A coif or close-fitting cap worn under a hat or hood, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries, or a type of nightcap with ties.
Possibly from Dutch 'begijnen' or 'begijn,' referring to members of a lay sisterhood. The garment became popular in early modern Europe.
Before modern hairstyles, elaborate headdresses required 'biggins' underneath to keep hair in place—these little caps were the bobby pins and hairnets of the Renaissance, completely invisible but absolutely essential.
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