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

As in just about any other period of history, clothing in the Middle Ages was worn for necessity, comfort, and display. Bright colors and rich decorations made for a striking medieval wardrobe, at least among the wealthy, although there was a surprising similarity in clothes for different social classes and the sexes. More expensive items of clothing were generally distinguished not by their design but by their use of superior materials and cuts. Governments sometimes intervened in who should wear what and how much certain items were taxed while some members of the clergy, in particular, were frequently berated for looking rather too flashy and being indistinguishable from knights. Trends came and went, as today, with laces sometimes in vogue, pointed shoes became the done thing, and tunics were made ever shorter towards the end of the period when showing a little more leg was considered the height of fashion, and that was just the men. Clothes were generally the same for all classes but with the important difference of extra decoration, more and finer materials used, and an improved cut for the wealthier. Additions of metal, jewels, and fur, or intricate embroidery also distinguished the wardrobe of the rich from that of the poor. Outer clothes were not so different between the sexes, except those for men were shorter and the sleeves roomier. As all clothes were tailor-made, a good fit was guaranteed. Clothing was usually made from wool, although silk and brocade items might be saved for special occasions. Outer clothing made from goat or even camel hair kept the rich warm in winter. Fur was an obvious way to improve insulation and provide decorative trimmings, the most common were rabbit, lambskin, beaver, fox, otter, squirrel, ermine, and sable the latter three became a standard background design in medieval heraldry such was their common use. More decoration was achieved by adding tassels, fringes, feathers, and embroidered designs, while more expensive additions included precious metal stitching and buttons, pearls, and cabochons of glass or semi-precious stones. The taste for colors was the brighter the better, with crimson, blue, yellow, green, and purple being the most popular choices in all types of clothes. Nightwear was not much of a social indicator and did not take a whole lot of forethought as most people slept naked. After a quick wash with cold water in a basin the first thing to put on in the morning, at least for the wealthier members of society, were underclothes, usually made of linen, long-sleeved shirts and drawers for men down to the knee or below and known as braids and a long chemise for women both sexes were long-sleeved tunics which had either a low-cut neck or a slit down the front so they could be put on over the head and then tied at the neck, sometimes with a brooch. The tunic might go down to the knee or even the ankles in the case of more formal wear for the nobility. The longer versions were usually split up to the waist at the front and back. Most tunics were made in one color although they might have a different colored lining. Decorative embroidery was most often added at the neck, cuffs, and hem, less often on the upper arms or all over the garment. The jupon or pore point was a 14th century CE fashion, a tight tunic or jacket with padding. The jupon was fastened by buttons or laces all down the front and there were sometimes buttons running from the elbow to the wrist, sleeves sometimes reached down to the knuckles on these garments. On top of the first tunic, another tunic was worn but either without sleeves or with much baggier sleeves, it was also shorter at the waist than the under tunic. For colder weather, these top tunics were often lined with fur and then called a police. A waist belt with decorative metal buckle was worn over the tunic and was the flashiest part of a man's wardrobe, very often with gold, silver, and jeweled additions. An alternative type of outer tunic was the tabard, cut like a poncho but with the sides closed by stitching or clasps. Heralds wore a version of the tabard with sleeves only covering the outer arms and the chest decorated with the coat of arms of the noble they represented. Once again, the 14th century CE saw a new fashion, that of the coat hardy, a tight jacket with sleeves going only to the elbows and buttons or laces from the neck right down to the waist. Tied with a belt, the part below the waist billowed out like a skirt, sometimes with a dogged hem. Over time hanging cuffs were added to the sleeves which became longer and a collar was added. Noble women wore fine dresses, particularly at court and at such social events as the medieval tournament. In contrast to later more romantic paintings, illustrations from the Middle Ages often show quite plain dresses with only minimal decoration. Typically of a single color, sometimes with a different colored lining, they are long, long-sleeved, high-cut, and close-fitting above a belted waist. Women's belts, almost ever-present in graves and illustrations, sometimes had chains hanging down chatelaine to which were attached small decorative objects for working