Anglo-Saxon dress

Anglo-Saxon dress refers to the variety of early medieval European dress, or clothing, worn by the Anglo-Saxons from the time of their migration to the British Isles in the 5th century until the beginning of the Norman Conquest, when Norman fashions from the Continent began to have a major influence in England.

Anglo-Saxons' clothing usually used only three types of fabric. Wool was a coarse material which was used for most garments. Lower-class people, such as slaves (theowas) and poorer peasants (geburas), could only use wool for their garments, even for those worn against the skin. Linen, harvested from the flax plant, was a finer material which was used for garments that were worn close to the skin by better-off peasants (kotsetlas and geneatas) and those above them in the social hierarchy. Silk was an extremely expensive material and was used only by the very rich, and then only for trim and decoration.

The primary garment consisted of a knee-length woollen tunic. For the poorer theow, this would be the only clothing worn, although some may have been given woolen trousers and shoes to wear. A gebur would be able to afford woollen trousers and leather shoes, and would also carry a knife (called a seax), which signified their freedom in the eyes of medieval Anglo-Saxon society. A linen undertunic (worn under the outer woollen tunic) and linen braies (reaching to the ankle or knee) would be worn by richer peasants and nobility, along with woollen hose which would be held up by or decorative embroidery around the top. During the 11th century, the length of the braies decreased and the length of the hose increased, eventually resulting in a garment which somewhat resembled modern shorts.Geneatas and thegns would often have cross-gartering on their hose, along with leather turnshoes. Over the tunic, a cloak would be worn, which was held together by a brooch or, later on, a ring (functional buttons not being invented until the 13th century). There are several illustrations of warriorlike persons wearing headgear similar to Phrygian caps or helmets found in 10th and 11th century Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. It is possible, though, that these images do not depict any actual fashion of the period, but rather copies of much older Byzantine or Roman originals, little understood by the copyist. Hoods would also be worn.

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