The social strata played an immense role in the trend of fashion and on the medieval clothing's history in general. The medieval clothes worn long time ago dictated the social status of an individual for only the wealthy people and the prominent ones were entitled to wear the most fancy, expensive and colorful medieval clothing while poor people had to use blankets and russets for their medieval clothes.
The rich people's medieval costumes were made out from fabrics such as velvets, furs, silks, cotton and taffeta. The silks and cottons were all imported from the Middle East while velvets were bought from Italy.
The medieval clothing of the wealthy people were made in a variety of colors. The coloring agent that produced the flamboyant colors in their medieval clothing were very costly. The green tincture was extracted from lychen and the blue colorant was drawn out from a rare plant. Meanwhile, red tinctures came from a Mediterranean bug. It is therefore unsurprising that the less fortunate settled for wool, linen and sheep skin and were not vibrantly colored as opposed to those of the upper class people.
Generally, all the medieval clothes consisted of various layers. Since people in the medieval ages spend their time outdoors and in castles where the temperature is usually chilly, it was paramount to keep themselves warm.
The peasant men's clothing were knee length tunics that were secured with a belt. Peasant women wore lengthy dresses that was made out of the same as that of their male counterparts and similarly secured with a belt.
On the other hand, the wealthy men wore trousers wrapped with lengthy tunics. Surcoats and Tabards were also put on which were covered with cloaks designed with a fascinating fur and a broach. Hats were included in the overall medieval clothing. Hats were made from the same expensive materials that their clothes were made from. The rich men's shoes were of velvet, leather and silk and were secured with a buckle.
The medieval clothing of prominent women had numerous layers. Their underclothings were composed of breeches, hose and a chemise. The top covering can be a long gown or dress that may be bright yellow or white linen. Gowns were tailored from fabrics such as velvets, silks, furs, cottons and taffeta. The neck part and the hem of the gown were embellished with lace and exquisite gems. Tunics such as biauds and tabards covered the gowns. Their medieval dresses were wrapped-up with mantels. The women's shoes were likewise made from the same materials as those of men. To spice their overall medieval appeal, women wore their hair long and braided and covered with a wimple, which was a piece of silk pinned over their hair.
Over the years, the medieval men and women started to wear hats as part of their medieval clothing. In fact, the taller the hats, the better it was for their looks. Their clothes also took on a few other additions which evolved into more elegant styles.
