WOMEN CLOTHING IN THE MIDDLE AGES

In the Middle Ages, clothing designated status. Because people had no way of knowing who strangers were, they felt it was important to be able to identify others on sight. That way, everyone knew the status of everyone else. At least, that was the ideal. To ensure that people were exactly what they seemed to be, the authorities spent considerable time and effort passing laws that detailed what people could wear, what they could eat, and even how much money they could spend. These were called sumptuary laws.

In Europe, the laws specifically stated what people of different social classes, conditions, and professions could wear. Lepers, for example, were required to wear grey coats and red hats. Clergy members wore cassocks. Physicians wore purple robes and red gloves. Peasants wore blouses or tunics and little else. Prostitutes wore red clothing. Public penitents (such as criminals sentenced to penance) were required to wear white robes. Reformed heretics were forced to wear embroidered crosses on their clothing. Jews were identified by patches on their clothes, usually yellow circles.

One of the reasons sumptuary laws were necessary was that nobles were offended by aspiring classes imitating them. So they tried to prevent others from looking like nobles if they were not nobles. People in the middle class, for instance, could not wear certain kinds of fur. Peasants could only wear brown or black. Sumptuary laws even limited the number of new outfits that individuals could purchase annually. The laws detailed exact specifications for clothing, furs, jewelry, and other ornamentation, such as lace. Even cloth color depended on rank and income. People who violated the laws were subject to fines and the confiscation of the objects they could not legally possess. Documents, however, show that people were willing to risk the fine and confiscation in order to wear clothing outside their designated rank.

The sumptuary laws worked in another way as well. By legislating that only aristocrats could wear silks, furs, fine wools, and expensive jewelry, they also implied that aristocrats should wear these things or risk degrading themselves.

People of certain ranks received clothing privileges. Knights could wear signet rings and fur. Doctors and their spouses were allowed to purchase more clothes annually than other members of the middle class.

The sumptuary laws tried to fix identity by governing how people in various classes could dress, eat, and consume. But in the end, the laws were unenforceable.

Typical dress was quite consistent throughout the Middle Ages. Gentlemen wore close-fitting garments that could be worn under armor, such as a doublet and hose. In cold weather, they wore fur-lined jackets or cloaks. The codpiece was an especially ornate accessory that only gentlemen wore, designed to enhance and draw attention to the male anatomy. Women of noble rank wore elaborate dresses that consisted of a long undergarment and an overgarment with wide sleeves, usually a kirtle and mantle or gown and surcoat, plus as many rings, amulets, and necklaces as possible. Most gowns were brightly colored. For special occasions, women wore jeweled or fur-trimmed gowns of velvet and brocade. They usually wore their hair loose until they were married. Married women wore scarves or veils. Women of the middle class or of the lower nobility wore linen and wool housedresses over petticoats.

For special occasions, women wore wimples as nuns traditionally have done. Headgear also indicated rank. The king and queen wore crowns. Bishops wore miters, and the pope wore a tiara. Nobles, squires, and magistrates wore pointed hats called hennin. The taller and more pointed these were, the more elegant they were considered to be. For special occasions, the hats were made of gold and silver tissue. Wealthy women wore jeweled circlets or bandeaus instead of more elaborate headdresses. Doctors wore hoods. Wealthy landowners wore coifs, while farmers wore round brimmed hats, and rural people wore caps. Jews wore yellow pointed hats.

For shoes, commoners wore heavy boots or wooden clogs with leather laces, while nobles wore heelless slippers. These slippers fit tightly and came to a point with long curling toes.

Clothing was usually secured with laces, clasps, and brooches. Europeans did not know about buttons until the thirteenth century. Pockets were also unknown, so all members of society carried purses that contained their belongings. Undergarments were not often worn; if an undergarment was worn at all, it consisted of a linen shift.

Clothing was handed down from generation to generation. Although fashions did change over time, a fine gown was a permanent investment, passed down from mother to daughter.

Clothing varied in different parts of the world. In the Byzantine Empire, an oriental influence was apparent in decorations such as embroidery, fringes, and extensive needlework. Cloaks and tunics were commonly worn, as were caftans and long-sleeved robes. Imperial documents described appropriate court garments. Courtiers were expected to adhere to these regulations.

Clothing was more traditional and more practical in some parts of the world. This meant draped tunics, which could be elaborately decorated. In the Middle East, this garment was modified into a sewn robe often worn with an overrobe. Variations of the sari were worn in India and Asia. Persians and some eastern tribes wore trousers (easier for mounting horses). In Southeast Asia, trousers and vests or waistcoats were worn. Trousers were also common in China, although rarely worn in Japan. China, Japan, and Korea all had variations of the kimono which could be layered in cold weather. These could be ornamented and decorated to a great degree.

By Jennifer Lawler in "Encyclopedia of Women in the Middle Ages", McFarland & Company, USA-UK, 2001, excerpts pp 112-116. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.