During the middle ages the fabrics used most for clothing were wool and linen. The tradition of spinning wool for fiber had existed for more than 5000 years and by the medieval period in Europe wool was established as the standard fabric for all classes. The gradations of thread quality determined the cost of certain types of wool fabric but everyone, from peasant to landowner to royalty, wore wool as a staple of their wardrobe. The peasant classes would afford the coarser wool for their simple tunics, cowls and headwear while the landed classes would have fine garments made of wool woven as fine as silk, dyed in rich hues, and often enhanced with embroidery. Silk as a popular material for costume was not easily available to western Europe until the period of the Crusades when the materials and methods of oriental fashion were brought back by the crusading armies. Linen, too, was used for undergarments but was not as valued as wool because linen threads could not be spun to the same levels of distinction as wool and linen fabrics were not as good as wool in absorbing color dyes.
In medieval Europe the wool trade was particularly a phenomenon of England’s dealing, mercantile class and became its leading industry, at its peak accounting for close to 90% of the revenues. The significance of wool to the development of England’s economy is even manifest in church structures that were built to grandiose scale with money from the wool trade—known as wool churches. England dominated the commercial routes of the material, closely managing exportation and essentially monopolizing distribution. 
Embellishment in clothing and costume in many ways reached a zenith in the Europe of the 15th and 16th centuries when outfits were characterized by a longer-style garment for formal occasions and a shorter, more tailored style for daily wear. The style of the shorter garments, which in men’s clothing was comprised of the doublet (short, fitted button-down top) and the trunk hose (covering the lower body to mid-thigh), was also largely influenced by innovations in armor. The longer style garment, a holdover from Roman styles in drapery, was an elegant alternative and retained its place for ceremonial occasions.
Pageantry and etiquette were great influences on the styles of medieval men and women and evolved out of social and economic circumstances of the 11th and 12th centuries. Displaying one’s status at court and in tournaments through innovations and flourishes in fashion was expected and enjoyed. One sphere of society informed the other as the chivalric world of the knight-errant influenced the appreciation of certain styles and forms for the layman and vice versa. During the period when courts flourished throughout Europe, a more idealized notion of the male figure developed, with the narrowing of the knight’s armor, and clothing along with armor were made to measure.
The courtly life and the romantic notions linked to the world of knights-errant and ladies of the court created an arena for lavish details in costume, such as dagged (shaped, rounded) edges to garments, long pointed tips to sleeves that would sometimes be so long as to drag on the ground, jeweled knights’ helmets, scalloped waists, fur-trimmed gowns, lace collars, cushioned and creased sleeves, embellished sashes, densely embroidered patterns on silk as well as highly ornamented engravings on armor that echoed patterns on cloth. The extravagance was also translated to etching patterns on armor: etchings made on armor plates were sometimes so intricate as to reflect patterns recognizable from damask, or the rich patterning of exotic silks, and would also in some cases reflect flourishes in form such as slashed sleeves. It was a trend during the 15th and 16th centuries to ‘slash’ the sleeves of the doublet, which served to echo wounds in battle, and allow an under layer of cloth to protrude through the outer layer.
Women were also participant to this trend. A knight would appear in his armor and rich textiles, both detailed in intricate designs, with his shield and his horse further bearing matching fabric so that upon entering tournament the knight, accompanied by his equally outfitted entourage, was a fanfare to behold.
SOURCES: image is from King Rene d’Anjou’s illuminated Tournament Book, circa 1460.
Tags: 11th century, 12th century, 15th century, 16th century, armor, armour, chivalry, embroidery, Fashion History, knight's helmet, knights, medieval clothing, ornamental patterns, pageantry, rich textiles, status, tournaments
