Welcome to the Materials Page!
All the materials listed here were commonly used in the middle ages. If you would like to see pictures of the materials visit the Materials Photo Gallery. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please send them to [email protected].
Black-work: Embroidery done with black silk. Invented during the Renaissance.
Brocade: A tighly woven fabric with a raised pattern. Could only be afforded by the wealthy.
Canvas: Coarse cloth made of flax or hemp.
Calico: White cotton often imported from India. Only worn by wealthy.
Cambric: Fine white linen.
Damask: Silk fabric that was woven with elaborate designs and patterns. Very expensive.
Embroidery: Not a fabric, but was often used to decorate plain clothing. Designs made by the poor were mostly simple, geometric designs. Embroidery done for nobility was much more elaborate and was often done with gold and silver thread.
Flannel: Lightweight, woolen fabric often used for undergarments, bandages, and rags.
Freize: Thick woolen cloth often used for outer garments.
Fustain: Lightweight, silky material that resembles velvet. Expensive.
Gold and Silver Tissue: Lightweight fabric that has gold and/or silver threads sewn into it. Mostly worn by royalty and rich nobility.
Holland: Very finely woven material often used for shirts and undergarments. Mostly worn by rich.
Kersey: Ribbed, woolen cloth worn by wealthy.
Lawn: Finely woven linen worn by wealthy.
Linen: Cloth made from flax.
Musterdevilliers: Gray, woolen cloth worn by middle and upper classes.
Russet(Homespun): A coarse reddish-brown or gray woolen cloth. Favored by the poor.
Samite: Silk cloth often woven with gold. Worn by wealthy.
Satin: Silk cloth that is shiny on one side. Worn by wealthy.
Scarlet: Soft cloth draped in folds. Often red but could by many other colors. Mostly worn by nobility but was a favorite of outlaws.
Serge: Wool fabric used in clothing and other textiles such as bed coverings.
Silk: Very expensive cloth woven from silk threads in East Asia. Used at first only by royalty but started to spread down to nobility .
Taffeta: Plain glossy silk reserved for wealthy.
Tartan: Twilled woolen fabric named for its coloring and design.
