Clothing in The Medieval Society Essay Example

During the medieval times what people wore was important because it showed their social class. There were certain clothes, fabrics, colors, and jewelry that each class could wear. There was even a law called the Sumptuary Law that was like a dress code. While the wealthy enjoyed fine clothing, the poor wore plain and itchy clothing. Let’s see how clothing was an important part of the medieval society.  

Clothing didn’t just separate the wealthy from the poor, but from the men and the women. Men often wore a linen coif (a close-fitting cap that was tied under the chin), tunics with sleeves and a metal belt around the waist, hose (tights), and cloaks or mantles. The length of a tunic depended on the class the man was in. Knights, serfs, and peasants wore knee-length tunics so they could easily go about their daily work. Wealthier men, such as lords, wore longer tunics that were a little above the ankle. Their tunics were decorated with jewels, fur, or embroidery. Underclothes, for all men, included long-sleeved shirts and drawers. Both classes of men wore leather or cloth shoes, that were closed with a strap or buckle.  

Peasant women’s clothing included wimples (a headdress which covers the neck and sides of the face) and tunics that were fastened at the waist with a belt. Wealthier women, however, wore different types of clothing. They still wore wimples but also surcoats and bliauds (trousers). They covered themselves with a full-length cloak that was trimmed with fur and was fastened at the shoulders with a brooch. Underclothes for all women were long chemise. Both classes of women wore leather or cloth shoes, that were closed with a strap or buckle. 

Types of fabric used to make clothing depended on your class. For the lower-class, wool, linen, leather, and sheepskin was used. For the higher-class velvet, fur, silk, and cotton were used. The most common types of furs that were used were rabbit, sheepskin, beaver, otter, fox, squirrel, sable, and ermine. Gold and silver thread was used to embroider royal clothing. Each material had a purpose. For example, linen was light, breathable, and wasn’t as itchy as wool. Therefore, it was used for undergarments as well as dresses, tunics, and sometimes headdresses.  

Colors that were used in clothing during medieval times also depended on what class you were in. Lower classes wore brown, gray, and tan colors. The lower class couldn’t enjoy the beauty of brighter colors. This was because they could not afford dyes. Also, there were laws stopping them from wearing certain colors. While they wore dull colors higher class people wore colors like crimson, blue, yellow, green, purple, gold, and silver. Purple was a royal color, which is why kings and queens often wore purple robes.  

Jewelry was an important part of medieval times.  A popular jewelry item were brooches. Brooches were round shaped and were decorated with pearls and stones. Another type of jewelry were belts decorated with gems. For women, putting jewels on headdresses was very popular. Bracelets were also used in the medieval times. Materials to make jewelry were gold, silver, pearls, enamels, ruby, sapphire, and stones. Rubies and sapphire jewels were used for higher class jewelry. The lower class wore jewelry on special occasions like weddings. Goldsmiths were the people who made the jewelry by using methods like soldering, plating, or gilding.  

The wealthy influenced the style of clothing during this time. The Sumptuary Law of the Middle Ages was made so that the wealthy people could stand out from the poorer people. Some rules of the Sumptuary Law include, women had to be dressed by the class of their father’s or husband’s. Wives or daughters of knights could not wear gold clothing or sable fur. Handicraftsmen’s wives and daughters could not wear silk veils. Wives and daughters of and esquire could not wear velvet, satin, or ermine. Women of a royal family could wear gold and purple silk. It was forbidden, though, if Lombards and other foreigners wore lace or silk. There were many other rules in the Sumptuary Law. These laws kept the wealthy and the poor separate. It made it so that the wealthy could have a different type of style of clothing than the poor. 

The clergy had the most clothing rules than any other part of society. Nuns couldn’t wear any expensive furs. Those of the monastic order had to wear a certain type of clothing to make themselves easily identified. The clergy could not have shortened tunics that showed a little more of the leg. Also, they could not have too many colors in one outfit. Bishops, the leaders of the church, wore the fanciest clothing such as silk and velvet. They also wore a special hat called a “miter.” A miter would be pointed at the end and often would be covered with jewels. This showed the power and importance of the bishop. Priests, the second highest, would wear long black gowns. Monks, like priests, wore brown gowns made of wool and a belt around their waist. Finally, the nuns, wore black, gray, and white gowns. They had a belt around their waist and wore wimples.