Some interesting Facts about Medieval Clothing
An Overview
During the Middle Ages most people wore clothing made of wool. Undergarments were often
made of linen. People rarely cleaned their outer garments, but the linen clothing was cleaned
regularly. Unlike the Roman clothes which were just wrapped and tied around the body, the
clothes during the Middle Ages were cut and sewn to fit. They had necklines, bodices, sleeves,
waists, and legs.
During Medieval Times people bathed about once a month. When cleaning the people used herbs
such as lavender flowers and mint instead of soap. These herbs helped keep fleas away. Fleas
were a problem since many items were stuffed with straw.
Peasant men wore tunics. The tunics were usually knee length. The women wore sleeveless
tunics. Cloaks made from sheepskin, woolen hats, and mittens were wore in the winter. Leather
boots were an important piece of clothing. Many of the boots were mid-calf length with turned
down or rolled tops.
Wealthy men and women wore brighter colors than the peasants. The men wore tunics. Nobility
usually wore their tunics ankle length from the fourteenth century until the mid sixteenth
centuries. These were often made of velvet or damask. The men also wore stockings made from
wool or silk. During more formal occasions men would wear a loose, sleeveless outer garments
called mantles. These were at times embroidered with gold or silver threads. The mantle could
even had jewels on them or be lined with fur.
Wealthy women wore ankle length gowns. During the early Middle Ages the gowns were full and
loose fitting. The gown had a round neck with a split so it would fit over the head. During the
fourteenth century the gowns had fitted bodices with long flowing skirts. The sleeves of these
gowns were tight and could have fifty button on each arm.
The women also wore large headdresses. The head pieces were often shaped like hearts. Another
popular shape was the tall pointed hat with long flowing pieces of fabric attached to the top. This
type of hat was called a barbette. Another kind of headdress was a piece of silk or linen that was
wrapped in layers around the head, then over the chin, neck, and shoulders. This was called a
wimple.
The wealthy often lined their garments with furs. Diamonds became popular in Europe in the
fourteenth century. Gem cutting was invented during the fifteenth century.
Monks wore long woolen habits. The order the monk belonged to could be determined by the
color of the habit. For example the Benedictines wore black and the Cistercians wore undyed
wool or white.
Women’s Fashion
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ne of the lowest classes was that of the peasant. Women made clothes for their
family and themselves. The materials they used were either that
of wool, linen, leather, or whatever else they could afford. Most
often they wore wool, which must have been very itchy. Peasant
women wore calf length t-gowns of dull coloring. These dresses were known as
chatelaines and of were of plain colors such as gray, brown, dark blue and red.
The gowns were worn with sleeveless tunics and wimples to cover their hair.
They usually only had two or three dresses at most. Peasant women often did
not own shoes as they could not afford them.
Noble Women
ithin the class of the Nobles lay the most intricate articles of medieval
fashion. Fine ankle length gowns were made exquisitely from the finest
materials and of ankle length. After the Crusades, an influx of Eastern
and Oriental materials such as silk, velvet, satin, damasks, and brocades
allowed for even a wider selection. The colors of their dresses were also
brighter than that of lower classes that had apparel dull in color. Women preferred strong colors
such as red, sky blue, leaf green and white, sometimes all in one dress. In order to get even
brighter colors, dyes were imported creating strong reds, indigo, and pure green. Because of the
wealth noblewoman possessed, they were also able to have personal tailors to produce their
clothes and either embroider or decorate them with jewels.
In order to adhere to the new fashion of tight clothing to show the curves of the body, women
began using girdle type pieces to pull tight their tops and create a long-waist appearance. The
girdle was often worn on the outside of clothing to also hitch up an outer tunic
enough to show the color of the under dress/tunic. Women’s clothing were not
to be as tight fitting as the men until the 15th century, when tight sleeves, tight
fitting, and full skirted took its place in fashion. Everything was also long, full,
and trailing to show wealth and to cover the arms and ankles.
The hair of a noblewoman was a very delicate thing. It was a significant sign of
beauty, and many noblewomen had a large selection of headdresses and veils to
embrace this beauty. The hair of medieval women was often sun bleached or
even false because Italy blonde hair was praised as a form of beauty. These
attempts at beauty were not always approved as the church said sun bleaching
could damage the brain and imperil the soul. Headdresses varied again by wealth
and the century, but a primary hat of women in the 15th was the henin . A henin is
a heart or V shaped hat draped with flowing fabric. After marriage women would
raise their hair into a large chignon and add a bandeau or crown of flowers. Also
noblewomen fancied wearing gold nets and circlets or even placing gold dust in
their hair. The undergarments of a medieval people are not certain as cotton was
considered a luxury item and not invented until the 12th century in France. After
that time it is possible that women and men would have had cotton undergarments
but linen was used for any underclothes that were worn. However, even linen was hard to
produce, therefore many people just did without. A noblewoman may have worn the
undergarment known as a cotte. If she was wealthy enough, she would most likely have
undergarments made of either silk or linen. However, her wealth all depended on her husband.
