Throughout the ages, women never fail to re-invent themselves when it comes to fashion. This was especially true in Medieval times. During the Middle Ages, from 11th century to 13th century, medieval clothing, in general, varied and depended on the social standing of the individual. Each social class during Medieval times was identified by the type of clothing their members wore. For example, what women wore during this era was conservative in nature and essentially covered them from head to toe.
Medieval women wore a full ensemble consisting of headdresses, garments, footwear, belts, jewelry, capes, and accessories. Furthermore, a medieval woman’s hair needed to be braided or tied in buns and completely covered by a veil or wimple. The veil or headdress worn by all women were worn with the veil’s edge coming towards the eyebrows and hanging on each side of the face. Garments such as the under-gown or long gown had close fitting sleeves at the wrist. The full and loose skirts reached up to the ground and had tiny waists due to the corsets worn underneath the gown. Shoes, on the other hand, were short, thin, soft, and usually made of leather material similar to socks. The belts worn by women were also made of leather with gold studs. These also identified their social status. Jewelry and accessories were only used by the wealthy since these were usually imported and very expensive.
Simple medieval women wore clothes made up of kirtles. These were tunics that were worn long and reached to their ankles. A shirt was worn underneath and a shorter kirtle was worn over both when a woman went out in public. Wealthy medieval women, on the other hand, wore more luxurious clothing made of expensive materials such as silk and with elaborate designs and accessories.
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