Middle Ages Clothing

Clothing of a Nobleman

Middle Ages Clothing
Fashion and dress, just like everything else in the period, was dictated by the Pyramid of Power which was the Feudal System. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them. There were strict rules about apparel. The type of clothes that men and women could wear was strictly enforced by Sumptuary Laws that prohibited sumptuous clothes to all but the greatest nobles and dignitaries in the land. 

This section provides information about the type of clothes and fashions worn by the kings, nobles, lords, peasants and serfs during the restrictive era of the Middle Ages in England and Europe.

Middle Ages Clothing

Middle Ages Clothing in Europe
Amongst European nations, during the Middle Ages, there was always one common standard of fashion and clothing , which varied from time to time according to the particular custom of each country, and according to the peculiarities of each race. Each European country would imitate the fashions and clothing of another but still manage to retain its own identity. In Italy, for instance, clothing and dress always maintained a certain character of grandeur, ever recalling the fact that the influence of antiquity was not quite lost.

 

Clothing of a Nobleman

 
  

In Germany and Switzerland, clothing and garments had generally a heavy and massive appearance; in Holland, still more so. England uniformly studied a kind of instinctive elegance and propriety in clothing. It is a curious fact that Spain invariably partook of the heaviness of clothing peculiar to Germany because the Gothic element still prevailed there. France was fickle and capricious, always ready to borrow from every quarter any style of clothing which pleased her.

The History of Middle Ages Clothing
The history of Medieval fashion, costumes and dress provides details of the Sumptuary Laws and an overview of Medieval fashion through the ages of the period. The Sumptuary Laws distinguished seven social categories and made members of each class easily distinguished by their clothing. There were strict laws on what people could wear, regardless of their wealth. The materials and colors were included in these laws as were strict rules on the types of fur a man or woman could wear. A history of clothing is detailed in a timeline charting the history of fashion through the Medieval era of the Middle Ages. An overview of the major changes in dress and clothing are detailed in the link to Medieval fashion.

Middle Ages Clothing - Clothes worn by different people
The following links provide interesting facts and information about the fashion and clothes worn by different social classes throughout the Medieval period. From the 11th through the 14th centuries, medieval clothing varied according to the social standing of the people. The clothing worn by nobility and upper classes was clearly different than that of the lower class. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them. The clothing and fashion during the Medieval era of the Middle Ages was dominated and highly influenced by the Kings and Queens of the era. Only the wealthy could dress in fashionable clothes.

 

Discover interesting facts and information about the dress, fashion and clothes worn during the period. How the Lords and Ladies dressed and how their style of Dress compared to the materials worn by the King. The sparse and frugal clothes worn by the monks and the nuns during the era and the clothes worn by the common men and women in England - the serfs and the peasants.

Middle Ages Clothing
Each section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great monuments to bygone times. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of clothing in the Middle Ages!

Middle Ages Clothing

  • Clothes, clothing  and fashion of the era, period, life, age and times
  • Costumes, dress and Fashion
  • Interesting Facts and information about Clothes, fashion and costumes
  • Dress, clothing, clothes and fashion in the Middle Ages
  • Interesting facts and information about Medieval Clothes, dress and fashion

Middle Ages Clothing

Clothing, Clothes and Fashion - Information - Clothes - Fashion - Dress - Facts - Info - Medieval - Mideval - Midevil - Meadieval - Clothes - Fashion - Dress - Life - Clothing - History - Ladies - Nobles - Laws - Men - Women - Clothes - Fashion - Dress - Information about Clothes - Clothes and fashion - Facts - Clothes and fashion - Info - Medieval - Mideval - Midevil - Meadieval - Clothing - Clothes - Fashion - Ladies - Nobles - Laws - Men - Women - Dress - History - Information Clothing - Facts - Middle Ages Clothing Info - Medieval Clothes and Fashion - Mideval - Midevil - Meadieval -  Period era - Middle Ages Period Times - Life - Medieval - Mideval - Midevil - Meadieval - Clothing History - Information about Clothing -  Ladies - Nobles - Laws - Men - Women - Clothing Facts - Clothing Info - Life - Clothes - Fashion - Dress -  History of Clothing - Written By Linda Alchin