Learn about medieval women's clothing, compare and contrast medieval noble clothing and medieval peasant clothing, and see examples of medieval dresses.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Middle Ages Clothing | Overview & Examples
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did ladies wear in the Middle Ages?
In the Middle Ages, ladies wore multiple layers of clothing, including a hose, a long underdress called a chemise, and a tunic or kirtle over the chemise. Noble women's dresses were made from fine linen, wool, and even silk and often had rich embroidery and even gemstones around the neck and hemlines. Women also wore head coverings like wimples or veils to protect their modesty. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, dresses became form-fitting, and corsets were worn to enhance the waist and bust shape.
What did medieval peasants wear?
Medieval peasants wore basic functional clothing made from linen, hemp, or wool. Men and women wore hose, a chemise (a long tunic-like shirt), and a tunic or kirtle, an outer top or dress made of nicer fabric. Men also wore breeches and loose pants tied at the waist and knee. Peasant clothing was often made from undyed fabrics or basic colors like browns and grays. However, blue was not uncommon, even for the peasant classes.
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ShowThe way we dress tells other people a lot about who we are and our status in society. Uniforms indicate people who work a specific job, like members of the military, first responders, and even fast-food workers. Surprisingly the style of clothes we choose to wear functions much like a uniform in social circles. People make judgments about the kind of work we do, the kind of recreation we participate in, or even our socioeconomic status based on what we wear, which is not a new trend. Wealthier people wore more ornate clothing throughout history, while poorer people wore basic functional clothing.
During the Middle Ages, clothing served as an identifier of social class. When we talk about the Middle Ages or the Medieval period, it is the thousand years between the fall of the Roman Empire around 500 AD and the beginning of the Renaissance around 1500 AD. Due to the thousand-year expanse of the Middle Ages, fashion trends changed from the early years to later years nearer to the Renaissance. Medieval women's clothing went through quite a number of changes, especially when it came to social classes and the materials used to make the dresses.
One challenge anthropologists face when trying to understand what people wore in the Middle Ages is that textiles tend to deteriorate quickly. Within one hundred years, fabric could rot completely away, leaving modern anthropologists no clues about clothing styles. What we know comes from written descriptions, drawings and paintings, and the occasional archaeological find with clothing still in one piece.
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Before we can dig into the fashion trends of the Middle Ages, it is important to understand the structure of society. Medieval Europe was a feudal society based on land ownership. Nobility owned and managed their landholdings. Peasants worked the land and turned over the goods they produced to the nobility. This structure meant that peasants were extremely poor, and the nobility was significantly richer. People were not able to move from one social class to another. Peasants and their children were always peasants. Nobility and their children would remain nobility barring some tragedy. There was no middle class for the greater part of the Middle Ages. Eventually, a merchant class developed, which became the middle class we know now.
The vast distinctions between the nobility and the peasant class were apparent in the Middle times clothing. While the style and basic construction of the clothing were the same between classes, the materials, and quality of the craftsmanship were different. Peasant clothing was made of simple fabrics in basic colors without adornment. On the other hand, noble's clothing was dyed, lined with animal furs, and embellished with complicated embroidery.
Medieval Peasant Clothing
Medieval peasants wore basic functional clothing. The fabric for Medieval peasant clothing was made from wool or linen. Many women made the fabric themselves. It may have been undyed or dyed in basic, easy-to-make colors like grays, browns, and occasionally blue. Both men and women wore several layers of similar clothing.
One foundational piece of clothing for men and women was hose or hosen. These were not stretchy tights like we think of today, but more like tight-fitting leggings that were held up by garters or straps. Some hose had feet, and others did not. Another garment common to Medieval peasant's dress was a chemise or undertunic. It was a simple linen dress-like shirt that came all the way to a woman's ankles or men's knees. Over the chemise, peasants wore a long tunic or dress that could be tied up with a belt. Men's tunics tended o be shorter than women's. A peasant might be barefoot if they couldn't afford shoes, but they had woolen or leather shoes more likely. They could replace the sole of the shoe as it wore out.
Medieval people washed their clothing more frequently than you might imagine. The extremely poor may not have washed their clothes often because they only had one set of clothes. On the other hand, from peasants to nobles, most people bathed fairly regularly and kept their clothes as clean as possible. They understood that dirty clothes contributed to the spread of fleas, lice, and illnesses from infested clothing.
