much as possible with a matching band.”

Consequently, Christina’s decision to bind her breasts to disguise her femininity was not necessarily a stroke of genius but rather incorporating a fashion technique that would have been reasonably well known at the time.