their children and told them some of the same stories we still tell today Wealthy parents began teaching their children how to read and write before they were seven years old Records tell of one girl who could read at the age of
Let's Dress Up Clothes in the Middle Ages were loose and worn in layers Everyone wore a long outer garment stock ings a shirt a jacket and a gown or coat no under wear In cold weather a hooded cape was worn over everything Rich and poor wore the same styles but made from different cloth Peasants wore work clothing made of gray or brown homespun fabric They had one outfit for dressing up on holidays Royalty and rich people wore clothes made of fine fabrics dyed in beautiful colors They enjoyed wearing fur lace ribbons and lots of silver buttons or gold embroidery on their clothes It was against the law for peasants to wear certain colors such as purple and their clothing could only have a limited number of buttons or trim It was against the law for peasants to wear the fine things that the wealthy could Dresses had full skirts and fancy sleeves One style of sleeves for ladies was so tight that the dress had to be stitched onto the woman each time it was
Brocade gold ornaments and embroidery made the clothing very fancy People loved wearing finery and showing off their wealth Laws were made to keep people from putting so much fancy trim on their clothes but they didn't stop Some fancy dresses cost as much as a large farm Clothes weren't sold in shops If you were wealthy a tailor made them for you from fabric you pur chased If you were a peasant you made your clothes from fabric you wove at home out of wool taken from the family’s sheep Because clothes were so hard to make people wore them out so they sewed on patches to make them last Rich people gave their old clothes to the poor and dealers sold old clothes at the markets clothing decorated with points and bells along the edges was popular but against the law except for nobility or the wealthy By the end of the Middle Ages clothing was more
Medieval Outfit Look through your family's closets ask permission first and put together an outfit for yourself You can also find great costume pieces at yard sales and thrift shops just like the old clothes dealers in the medieval days KYou'll need to find long stockings or tights Add a long robe or dress with a loose smock or vest over it Make a cape by pinning a sheet or towel at your shoulders or tying it at the neck Try on some leather boots or sandals over thick socks For boys wear tights or pants with a long loose smock type shirt over them Wear a belt at the waist and a cape tied at the
