Fashion in the Middle Ages was dominated by the kind of status one belonged to. The wealthy were seen in highly fashionable attire. The Kings and Queens in the period were seen adorned in silks and luxurious fabrics. The interesting fact about fashion in the Middle Ages remains to be the Sumptuary Laws that were passed during this period. Kings and Queens were known to adorn brightly colored silks. Special tailors created clothing in the medieval period for the royal Kings and Queens. With the Sumptuary Laws being enforced, people who violated the same faced severe penalty. The Sumptuary Laws enforced rules such as the wealthy class of the society would be the only ones seen wearing fashionable clothing. A violation of the same would result in loss of property or heavy fines as well!

     Fashion in the Middle Ages for the common folks was all about loose linen or wool. Men were generally seen in tunics, which went all the way, down to their knees. Tunics that were really long were seen for special events or functions. Such tunics were also combined with long pants beneath. These pants were generally made of wool. For the cold winters, one often saw the use of cloaks.

     The fashion in the Middle Ages for women was obviously dictated by their social status. Apart from long tunics, women also wore under-tunics made of wool and teamed it with a cloak if they stepped out of the house. These tunics were available in a wide range of colors and sometimes women also adorned fancy hats to make a fashion statement.

     There were certain garments that were considered to be a status symbol for women who belonged to the upper classes. Brighter colors, rich materials, long jackets, elaborate garments, tunics worn with surcoats etc, were all a part of fashion in the Middle Ages. Women also preferred to wear gowns and used an array of headdresses to make a mark. Leggings and hose were also found in use during this period, but it was not considered to be a mark of the wealthy people. The rich classes were also known to import clothing from other countries such as silk cloth, bleached linen and dyed or patterned prints. On the other hand, people who belonged to the lower segment of the society often wore homespun wool and used colorful borders, which were woven into the fabric in the loom. Read the rest of this entry »