Women of the Middle Ages were seen as property. Peasant women did not have to worry as
much, for their worth was not much since their families had little or no money or property.
However noblewomen generally came from rich families who owned property that would be
passed on to her and her future husband. To show whom a woman “belonged to” they wore either
their father or husband’s coat of arms on her clothing.
Men’s Fashions
Peasant Men
he clothing of a peasant man had nothing to do with fashion. Clothing’s
purpose for them was to keep them warm.. Peasant women made the clothing
of home spun wool or linen (if enough money was
available). Everything from undergarments to their
tunic was made of wool. Also, to distinguish their
class and wealth, the cut was short calf length and the
fabric often dark. Underneath, they wore trousers,
hose or simply wrapped their legs with strips of cloth.
An example of a peasant outfit would be a wool or linen shirt, leather
flask, and leggings. To carry goods, men would, like women, sling a
piece of cloth over their shoulder and tie it around their waist. On top
their heads would either be a straw hat in the summer of a felt hat in the
winter. A tailhead hat was also a common hat of peasants as well.
Because peasants lacked great amounts of money, the men only had one
or two outfits and perhaps a cloak. Some peasants had
the luxury of owning gloves and shoes for the winter, but very few did, and the
quality of what they did own was no where near that of the nobility or other
classes above them.
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Knights
ften of noble blood, a knight was very respected and considered of wealthy
status. They would most commonly wear a coat of chain mail with a tunic over
the top. The tunics themselves would often be divided into sections, often in a
checkerboard pattern with alternating colors of black and white. To show they
were knights, the tunic would also have the coat of arms imprinted on it, of the
nobleman to whom he served. Finally, this would all be worn over tights and a
belt over the tunic would secure the outfit together. Later in the 13th century, plate armor became
popular and replaced the over tunic.
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Noblemen
oblemen governed feudal estates. They were the wealthy, well respected individuals
and with that came the finest of medieval fashion. Brighter jackets, better materials, and longer
jacket lengths were just a few of the wealthy determining factors. The most popular materials
were velvet and damask with trimmings and linings made of fur.
The large part of the beginning of the Middle
Ages, men wore trousers mad of wool
underneath their tunics. Then, as the middle
ages progress, fashion changed and men
switched to a very tight set of leggings known
as hose or stockings. As for the tunic, it was
usually ankle length and even down to the floor
when one attended a special occasion or a
party. Younger noblemen wore tunics of
shorter length, but all were of bright colors and
ornamented with jewels.
Something that noblemen had that many other
men didn't was shoes! Some peasant men
owned homemade shoes for winter, but noblemen owned
elaborate shoes made of fine leathers and often of the color red. Also the shoes would be
decorated with jewels, especially pearls. Some of the most unique shoes of the era were called
poulatins. These shoes would be very pointy, almost resembling elf shoes. The points got to be so
long that one might have to tie the point around the ankle just to walk. Contributing to this
lengthy situation, was a custom that was enacted for a short time which stated the longer the point
of the shoe the more wealthy.
Clergy
Bishops
Bishops wore three main pieces of clothing.
1.
2.
3.
4.
A simple white gown or alb
A tunic or chasuble
A circle cape or a cope
a triangular hat called a miter
Since Bishops were high ranking in the clergy they wore some of the finest of fabrics of the
clergy as well. Many nobles became bishops because of the high rank in the church which was
more suitable for a man of wealth than that of a poverty sworn monk .Because most bishops were
wealthy, they dressed lavishly and much the same as a feudal lord.
The clergy's ranks themselves depended on the length and fabric that each wore. Silks and velvets
were not uncommon for bishops. Also their cape was ankle length and often had
embroidered edges. Another distinguishing factor was that atop their head, a
bishop would wear a hat known as a miter.
Monks
Monks, like Nuns had sworn their life to poverty. It was the simplest of fashion
much like that of a peasant man. in fact many monks were sons of peasant
men. The fabrics were usually homespun wool and not of finer quality.
A normal outfit of a monk was a t-gown with a cowl collar known as a
habit. Twine served as a belt and a "linen head" or coif hat was worn to
keep their heads worn.
The color of a monk's apparel was dull and varied with each monastery.
However, most were either black or brown. Dominican friars wore white
woolen robes while Benedictines wore black.
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Children
ost young children, boys and girls wore clothing that resembled that of their parents.
Depending on their parents class and wealth depended on the fabric of the material they wore.
However, most boys wore wool or linen tunics with hose underneath. To distinguish they were
still young boys, they wore hats called a hound.
ypically, young girls wore bonnets to distinguish themselves. Their dresses were
made of linen or wool and colors usually modeled after their parents since wealth
determined their status and wealth. Once again brighter fabrics represented their
parent’s wealth.
Young girls were not young for long. The youngest a girl could marry by law was
12 and many arranged marriages put girls in marriages by the time they were 16. Before
marriage, to establish whom the girls "belonged" to, young girls had their family crest on their
clothing. This characteristic is also seen in noblewomen who wear the crest of their husband as
opposed to their father.