A chatelaine is a decorative metal belt derived from the functional belt worn by the lady of the mansion to hold her keys and tools. It became an elegant piece of jewelry and is now reserved for Renaissance Faire attire.
A chatelaine is a kind of fancy metal belt, usually worn for decoration rather than for any practical purpose. It is derived from the functional belt worn by the lady of the mansion in the old days, from which she hung her keys and other tools such as scissors.
Chatelaine literally means ‘lady of the castle’. Castles and manor houses generally kept many things under lock and key, not trusting servants. The lady of the house would open the pantry, for example, and give the cook or pantry maid what she needed to prepare the day’s meals before closing the rest of the meal. Tea and sugar, which were imported at great cost, were locked in separate chests, so the lady of the house needed a large number of keys to go about her daily business.
Since the lady of the house was never seen without a castellana, this useful item became highly decorated and attractive; A castellana made of silver or gold could be seen as a sign of the owner’s wealth and importance. Ultimately, the feature was dropped, but a castellana remained as an elegant piece of jewelry meant to highlight the importance of the wearer.
A castellana is a very long, sweeping chain, often made of flat rectangles of decorated metal attached together with chain links. The chain wraps around the wearer’s waist, with one end hanging from the front of the dress to the floor. Chatelains can be jeweled or enamelled, or simply made of precious metals. They go very well with a Celtic outfit.
Today, a chatelaine is generally reserved for use with Renaissance Faire attire. If going to the fair as a high-ranking lady rather than a woman of the lower classes, a castellana is a good mark of class for her.
A chatelaine is a bit more difficult to work with in a modern wardrobe, where its sweep might interfere with activities like riding a motorcycle, for example. The shorter, hip-length, work well with trousers, and can even return to their previous function: to carry the keys.
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