Fashion in the Middle Ages , Medieval Clothing , What Did People Wear in Medieval , Fashion History

Clothing in the Middle Ages

This section provides an overview of clothing in the Middle Ages, focusing on its purpose, colors, and decorations.

Clothing for Necessity, Comfort, and Display

• Clothing in the Middle Ages was worn for necessity, comfort, and display.

• Bright colors and rich decorations were common among the wealthy.

• There was a similarity in clothes for different social classes.

Distinctions in Expensive Items

• More expensive items of clothing were distinguished by their use of superior materials and cuts.

• Governments sometimes regulated who could wear certain items and taxed them accordingly.

• Some members of the clergy were criticized for looking too flashy.

Changing Trends

• Fashion trends came and went during the Middle Ages.

• Laces and pointed shoes became popular at times.

• Tunics became shorter towards the end of the period.

Differences Between Social Classes

• Clothes were generally similar for all classes but with extra decoration for wealthier individuals.

• The wealthy used more fine materials such as metal, jewels, fur, or intricate embroidery.

• Outer clothes did not differ much between sexes except for men's shorter sleeves.

Materials and Decoration

This section discusses the materials used in medieval clothing as well as various decorative elements.

Common Materials Used

• Wool was commonly used for making clothing during this period.

• Silk and brocade were reserved for special occasions.

• Outer clothing made from goat or camel hair provided warmth during winter.

Decorative Trimmings

• Rabbit lambskin, beaver fur, fox fur, otter fur, squirrel fur, urman fur, and sable fur were commonly used in medieval clothing.

• Tassels, fringes, feathers, embroidered designs added more decoration to garments.

• Expensive additions included precious metal stitching, buttons, pearls, and glass or semi-precious stones.

Popular Colors

• Bright colors were favored during the Middle Ages.

• Crimson, blue, yellow, green, and purple were popular choices for all types of clothing.

Undergarments and Tunics

This section focuses on undergarments and tunics worn during the Middle Ages.

Morning Attire

• After a quick wash with cold water, people would put on under clothes in the morning.

• Men wore long-sleeve linen shirts and knee-length drawers known as "braise."

• Women wore long-sleeve tunics called "chemise."

Tunic Styles

• Both men and women wore long-sleeve tunics that could be put on over the head.

• Tunics varied in length from knee-length to ankle-length for formal wear among nobility.

• Most tunics were made in one color with decorative embroidery at the neck cuffs and hem.

The Japan or Pourpoint

• The Japan was a 14th-century fashion trend characterized by a tight tunic or jacket with padding.

• It was fastened by buttons or laces down the front and sometimes had buttons running from elbow to wrist.

• Sleeves on these garments could reach down to the knuckles.

Outer Garments for Men

This section explores outer garments worn by men during the Middle Ages.

Waist Belts and Tabards

• A waist belt with a decorative metal buckle was worn over the tunic as a flashy accessory.

• An alternative outer garment was the tabard, which resembled a poncho but had closed sides.

• Heralds wore tabards decorated with coats of arms representing nobles they served.

The Codpiece

• In the 14th century, the codpiece became a new fashion trend.

• It was a tight jacket with sleeves that extended only to the elbows and had buttons or laces down to the waist.

• The lower part of the jacket puffed out like a skirt, sometimes with a jagged hem.

Noble Women's Dresses

This section focuses on dresses worn by noble women during the Middle Ages.

Fine Dresses for Court and Social Events

• Noble women wore fine dresses, particularly at court and social events like medieval tournaments.

• Illustrations from this period often show plain dresses with minimal decoration.

• Dresses were typically of a single color with a different colored lining.

Belts and Decorative Objects

• Women's belts were often adorned with chains hanging down, to which small decorative objects were attached.

• Working women would attach small tools useful for tasks such as weaving and embroidery.

Headwear and Hosiery

• Tall pointed or flat-topped hats were worn with veils hanging down but not covering the face.

• Men wore hoes or long stockings made of wool or linen that went up to or just above the knee.

