Category Archives: Clothing

In the 12th century, men had mostly covered their basic tunics with cloaks that were some variant of a circle: semi-circle, 3/4 circle, or oval. It draped around their shoulders in grand idleness, made of heavy, rich fabric. But in … Continue reading →

In the second half of the 12th century and moving into the 13th, there were some major steps forward in fitting cloth to the shape of the human body. At the start of the 12th century, around when the Crusades … Continue reading →

In the late 12th century, we start to see evidence of two fashion quirks that later became very prominent. Both seemed to come to England from Germany when an English princess had to return home after she became a widow. … Continue reading →

During the early 12th century, working men began wearing a type of hat that was a dominant fashion for several centuries. It was worn in different ways, sort of like the baseball cap. It was made of either linen or … Continue reading →

At the end of the 11th century, Europe came in contact with Byzantium and the Saracen Middle East in a big way. Prior to this, contact had been limited to ambassadors and rare travelers. Charlemagne’s successors had been imitating Byzantine … Continue reading →

“The centuries that established England’s Norman kingdom and launched the Crusades were the beginning of fashion in Europe. Clothing had been traditional and practical before this, and fashions changed very slowly: clothing a century old did not appear odd. But … Continue reading →