“Tell me what you wear, and I’ll tell you who you are”
Fashion in the Middle Ages
Spotlight /
Fashion in the Middle Ages
Today, fashion feels like freedom: globalisation, fast fashion, endless choice of fabrics, colours, and cuts. But in the Middle Ages, clothing was anything but free. It was a visual marker of your social rank – enforced by strict sumptuary laws.
Browsing through the magnificent Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, we see immediately: clothes kept society in its “God-given order.”
Splendour and privilege
On the May calendar page, noble ladies wear long gowns with slit sleeves, while gentlemen shine in brightly coloured capes with golden appliqués. Fur, like the Duke of Berry’s collar in January, was reserved for the aristocracy.
Practical and plain for the peasants
By contrast, the peasants in June appear in short tunics and simple hats. Fabric was costly, so their clothing was shorter, easier to work in, and far less decorative.
Colours with a message
Colour was a social code. Lower classes used cheap vegetable dyes such as walnut brown or woad blue, while aristocrats flaunted purples and indigos. Yellow, however, had a negative connotation – often forced upon prostitutes and outcasts.
From head to toe
Headwear spoke volumes: married women veiled their hair, noble ladies displayed hennins or elaborate burgundian caps, and some groups were marked by special hats, like the infamous Jew’s hat.
And the feet? Think of the pointed “crakow” shoes of the 14th century – the longer the tip, the higher the rank. Comfort? Not exactly a priority.