Medieval people wore head-coverings that were appropriate to their work. Straw hats were common for those working in the fields. A linen bonnet called a coif that fit closely and tied under the chin was commonly worn by both men and women to keep their hair covered and out of the way when doing messy work. Both women and men also wore hoods that might have been attached to a cape that covered the shoulders.
Medieval Men's Fashion
Men's clothing during the Medieval period was similar in construction to women's clothing. One notable difference is that men may have worn additional undergarments over the hose like breeches, drawers, or brias. Depending on the weather and season, these different kinds of pants may have been made from linen or wool.
Drawers are essentially the forerunner to modern underwear. Made from plain linen, these were mainly worn by nobility toward the end of the Middle Ages. Brais were loose-fitting pants that ended just below the knee. They were held up at the waist by being tied with leather or rope, and the bottoms were tucked into hose or boots. Early Middle Ages art depicts men working in only breeches. By the end of the Middle Ages, brais had evolved into short garments that overlapped in the front to which a codpiece would be attached.
Breeches could be made from linen or wool as appropriate for the climate. These outer layer trousers could end just below the knee or go all the way to the ankle. They were tied at the waist and gathered at the knee. In some regions, the calf of the leg and the breeches would have been wrapped with bands to hold them tight to the leg and tuck them into hose or boots. Workers are recorded as wearing only breeches and a coif (head covering) as they toiled in the heat.
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Medieval men's fashion included tunics worn over the chemise. It was made from linen or wool and came to the knee. A peasant's tunic might have had long sleeves and a rope for the waist. In warmer climates, men who performed heavy labor may have worn short sleeve or sleeveless tunics to keep cool as they worked.
Men wore head coverings like woolen caps, hoods, or coifs, depending on their work and the weather. They would also have worn a sturdy leather belt, leather shoes or boots, an apron for work like blacksmithing or butchering, and fur-lines capes or cloaks during cold weather.
Medieval Female Clothing
Medieval female clothing changed over the thousand years of the Middle Ages. Clothing was also markedly different between peasant women and noblewomen.
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Like men, women wore hose that fits relatively tightly around their legs. Unlike men's hose, women's hose only needed to come to the knee because long dresses kept the thighs sufficiently covered.
Fashion historians have noted that some Medieval women would have worn breast bands or wrappings. Corsets became a significant part of women's clothing in the later Middle Ages, defining the waist and breast. Anthropologists note that it is not clear whether women wore underpants as natural fibers tend to degrade easily, and women's underwear was not featured in contemporary art.
In the Middle Ages, women wore a chemise or undertunic of linen or wool. It was long-sleeved, loose-fitting, and came to the feet. The neckline would have been modestly high. The sleeves would have been loose in the early Middle Ages but gathered at the wrist. This under-dress was generally plain, undyed linen. It would have been washed as often as reasonably possible to help preserve outer layers of clothing.
The outer dress, also called a kirtle, covered the chemise and had a very similar style to the tunic. In most cases, the kirtle was made of nicer fabrics and could have been dyed an attractive color. The kirtle may also have been embellished with embroidery or trim. A kirtle might have been slit up the sides to use less fabric and allow more movement freedom.
Women wore a belt, rope, or fine chain around their waist with a purse attached as tunics and chemises will not have pockets. The belt may have had small tools attached to it that a woman needed during the day, like keys or needles for sewing.
Medieval women's clothing also included the requirement for hair coverings. The church considered it inappropriate for unmarried, virgin women to show their hair. Women might braid and wrap up their hair so that it was out of the way. They wore a cap or veil to keep their head and hair covered. Another common piece of headgear was a wimple. It kept the hair, head, and neck covered. Wealthier women wore more extravagant wimples with veils.
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Nearer to the end of the Middle Ages, the style of women's clothing changed. Dresses became more form-fitting, and corsets were introduced. Peasant women adopted the corset by turning it around and having the laces on the bodice in the front.
Peasant women, like men, were likely to be barefoot when the weather allowed. They would have worn woolen or leather shoes in the winter or in situations where shoes were required.
Medieval Noble Clothing
The nobility wore clothing that was significantly more luxurious than peasant clothing. The underlying pattern and function of the clothing between nobility and peasant were essentially the same. Medieval noble clothing incorporated more decoration, including gemstones, extensive embroidery, and expensive dyed fabrics. The nobility wanted to keep the distinguishing features of their clothing separate from the peasantry. Therefore, they created sumptuary laws. These laws were designed to reign in excessive spending on the part of the nobility, but they also made it illegal for lower-class people to wear certain colors, fabrics, styles, and embellishments.