women these would have been small tools, useful for such tasks as weaving and embroidery. The most common extra decoration is a border at the cuffs and neckline of the dress. Illustrations often show tall pointed or flat topped hats being worn with veils hanging down, although not covering the face. Men wore hose or long stockings of wool or linen which went up to the knee or just above it and which were secured to the belt of their drawers. Women's stockings were shorter and held up by a garter worn below the knee. Some stockings ended in a stirrup while those which fully enclosed the foot might have a leather sole added to them. Stockings might also be padded to create a fashionable pronounced point at the toes. For going out, a cloak or mantle was worn, which was typically made from a roughly circular or rectangular piece of cloth that might, too, be fur-lined. Here was another chance for a bit of jewelry as cloaks were 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 a man might fasten his cloak at the left shoulder to allow his right arm to freely draw his sword. An alternative to the cloak was a greatcoat which stretched down to the shins or ankles and had wide sleeves gathered at the shoulder. Both cloaks and greatcoats might have a hood with some being fastened using a button. An entirely separate hood that also covered the shoulders was an alternative for headgear. An alternative outer garment from the 14th century CE was the hopeland, a long robe split down the sides from the waist down and with flared sleeves and a high collar. Gloves were worn outdoors and might go almost up to the elbow. They also used fur lining and frequently had embroidered designs, typically a gold band. Hats were worn by everyone. At home, men wore a linen coif which was tied under the chin and decorated with embroidered designs. Women meanwhile wore a wimple, a headdress that also covers the neck and sides of the face. Keeping on their indoor headgear, a cap or hood was worn as well when outdoors or, when traveling, a hat with a brim that could be turned up at either the back or front. Some hats had a soft and shapeless crown, others were round or had a flat top, and all types could easily be decorated with a couple of ostrich or peacock feathers. From the 14th century CE, hat bands came into fashion. Boots, usually quite loose and fitting, were either high riding boots or low on the leg. Shoes covering the ankle were worn out of doors, and soft slip-on slippers were in one's private chambers. Shoes, made from cloth or leather, were closed via inner laces, a strap, or a buckle, which was another opportunity for decoration and personalization. Footwear became increasingly pointed as the Middle Ages wore on, especially for men. For the aristocracy, there was no worry over the maintenance of their wardrobe as that was done by their staff. The chamberlain was responsible for his master's wardrobe which was kept folded in chests or on pegs when not in use. Ladies had their ladies-in-waiting and maids to help them dress. Washing was done by laundresses who soaked the clothes, or at least the less delicate smalls, in tubs of water mixed with caustic soda and wood ashes, and then pounded them clean using wooden paddles. As already mentioned, there was not such a distinction between the general style of clothes of different classes except in terms of cut and materials. Nevertheless, the distinction was a sharp one, and it was protected by the upper classes, especially when people tried to dress above their station for personal advancement. Various sumptuary laws were passed from the 13th century CE onwards which restricted the wearing of certain materials by the lower classes in order to maintain the class divisions of society. There were even limits put on the quantities of such expensive imported materials as furs and luxury cloths like silk for the same purpose. Another indicator of the relationship between clothing and social status is the fact that 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 was one section of society that had more clothing restrictions than most, nuns could not wear expensive furs, and members of specific monastic orders had to wear a particular style of habit to make themselves easily identifiable. Neither could members of the secular clergy adopt certain wider fashions, notably the 13th century CE shortening of tunics to show a little more leg or the use of too many colors in one outfit. Although there is evidence these rules were frequently ignored, the idea was to maintain the distinction between the clergy and other members of society, especially knights. There were even measures to distinguish between the faiths, and Jewish clergy, for example, had to wear two white tablets of linen or parchment on their chests from the mid-13th century CE. Access to clothing was also restricted in times of economic strife during wars like the Hundred Years' War with France, presumably to stop wasteful spending. At such times governments, in effect, rationed clothing so that, for example, priests might only be permitted one new robe per year and bishops three. The same rules applied to aristocratic ladies and knights who could only have