Did Medieval Women Wear Pants?

Men in the Middle Ages wore shirts and panties (medieval briefs that look like modern-day shorts), while women wore a robe or shirt and not pants. This has been generally accepted as one of those things that everyone knows, but is it really true? For women of child-bearing age, wearing underpants would not have been an appealing idea, especially during certain times of the month. In addition to loincloths, medieval men wore a completely different type of briefs called braies. Women of the time could have worn a chest band called a strofo or mamillare made of linen or leather.

Just like today, those who compete in sports could benefit from wearing tight clothing that matches modern sports bras, dance belts, or jockstraps. There is no evidence one way or the other, so it's quite possible that medieval women sometimes wore loincloths or short braies. This exciting discovery in medieval underwear revealed that such garments were being used as early as the 15th century. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.

In the US, it was founded as a cooperative of several LARP teachers and game designers, and is now a world leader in high-quality medieval costumes. Therefore, most of what historians know about medieval underwear has been compiled from period works of art and from an occasional archaeological find. It is quite possible that the use of these underwear continued in medieval times (especially strophium or something similar), but there is little direct evidence to support this theory. Although they were probably worn by a man, they give a great idea of what might have been available to medieval women at that time.

Medieval briefs for women EXISTING GARMENTS, FOUNTAINS, BRIEFS IN HOUSEHOLD ROLLS, UNDERWEAR FROM THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN & EQUITATION. It could also have been difficult to adjust the hose that reached beyond the knee when wearing a long dress, which was almost always the case among medieval women. You can also find some modern shirts and dresses that have elements inspired by medieval clothing, such as corset style evening dresses or loose-fitting tunics.Medieval underwear was a little different: although it wasn't meant to be visible, it wasn't seen as an insult to have it peeked out in places that outer clothing doesn't cover. People didn't write much about their underwear, and natural fabric (unlike synthetic) doesn't usually survive more than a few hundred years.

Other medieval women, such as Margaret Paston, traveled regularly on their travels and, according to the book by Frances and Joseph Gies, Women of the Middle Ages, they probably traveled on horseback instead of riding sideways which was becoming fashionable in the early 15th century.This garment was often referred to as a “robe” or “shirt” and was the most common underwear for women for more than 500 years from the early medieval period to the Renaissance. So did medieval women wear pants? The answer is not clear cut but there is evidence to suggest that they may have worn some form of underwear such as loincloths or short braies.