Clothing is one of the symbols of civilization, and clothing customs reflect the characteristics of national culture and reflect the living conditions and psychological characteristics of people in an era. Medieval Europe was a period of Christian domination, and Christianity had a great influence on European clothing.

Because of the Christian doctrine of despising money and opposing luxury, "the clothing of the lower classes of the Middle Ages was simple and simple, women did not dress up, and donated jewelry to the church, and the regular clothes were mainly white fat tunics and sleeved coats, and the colors were light."

Under the rule of religion in the Middle Ages, the colors and styles of European clothing were very monotonous, the colors were still black, gray, and white, and the clothes were mainly mopping robes. The luxurious tunic of ancient Rome was abandoned.

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, Europeans dressed simply, and commoners and nobles wore the same clothes. In the eighth and ninth centuries, men's clothing had underwear and outer clothing, which was quite similar to the ancient robes of our country, but it was tighter. The length of the trousers can be worn into the foot, the crotch is short, and the trouser belt is tied below the umbilicus. Wear long or short socks on your feet, and sometimes wrap your feet around your legs with strips of cloth. A rectangular or round cloak was worn over the tunic of the nobles and the upper class, which was fastened to one shoulder or tied to the chest; Laborers' tops are shorter. Charlemagne of France "wore only the garments of the Franks—linen trousers with a belt, a cardigan and a coat tied with a belt".

In winter, an otter skin or mink coat is worn over it, and a cloak is draped over it. The nobles had a wide belt around their waists to tie their clothes and wear swords, and the commoners were not allowed to wear swords; The clothing is mainly linen and woolen fabrics. Oriental silk was expensive, priced at the same amount of gold, and only a few nobles could wear it. It is described in "The Song of Roland" (French) and "The Death of King Arthur" (English). The difference in the rank of clothing is mainly expressed in the texture and origin of the clothes, the nobles wore fine linen, wore wool cloaks made in Italy, and in winter there were precious furs such as mink; Civilians wore only coarse linen and coarse wool fabrics. Women's clothing consisted of ankle-length, tight-fitting tunics with long, narrow sleeves and a loose gown with shorter sleeves than a long tunic on the outside. The long neckline is wider, and the neckline sleeves can be trimmed with various decorations. The cloak was draped over his head.

In the 10th century, men's clothing became more form-fitting. The top half of the British men's bodysuit fits closely, and the lower half resembles a knee-length dress, loose and stretched. The tights are pullovers. A cloak was draped over the bodysuit and pinned to the chest with a large pin. At this time, women's clothing became wide, the sleeves were fattened and lengthened, the hair was covered in a shawl, and the body was covered with a cloak. Their underwear was long, dragging to the ground, and their outer garment was knee-high. Round-mouthed sleeves and richly decorated clothes, very much influenced by Byzantium. Their hair was covered with a veil, the ends of which were heavier than their backs and dragged to the ground. By the 12th century, loose-fitting clothing had become thin and narrow, allowing the body to accentuate its curves. It is fastened at the back, and the sleeves gradually widen, and the cuffs can be lowered to the knees.

In the 12th century, a round pie headdress appeared, which protected the eyes from the sun and heat, and was mainly worn by the Crusaders. The front placket is popular for the top, which divides the placket into two pieces. Women's clothing is a lace-up body, the top is close to the body, and the bottom is a wide skirt, sewn with thread between the two parts, the sleeves are loose and long, and the cutting method is to cut the upper and lower clothes and sew them, unlike the previous use of a large cloth.

In the 13th century, men's and women's clothing tended to be the same, with men's clothing also having a bodice and a variety of tunics, round pie headdresses, cap-style decorative sleeves, and open-chested shawls. There are stockings, boots and shoes underneath. The man wears a small Central Asian hat. At this time, the protective garment was fashionable and suitable for travel, which was a large open-chested shawl with a seam on the side and an arm that could be stretched out for movement. In addition, during this period, it was popular to have a closed waistcoat-style tunic with a waistcoat on the upper body and a knee-length underneath, and this sleeveless kaftan had the shoulders extended to both sides to become a hat-style decorative sleeve. The 13th-century laborers' long shirts varied in length. Men's tops reach the knees, the sleeves are short, there are heelless shoes under the feet, and the trousers have a round hole in the heel for easy on and off. In summer, he wore roomy hemp pants with his upper body exposed, and in winter, he wore a short tunic and a sleeveless pullover. Women wore robes with seams in the middle to facilitate labor, and skirt pockets for crops at harvest. At that time, it was forbidden for peasants to wear clothes of good materials and bright colors.

After the 14th and 15th centuries, European clothing began to change. Due to economic prosperity, the development of agriculture, commerce, handicrafts, international trade, and the influence of oriental civilization, many changes have taken place in European clothing. There was a more pronounced difference in the clothing of the nobles and commoners; The style of clothes has changed, and the variety of clothing has increased. "The Legend of the Giants" contains medieval clothing such as satin, silk and wool blends, wool, Damascus tweed, strips, gold satin, and various furs. Clothes include coats, coats, covers, tops, short coats, shirts, and shawls, and women have long dresses and evening dresses. Ornaments include rosaries, rings, chains, gemstones, diamonds, jade, pearls, agate, etc. Clothing seeks to break away from ancient customs and pursue fashion. The ornaments and buttons in the oriental costume were absorbed by the Europeans, and the men's coats were lined with a row of buttons or precious stones, and even the underwear buttons were decorated with precious stones and buttons.

In the 14th century, men's jackets were popular, with two layers of jackets, which were very close-fitting and had reasonable sleeves that allowed them to move their arms freely and facilitate full-body movement. There are more than a dozen buttons on the jacket, and there are thin straps on the lining of the jacket to connect the upper end of the skinny leg pants to it; The tight-fitting tunic was worn over the jacket, and the high-necked tunic arose at the end of the 14th century; The collar covers the ears, the collar at the back of the neck covers the back of the head, and the lower skirt is dragged to the ground; The cloak of this period was fastened to the body with a set of buckles, and its appearance was rounded, long and wide. (To be continued......)