Clothing in the Middle Ages

This section provides an overview of clothing in the Middle Ages, including different types of garments and accessories worn by both men and women.

Types of Garments and Accessories

• Cloaks were commonly worn, fastened with either a chain or brooch at the neck. An alternative fastening was to pull one corner of the cloak through a hole in the other top corner and then tie a knot.

• Cloaks could be fur-lined and were sometimes worn with a hood.

• Great coats, long robes that stretched down to the shins or ankles, were also worn. They had wide sleeves gathered at the shoulder. Some great coats had hoods.

• Hats were worn by everyone at home. Men wore linen koiffs tied under the chin, while women wore wimples that covered their necks and sides of their faces. A cap or hood was worn outdoors or when traveling. Hats could be decorated with ostrich or peacock feathers.

• Boots and shoes were common footwear options. Boots could be high riding boots or low on the leg, while shoes covering the ankle were worn outdoors. Soft slip-on slippers were used indoors. Shoes made from cloth or leather were closed via interlaces, straps, or buckles which provided opportunities for decoration and personalization. Footwear became increasingly pointed for men as time went on.

Social Status and Clothing

• The upper classes had staff responsible for maintaining their wardrobes, such as chamberlains who kept folded clothes in chests or on pegs when not in use.

• Sumptuary laws restricted lower classes from wearing certain materials to maintain class divisions in society.

• Clothing was considered along with other items of a person's property to decide their tax obligation, but for the higher classes, clothing was often left out, suggesting social display was regarded as a necessity for them and an unnecessary luxury for everyone else.

• The clergy had more clothing restrictions than most. Nuns could not wear expensive furs, and specific monastic orders had to wear particular styles of habits. Jewish clergy had to wear two white tablets on their chests.

Clothing Restrictions and Economic Strife

• Access to clothing was restricted during times of economic strife, such as wars like the Hundred Years War with France. Governments rationed clothing to prevent wasteful spending.

• During such times, priests might only be permitted one new robe per year, while aristocratic ladies and knights could only have one new change of outfit per year.

Clothing as a Display of Rank and Job Title

• Different groups of staff and employees had distinctions in the cost, cloth, and colors of clothes provided by their lords or employers. This helped display rank and job title.

• Knights wore chain mail or plate armor on the battlefield but still maintained a certain appearance even when at leisure.

New Section

This section discusses the historical fashion trends related to hair and headpieces in the Middle Ages.

Hair and Headpiece Fashion Trends

• In the Middle Ages, fair hair was considered ideal, leading to the bleaching of hair with chamomile. Both men and women aimed for long blonde curls as the beauty ideal.

• Girls were accustomed to wearing their hair open until marriage. The German proverb "jamandan utter dihawbringon" referred to marrying off a woman, symbolized by covering her head with a cap called "cabend."

• The cabend was a German medieval headpiece consisting of two linen ribbons that looped around the head from top to chin and forehead. It could be worn with a veil, chapel, or medieval pillbox hat.

• The chapel, a circular headdress made of metal or flowers, became fashionable in combination with hair nets and veils. It remained popular from the 12th to 16th centuries.

• The hennon emerged as a new hairstyle in the 14th century. It featured a high con-shaped headpiece made of wire or bone frame covered with fabric. A long veil floated down from it.

• Noble women's hennons could reach up to one meter in height, while burgess's wives were limited to half a meter. The goal was for the headpiece to cover all hair.

• Variants of hennons included double or butterfly hennons with two cones and pilius panonicus, which resembled modern pillbox hats.

• The fashion trend of high foreheads arose during this period, leading women to pluck or shave their front hair.

• Footwear in the Middle Ages varied. Surviving shoes were mostly long gowns and cloaks that covered the feet. Common folk wore wooden shoes or leather boots, while women had thin leather boots or slippers.

• The famous footwear of the Middle Ages was the krakows or polaines, tapered leather shoes worn by both men and women. Men's toe caps became increasingly elongated for a humorous effect.

• Towards the end of the 15th century, cow mouth shoes with broad and short toe caps replaced polaines. Peasants' boots made of leather with straps and lacing were also popular.

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