The style of the escoffion developed over time, eventually given its own name because of its popularity and distinct features which differed from the original conical hennin.

[4] The covering of hair, sometimes called a bongrace, was a common custom amongst women of the Middle Ages, and continued to be a prominent feature in headwear for many centuries.

Additionally, the headwear came out of fashion into the 16th century simply because of its size; some wearers were often unable to do certain activities because their mobility was hindered by the weight upon their head.

The escoffion was sometimes called the bourrelet, a word that originally simply means something stuffed or padded (rembourré < bourre).

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact country or region where the escoffion first originated, because the style as it is now known developed in a number of stages over almost a century.

In the 15th century, there was an upsurge of interest in large, sometimes extravagant headwear, which emerged into popular court fashion across Europe.

Prior to the 14th century, simple veils or hoods which were fitted close to the face had been the most popular form of headwear for women of all classes.

The hair was completely covered by the hoods, sometimes even shaved or plucked to heighten the hairline; this was a common symbol of female attractiveness at the time.

[10] Shown above is a detail of an illumination on parchment showing Queen Isabeau of Bavaria wearing a heart-shaped escoffion.

[12] As the making of the headwear was very intricate, the escoffion was hand-crafted by skilled craftsmen or women and could take a matter of months to be completed, depending on the complexity of the piece.

In a sub-section of the Statutes of Savoy (1430) there were thirty-nine supposed different groups of people in English society - mostly separated by birth or occupation - sorted into a hierarchy, with each level given specifications about what type of clothing they could wear, the value of the material and which accessories they could adorn.

[16] One symbol of sumptuary law which could be commonly seen in the 15th century was the dress custom amongst women of making their hairline higher, called a bongrace.

This custom was originally achieved by tying a ribbon of varying materials around the head and later evolved into shaving of the hairline.

[17] The wearing of the escoffion and other extravagant types of headwear was regulated by these sumptuary laws in England, although similar edicts were passed in other parts of Europe.