High Middle Ages ca. 1100-1300

The High Middle Ages usually designate the time from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Most notably, compared to the Early Middle Ages, during the the High Middle Ages the garments of the nobility had become far more conspicuous, more colorful, and form-fitting.

According to contemporary research, the most common clothing item was the “cote,” a rather simple garment worn by rich and poor, men and women alike. However, the cote’s shape and color varied, depending upon the wearer’s gender and stratum.

The garments of the poor in the High Middle Ages

The simple shape of the cote was quite popular with the lower strata and it was frequently worn by the poor. So, for instance, the Landsässische Tracht (garb worn by Landsassen; Middle High German for ’farm workers’), usually consisted of an undershirt and breeches (a kind of medieval briefs) as undergarments under a belted cote and chauces, usually with a coif (‘Bundhaube’) as headwear, topped off with a hat or a hood. Farmers and simple peasants usually wore clothes made from wool or linen, as these materials were easy to produce and inexpensive to obtain.

Clothing of the nobility in the High Middle Ages

Because clothing in the High Middle Ages was also considered a symbol of status and the nobility fancied showing off their prosperity, obtaining the most exquisite fabrics quickly became quite a sumptuous affair. Although the pattern of the cote worn by the nobility resembled that of the peasants, the garment was hardly suitable for practical labor. Noble men usually wore cotes with varying lengths (from the middle of the thighs to the middle of the calves), while women’s dresses were often long enough to draggle on the floor. Additionally the rich attempted to use (and thus show off) as much fabric as possible and therefore pleated it vertically. As a result, the motif of the pleated garment was quite popular in the visual arts of that time.

Dyed fabrics were, due to the rarity of dyes, quite expensive, which is why the colorful garb of the nobility stood out from the untreated farbics worn by the lower strata.

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  • Tunic Arnaud - Natural

    • Material: 100% Cotton
    • Genre: Historic
    • Sizes: S - XXXL
    • Reference: Bernuthsfeld Tunic
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  • Tunic Arnaud - Grey

    • Material: 100% Cotton
    • Genre: Historic
    • Sizes: S - XXXL
    • Reference: Bernuthsfeld Tunic
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  • Surcot Leonora - Dark Blue

    The Leonora Surcoat is designed to be worn over an undergarment and features a deep and narrow neckline. The surcoat was known as the Devil’s Window, because its wide armholes revealed the wearer’s figure.

    This versatile garment is made of 100% cotton for maximum comfort. The name surcot likely comes from the fact that it was normally worn over a cotte, a slip dress worn by women and men alike in the form of a wide undertunic.

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  • Surcot Ivrea - Wool Camel

    The Ivrea Surcoat is designed to be worn over an undergarment and features a deep and narrow neckline. The surcoat was known as the Devil’s Window, because its wide armholes revealed the wearer’s figure.

    This versatile garment is made from a flannel blend for maximum comfort. The name surcot likely comes from the fact that it was normally worn over a cotte, a slip dress worn by women and men alike in the form of a wide undertunic.

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    $69.99

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  • Skjoldehamn Wool Cowl Bjorn - Grey

    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.

    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim, which does not fall round, but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.

    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely, but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones, which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.

    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features, which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

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  • Skjoldehamn Wool Cowl Bjorn - Brown

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    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.

    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim, which does not fall round, but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.

    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely, but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones, which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.

    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features, which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

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    $35.99

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  • Skjoldehamn Wool Cowl Bjorn - Autumn Green

    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.

    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim, which does not fall round, but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.

    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely, but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones, which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.

    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features, which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

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  • Skjoldehamn Gugel Knud Herringbone - Olive/Grey

    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.
    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim which does not fall round but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.
    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.
    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

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    $45.99

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  • Skjoldehamn Gugel Knud Herringbone - Burgundy/Grey

    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.
    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim which does not fall round but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.
    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.
    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

    Learn More
    $45.99

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  • Skjoldehamn Gugel Knud Herringbone - Black/Grey

    The Skjoldehamn Cowl was discovered in a pagan grave from the first half of the 11th century. This is one of the first examples of the headgear "Gugel" itself.
    The hood has a basic square shape, characteristically the wide brim ends with a corner on the chest.

    The grave find from Skjoldehamn raised many questions since its recovery in 1936 and still occupies today. According to current research, the dating of the pagan grave in the marshland is the first half of the 11th century. The hood of the gugel from Skjoldehamn has a simple square basic shape and a very wide brim which does not fall round but with a corner on the chest. This gugel is also a very early example of the type of headgear that became a ubiquitous garment in Europe during the Middle Ages.
    In the course of research, attempts were made to assign the garment to a gender and cultural group. For this purpose, not only the DNA of the buried person was examined more closely but also the additional finds. The enclosed trousers determined the theory of the researchers that the person must have been male. DNA examination in 1999 showed no Y chromosome present in the bones which supported the theory that it had to be a woman instead. However, this methodology is considered outdated.
    The question of culture points to Norway. This is assumed by ornamentation and morphological features which suggest that the buried person was a Sami tribal member. Further research is needed, as some key evidence for these hypotheses is still lacking. More modern DNA analysis and research into the history of the fashions of the various Sami groups will shed light on this.

    Learn More
    $45.99

    View Details

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