Twelfth century European fashion was simple in cut and differed only in details from the clothing of thepreceding centuries, starting to become tighter and more similar for men and women as the century went on, which would continue in the13th century. Men wore knee-lengthtunics for most activities, and men of the upper classes wore long tunics, withhose andmantle orcloaks. Women wore long tunics orgowns. A close fit to the body, fullskirts, and long flaringsleeves were characteristic of upper-class fashion for both men and women.
As in the previous centuries, two styles of dress existed side-by-side for men: a short (knee-length) costume deriving from a melding of the everyday dress of the laterRoman Empire and the short tunics worn by theinvading barbarians, and a long (ankle-length) costume descended from the clothing of the Roman upper classes and influenced byByzantine dress.[1]
Wool remained the primary fabric for clothing of all classes, whilelinen undergarments, which were more comfortable against the skin and could be washed and then bleached in the sun, were increasingly worn. Silk, although extremely expensive, was readily available to wealthy people of consequence.Silks fromByzantium were traded inPavia by way ofVenice, and silks fromAndalusia reachedFrance viaSpain. In the last decade of the previous century, theNorman conquest of Sicily and theFirst Crusade had opened additional routes for Eastern fabrics and style influences into Europe.[1]
Fur was worn as an insidelining for warmth.Vair, the fur of the squirrel, was particularly popular and can be seen in manyilluminated manuscript illustrations, where it is shown as a white and blue-grey softly striped or checkered pattern lining the mantles of the wealthy.
A new French fashion for both men and women was thebliaut orbliaud, a long outer tunic with full skirts from the hip and sleeves that fitted tightly to the elbow and then flared into a trumpet shape. Early bliauts were moderately fitted and bloused slightly over the belt at the waist. Later the bliaut was fitted tightly to the body from shoulder to hip, and the belt, or girdle was wrapped twice around the waist and knotted in front of the abdomen.[1]
Underclothes consisted of an inner tunic (Frenchchainse) or shirt with long, tight sleeves, and drawers orbraies, usually of linen. Tailored clothleggings calledchausses orhose, made as separate garments for each leg, were often worn with the tunic; striped hose were popular.[1]
During this period, beginning with the middle and upper classes, hose became longer and more fitting, and they reached above the knees. Previously, they were looser and worn with drawers that ranged from knee- to ankle-length. The new type of hose were worn with drawers that reached the knees or above, and they were wide enough at the top to allow the drawers to be tucked into them. They were held up in place by being attached to the girdle of the drawers.[2]
The better fit and girdle attachment of these new hose eliminated the need for the leg bands often worn with earlier hose. In England, however, leg bands continued to be worn by some people, both rich and poor, right up to the reign ofRichard I.[3] After 1200, they were largely abandoned.[4]
Over the undertunic and hose, men wore an outer tunic that reached to the knees or ankles, and that was fastened at the waist with a belt. Fitted bliauts, of wool or, increasingly, silk, had sleeves that were cut wide at the wrist and gored skirts. Men wore bliauts open to the waist front and back or at the side seams.[1][5]
Newly fashionable were short, fitted garments for the upper body, worn under the tunic: thedoublet, made of two layers of linen, and an early form of quilted and paddedjupe orgipon.[1]
The sleevelesssurcoat orcyclas was introduced during this period as protective covering for armour (especially against the sun) during theCrusades.[6] By thenext century, it would become widely adopted as civilian dress.[5]
Rectangular and circular cloaks were worn over the tunic.[1] These fastened on the right shoulder or at the center front.
Men of the upper classes often went hatless. Thechaperon in the form of hood and attached shoulder-length cape was worn during this period, especially by the rural lower classes, and the fitted linencoif tied under the chin appeared very late in the century. Small round or slightly conical caps with rolled brims were worn, and straw hats were worn for outdoor work in summer.[2][5]
Women's clothing consisted of an undertunic called achemise,chainse or smock, usually oflinen, over which was worn one or more ankle-to-floor length tunics (also called gowns or kirtles).[1][7]
Working-class women wore their tunics ankle-length and belted at the waist.
Women of the French court wore a loosely fitted tunic called acotte or the form-fitting bliaut over a full chemise with tight sleeves. Thebliaut had a flaring skirt and sleeves tight to the elbow and then widening to wrist in a trumpet shape. A bliaut apparently cut in one piece from neckline to hem depicted on a column figure of a woman at the Cathedral of St. Maurice atAngers has visible side-lacing and is belted at the natural waistline.[7] A new fashion, thebliaut gironé, arose in mid-century: this dress is cut in two pieces, a fitted upper portion with a finelypleated skirt attached to a low waistband.[7]
The fitted bliaut was sometimes worn with a long belt or cincture (in French,ceinture) that looped around a slightly raised waist and was knotted over the abdomen; the cincture could have decorativetassels or metal tags at the ends.[7]
In England, the fashionable dress was wide at the wrist but without the trumpet-shaped flare from the elbow seen in France.[5]
Married women, in keeping with Christian custom, wore veils over their hair, which was often parted in the center and hung down in long braids that might be extended with false hair or purchased hair from the dead, a habit decried by moralists.[7]
During the Middle Ages hair was charged with cultural meaning. Hair could be used to convey messages of social differentiation.[8]
Thewimple was introduced in England late in the century. It consisted of a linen cloth that covered the throat (and often the chin as well), and that was fastened about the head, under the veil.[5][9]
