Medieval clothing depended largely on the social and economic status of the wearer.  Poorer individuals had to settle for less comfortable varieties of clothing.  A peasant in the medieval age, or worse yet the Dark Ages, often had to make do with just a few sparse robes or tunics.  Wool was the predominant clothing of the day.  Washing clothes, and bodies for that matter, was done only rarely.  At the upper end of the economic scale, the royalty displayed their wealth with ostentatious clothing.

Upper scale medieval clothing revolved around the latest fashions and trends.  In fact, much medieval clothing was really about showing off wealth.  Intended more as a display of wealth, royal medieval clothing was about showing off the latest styles and fashions.  Womens medieval clothing, for example, often featured long trains and elaborate jewelry.  The mens medieval clothing was often equally elaborate, featuring complex designs of fabric and colors.

If you have seen any of the medieval fancy dress clothing, common in movies such as Braveheart, you know that the clothing emphasized the display of wealth.

For poorer denizens of the medieval ages, clothing was much more about utility than comfort or style.  At the opposite end of the spectrum, people in the royalty of the time focused on style much more than utility or even comfort.  Styles changed from to season to season, much like today.

For those looking to reproduce the look should try a search for medieval fancy dress, places like mensfancydress.org.uk are a great place to start.  Although focusing primarily on renaissance clothing, mensfancydress.org.uk can supply affordable Medieval clothing as well.  The inventory is very large, and the prices are not very high.  20, 30, 40, and even 50% clearances are commonly seen.  This makes medieval clothing relatively affordable, and the reproductions available at renstore.com are fairly extravagant and accurate.

With several styles of all time periods, mensfancydress.org.uk is a one stop shopping experience for medieval clothing.  The reproductions available at renstore.com have a focus on authenticity and quality.  Combine that with frequent clearances and affordable prices, and renstore.com is a great way to find great medieval clothing.