The Middle Ages - Dress
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The Lord
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The Lord wears a shirt as his underwear. This shirt is plain, light and
made of linen to keep his skin from itching. On his legs, he wears warm
"hose" (like tights) made of wool. Next, the lord wears a heavy,
decorated gown called a houppelande. These gowns are sometimes made of
velvet! Most important men wore a belt with a purse attached. He would
often have a pendant (like a brooch) and a belt buckle made of jewels. A
lord’s gown would have "bagpipe" sleeves, which were very
baggy but tight around the wrist. Some lords would wear a hat called a
chaperon. These hats had long "tails" that were called liripipes.
During cold weather, the Lord would wear a heavy cloak lined with fur.
Pointed leather shoes were very popular for these men to wear.
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The Lady
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Clothing worn by "royal" people was brightly coloured and made
of soft material. Ladies usually wore woolen gowns that were very long. In
the early Middle Ages the gowns often had sleeves that could touch the
ground! Over top of the gown would be a robe called a surcoat. Embroidery
(special sewing stitches with bright coloured thread) was very popular and
much of the clothing had this. A jeweled belt was often worn as well. A
lady would likely wear a cloak with a fur inside, that would be fastened
with a decorative cord or jeweled clasp around her shoulders to keep her
warm in the cold castle. Women in the Middle Ages usually had their heads
covered. Coverings ranged from a wire circle holding a piece of cloth
called linen, to the "cone-shaped" hats with a veil of
"filmy" material. How a lady covered her head was a sign of her
age and how important she was. Ladies of this time wore expensive jewelry
to show others how rich they were. "Pattens" were shoes with
high wooden bottoms. These could be worn over top of a lady’s leather
shoes when it was muddy outside.
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A Merchant
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A merchant would wear a bulky piece of clothing called a surcoat that ends
just above his knees. It would be a bright, "rich" colour and
might have a trim of fox fur. A belt would be worn at the waist with a
purse attached. Sleeves on the surcoat are called "bagpipe".
Stockings or tights would be worn to keep warm. A merchant’s shoes would
be very long and pointed. Sometimes the shoes worn by important men were
so long, that the tips of them had to be fastened to the knee with jeweled
chains.
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A Serf
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Serfs or peasants work long, hard days in the fields. This means that they
must dress for this kind of work and do not wear fancy clothing at all. A
male peasant wears a rough tunic made of thick fabric to keep him warm. He
would also have a cloak over the tunic but it would not be lined with fur
like the lord and merchant, but with sheepskin. Long strips of cloth would
be worn around the legs. Serfs could not afford leather shoes so they wore
cloth ones. If it was muddy in the fields, they would work barefoot. In
the winter they would wear heavy clumsy shoes made of wood called clogs. A
female peasant would also wear a tunic made out of rough material. It
would be heavy and have no shape. To keep the front of her skirt from
dragging in the mud in the field, she would tuck it into the belt she
wears around her waist.
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