Medieval nobility wore brightly colored fabrics, including purples, reds, greens, and yellows. Surprisingly, blues were even available for some peasant classes, though the color would have faded quickly. Nobles would have worn finely crafted linen, wool, silks, and furs. Both the undertunics and outerwear would have been heavily embroidered and might even have had precious gemstones adorning the fabrics.
Noble medieval men often wore shorter outer tunics that became a surcoat or jackets. As breeches became shorter and wrapped around the front, the codpiece was installed in the front of the breeches and trousers to make restroom access convenient. Sleeves and trousers were often puffed and slashed to show an abundance of rich fabrics. Nobles' shoes were made of quality leather and were quite pointed and not very practical.
Noblewomen wore brightly dyed rich dresses. The necklines, sleeves, and hemlines were heavily embroidered on both the outer dresses and the undertunics. Married noblewomen could wear their hair uncovered, often extravagantly braided, curled, and embellished with jewelry and feathers. As the Middle Ages drew nearer a close, corsets became a part of the noble woman's attire. By the middle of the Renaissance, corsets became stiff undergarments that shaped a woman's waist into a smaller frame while providing support for the bust. Noble women's corsets would have been tied in the back or on the sides as they had someone who would have helped them dress. As peasant women imitated this style, their corsets tied in the front because they had to dress on their own.
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The Middle Ages roughly covers the thousand-year period between 500 and 1500 AD. In Europe during this time, the feudal system of government developed to take the place of the Roman rule, which had been in place for the previous 400 or so years. Feudalism was a system of governance based on land ownership that created essentially two classes of people, the nobility and the peasantry. There were similarities between the clothing of the two classes.
Everyone in the Middle Ages wore hose. Men's hoses were generally mid-thigh, while women's were knee-high. They would have been held up with garters or ties. Furthermore, everyone would have worn a chemise or undertunic made from plain linen. Again, the length of the chemise was shorter for men than it was for women. Men wore breeches that fit loosely and tied at the waist. An outer tunic or kirtle would complete the outfit. Depending on the individual's social class, the outer tunic might be undyed or a basic color for a peasant or made from fine wool in a rich purple or red for nobility. Sumptuary laws guaranteed that only nobilities were allowed to wear certain colors and fabrics. Most people also wore head coverings either to keep their hair cleaner when doing a messy job or for the sake of modesty as dictated by the church. Women, especially unmarried women, wore a wimple that kept their hair, heads, and necks covered for modesty. Toward the end of the Middle Ages, both men's and women's clothing became more fitted, leading to the use of corsets among women, which created the image of a narrow waist and ample bust.
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Fashion and Its Role
Most of you probably have some idea of what takes place at a fashion show. Maybe a few of you have even been to some sort of fashion show. Typically models strut up and down the 'catwalk' showcasing the season's latest (often outrageous) styles. It's easy to be cynical of fashion shows and high-fashion culture, but we should remind ourselves that at its basic level, fashion plays an important role in society. Fashion serves a means of expressing who we really are. Fashion is an outward manifestation of who we are on the inside. It's a way to tell the world what we are all about. For example, if you see someone dressed in black leather you might assume they like to ride motorcycles. You might infer that someone who wears a lot of athletic clothing likes to work out. Granted, there are levels of stereotyping involved here, but the bottom line is that the way we dress says a lot about who we are.
Fashion has played a similar role throughout history. In this lesson, we will be looking at fashion in the Middle Ages. Just so we are clear, the Middle Ages refers to the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Protestant Reformation, which was basically the 1,000 year period between 500 to 1500 A.D. Let's take a look at see what kind of clothing people wore during this time.
Feudalism and Middle Ages Society
One thing we need to understand about the Middle Ages society is that it did not contain a vibrant middle class as is common today. There was an extreme discrepancy between the haves and the have-nots. The majority of people were poor peasants who struggled just to survive, while a select few had extraordinary wealth and privilege. Remember, Middle Ages society was based on feudalism, a social structure in which most land was owned by the the nobility. Peasants were allowed to live on their land in return for their labor. Basically peasants harvested crops for the nobility and worked their land, and only received what little was necessary for survival. Feudal society prevented upward mobility; it prevented peasants from bettering themselves. If you were born a peasant, you were doomed to a life of hardship. Similarly, wealth was passed down from generation to generation among the nobility. It is important we understand Middle Ages society because the fashion between the peasants and the nobility was dramatically different.