one new change of outfit per year. For the staff and the employ of a local baron or castle owner, there were differences in the cost, cloth, and colors of the clothes their lord provided them so that there were marked distinctions between such groups as the menial servants, squires, clerks, men-at-arms, and sergeants. Clothing remained an important and easily communicated method to display rank and job title. On the battlefield, knights wore chain mail or plate armor with a dash of color perhaps provided by a surcoat and plumed helmet, but they still had to look the part of society's ambassadors of chivalry even when at leisure. Particular robes were worn on special occasions by those with the privileged right to wear them. For example, members of particular knights' orders such as the Order of the Garter could wear a fine dark blue robe with a gold collar chain made up of knots and red roses encircled with garters. Clearly, then, there were subtle and not-so-subtle wardrobe distinctions, not only between certain classes but also within the same class in a continuous game of social display emphasizing just who had the right and the means to wear what and when. Fair hair was ideal and thus the hair was bleached with chamomile. The hair was braided, covered with headpieces, or worn loosely in curls. Long blonde curls were the beauty ideal for both men and women. In the 12th century, it became a custom for girls to only wear their hair open until marriage. A German proverb derived from this, Gemanden unter die Haubringen, which means literally to bring someone under the cap, meaning to marry off a woman. The Gabend is a German medieval headpiece. It consisted of two linen ribbons, one loop from the top of the head around the ears and chin and the other from the back of the head around the forehead. The Gabend can be worn with a veil, a chapel, or a medieval pillbox hat. The chapel is a circular headdress, a circlet of metal or flowers. The flowers could either be real flowers or imitations. It came up in the 12th century and stayed fashionable until the 16th century. The chapel was normally worn in combination with hairnets, veils or the Gabend. Towards the end of the 14th century, a new hairstyle established, the Henon. The new fashion spread from Burgundy all over France. This high, cone-shaped headpiece was made of a wire or bone frame covered with fine fabric. The cone could be pointed or blunt. A long veil floated down from it. The lower edge of the Henon was framed with a cuff of monochromatic or colorful velvet or other cloth. This band could be encrusted with pearls or otherwise embroidered. A noblewoman's Henon could be as high as one meter while Burgess's wives were not allowed to wear theirs higher than a good half a meter if possible, the headpiece should cover all hair. Consequently, it was pinned to the head before putting on the Henon. Adventurous variants of this piece came up, the double or butterfly Henon is a headpiece with two cones, like two big horns. This form of Henon existed from very high to relatively low. Over the two peaks, a sheer veil was laid. A kind of pillbox had came up, the Pilius Panonicius, is a Roman type of hat worn by men, especially soldiers. It found its way into medieval times and changed allegiance, now to be a female headpiece. It looks quite like a plain modern pillbox hat, just the cut and the materials differed. Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the fashion of the high forehead had arisen which would be at its peak in the Renaissance, a high forehead was thought to host a wise, great mind so the women started to pluck or shave their front hair. This is rather a dark chapter in fashion history as only a small knowledge survived. The long gowns and cloaks of the painted women generally covered their feet and it is too long ago to have more than a few surviving shoes. Wooden shoes or simpler leather boots were the footwork of the common folk if they did not walk barefoot. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, women wore thin leather boots which reached the calf or a kind of slipper that derived from oriental models. In the 12th and 13th centuries slip-on boots fastened with clasps or bands over the ankle were worn. Then, the most amusing and the most famous footwear of the Middle Ages came up, the krakows or polains. Both men and women wore this fashion. They were crafted of leather and the shoe was tapered. Women's polains remained more or less acceptable but the men's toe caps came along in most fantastic lengths. The longer the pointed shoe the higher the wearer and the funnier he looked and scuffing he went. Towards the end of the 15th century, the polains were replaced by the cowmouth shoe, a flat leather shoe with very broad and short toe caps. It was a demonstrative turning away from the former fashion. Small and slender women's feet did not benefit from this style, however. Next to the cowmouth shoe leather boots were worn. The so-called peasants boots were shoes made of leather that had straps and were fitted by lacing. They were worn throughout the whole Middle Ages in heaps of modified versions. Thank you for watching. Please subscribe for more videos.