Clothing In The Middle Ages

There have been many things that described people throughout history. One of the most dominant ways was the style of clothing. Through cultural preference and materials available there is consistency as well as diversity in clothing. Though clothes in the Middle Ages were somewhat primitive compared to today’s garments, the quality clothing had no effect on the people’s freedom of expression through fashion.

Classes were dominated by feudalism. Most of the time, feudalism was defined as a social system that existed in Europe during the Middle Ages. People worked and fought for Nobles who gave them protection as well as the granting of land in return (Merriam Webster). The classes of the Middle Ages were set at birth, and there was no way to escape a certain class other than marriage. Jobs and occupations dictated the quality in life. As a result, clothing played a big part in forming the definition of who a person was in society (Life in the Middle Ages).

Unlike today, where the abundance of clothing is made from cotton, that was not true in the Middle Ages. Most clothes were made from wool due to its availability and affordability at that time. Wool was itchy and definitely not luxurious; in addition it was difficult to wash. However, people of the Middle Ages used their resources to the best of their ability. A few uncommon fabrics were linen, hemp, cotton, leather, fur, taffeta, velvet, and damask (Life in the Middle Ages).

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Although the Middle Ages were defined as the Dark Ages, the “dark” side of that era did not apply to fabrics. Clothing of the Middle Ages consisted of mostly bright colors that varied depending on class ranking. A variety of different colors and shades could be made through natural processes. V...

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...and fur (Middle Ages Ladies dresses).

At the end of the middle ages, dresses were shortened and became easier to wear on a daily basis. On the other hand, the sleeves of dresses became longer to make up for the shortening of dresses. Women began wearing their hair up in large rolls with bonnets and

Page 12 uncovered the shoulders revealing lavish necklaces. The goal of women’s clothing was to be elegant and full of character at the same time (Middle Ages Ladies dresses).

The Middle Ages were a very unique era. In many areas of life, including clothing, there were extremes of simplicity as well as outlandish extravagance. Displaying ones personality through clothing choice, was as important to them as it is to people in the twenty-first century. Even through strict rules and hard times, everyone in their own way took pride in showing off their personal styles.