Peasant Clothing During the Middle Ages
Peasant clothing during the Middle Ages was plain. Most peasants made their own clothing or purchased it cheaply from a neighbor who made clothing. There was little color or variety to peasant clothing. Browns, grays, and other undyed bland colors were common. Peasants typically wore a pair of linen undergarments that were washed regularly. Over these they wore their daily working clothes which were rarely washed. Men typically wore a simple wool tunic and a pair of wool breeches. A leather belt was often worn over-top the tunic. Leather boots were customary, and in colder climates many peasants owned a sheepskin or other animal-skin cloak. A woolen cap was also commonly worn in colder weather.
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Throughout most of the Middle Ages, peasant women wore a simple, long dress. Usually this was white, brown, or grey, as dyes were expensive. Linen was a common material. This type of dress was loose-fitting and utilitarian. Many women also wore a wimple, a veil-like garment that covered the head and neck, but left the face exposed. Wimples served a variety of purposes and were particularly common among young unmarried women. See, under the rigid moral structure perpetuated by the Catholic Church, it was considered inappropriate for virgin women to show their hair. Wimples varied considerably with some being extremely elaborate and others primitive. By the late Middle Ages, women's dresses were becoming more form-fitting and the neck-line began to become lower. Corsets also became popular during this time, but again, many peasant women could not afford these styles and continued to wear loose, utilitarian dresses. Capes, scarves, and other types of accessories were sometimes available for women.
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The basic idea you need to remember is that peasant clothing was utilitarian. Peasants did not have the luxury of multiple changes of clothes, brightly colored clothing, or the opportunity to be 'fashionable' for the sake of being fashionable.
Clothing of the Nobility During the Middle Ages
For the nobility, fashion was an entirely different story. The nobility had the resources to afford extravagantly dyed clothing. Furthermore, the nobility were the only people legally allowed to wear extravagant clothing. Yes, you heard that right. See, throughout the Medieval Era, Sumptuary Laws were put into place restricting what types of clothing peasants could wear. Many Sumptuary Laws forbade peasants from wearing bright colors. These laws, enacted by the nobility and those in authority, were intended to keep peasants in their place and mark the distinction between the two classes.
Purples, reds, greens, blues, yellows, and other bright colors were all the rage among medieval lords and ladies. Among men, extravagant robes were popular in the early Middle Ages. These were often made of expensive materials like silk, and sometimes contained embroidery and even precious stones. By the late Middle Ages, this look was replaced by hose (tights or stocking) and a surcoat, which was like a short tunic. Furs also became highly fashionable, and the more outrageous and unique, the more desirable. So think of it like this: nobles ''competed'' to have the most gaudy and over-the-top fur accessories. Puffed sleeves were popular, and men's shoes were made of high-quality leather and usually pointed. As the Middle Ages progressed, clothing tended to become more form-fitting.
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Ladies of the upper class wore bright-colored dresses made of expensive materials. These women usually wore a corset which gave the body the illusion of a small waist and an ample bust. Ladies could afford to have their dresses form-fitting. Hairstyles were a particular highlight. Extravagant hairstyles in which the hair was pulled up were common. Various types of tiaras and ornamental head wear helped keep their hair up. Often, the higher up a woman's hair was styled, the more fashionable it was considered. By the end of the Middle Ages, a woman's hair might contain feathers, jewelry, or all manner of other decorations.
Lesson Summary
Let's review our key terms. The Middle Ages refers to the period of time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Protestant Reformation, which was basically the 1,000 year period between 500 to 1500 A.D. Feudalism was a Middle Ages social structure in which land ownership was concentrated in the hand on the nobility, who allowed peasants to live on their land in return for their labor. Feudalism contributed to stark differences between the peasants and the nobility, which was manifested in the way they dressed. Many women wore a wimple, which was a veil-like garment covering the head and neck, but leaving the face exposed. Sumptuary Laws forbade peasants from wearing bright colors and the styles of the nobility. Corsets gave the female body the illusion of a small waste and an ample bust.
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Middle Ages Clothing | Overview & Examples
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