Costumes from the Medieval Times

The Medieval Age refers to the period between approximately the 6th century and the 16th century. This era, which spanned nearly a millennium, witnessed a number of famous/infamous characters and groups of people, which gave birth to a number of unique fashions and trends, that are still cherished today.

Medieval costumes can be observed in many popular movies, like the Lord of The Ring trilogy, and more recently the Chronicles of Narnia series. They are fun to wear in dress-up parties, themed parties, plays, and other similar events.

There are number of different Medieval characters, each with a unique style of dressing. Depending on the particular Medieval character you want to dress up as, you should choose the appropriate costume and match it up with the right accessories.

You can get these Medieval-times dresses in any party supplies store. You can either buy the costumes from these stores or simply rent them to save money. They can also be ordered online, with a number of sites offering a large catalog of options.

Given below is information on how to dress up like some of the Medieval-age characters, with the help of the right costumes and accessories.

Peasant Man: To dress up as a peasant man, you can wear a cotton shirt and stockings or cotton pants. Wear a medium length tunic on top of the shirt, and cinch it with a sash or rope. Use accessories like shoes and hats made of cloth.

Peasant Woman: To dress up like a peasant woman of the Middle Ages, wear a kirtle, which is a long tunic made mostly of linen. You can wear a loose-fitting undershirt under a kirtle, which has short sleeves, in case the tunic is short sleeved. You can semi-tie your hair with a ribbon, or braid it with a ribbon which matches the color of the kirtle.

Rich/Aristocrat Woman: To dress up like a wealthy woman, in keeping with the Medieval period, choose an elaborately designed gown and complement it with a matching headdress. Make sure your gown is made from a good material like satin, and has beautiful patterns and lacework in elegant and rich colors.

Rich/Aristocrat Man: To dress up as a rich man from this period, wear an elaborate knee-length jacket/doublet and a hose, or a tunic with a surcoat. Make sure the sleeve and cuff designs are elaborate and made from some shiny material like silk or satin. Accessorize with a belt, sword, and boots.

Princess/Queen: The clothing pattern of a princess or queen will be similar to the aristocrats, only a bit more elaborate and colorful. They will also be accessorized with necklaces, earrings, and other jewelry items, along with a small crown or tiara.

Prince/King: The king's or prince's costume too will be much more elegant, and accentuated with gold and silver borders and linings. Use royal colors like blue, red, or purple, and elaborate lacework in the costume. Also importantly remember to accessorize with a full-length cape and crown.

Pirate (Male): This is a very popular Medieval-themed costume, that has been made more popular by the character Captain Jack Sparrow from the movie series Pirates of the Caribbean. To dress up like a pirate, wear a white shirt, a lavish jacket with large gold/silver-colored buttons, vest, and a belt across your chest.

Wear two belts with attached buckles, pants, and boot covers. Accessorize with a hat and bandanna, and make braids in your hair and attach beads to them. You can even consider using a ready-made braided pirate wig.

Pirate (Female): To dress up like a sexy pirate girl, wear a long and loose-sleeved, short-skirted white dress, having an attached lace-up type waist clincher. The waist clincher should preferably be black in color, but can include design patterns on it.

Wear dark, full-length tights or stockings, and over-knee high-heeled black leathers boots. Accessorize with leather wrist cuffs and a fancy pirate hat.

To dress up like a knight, you should wear a tunic, pants, and boots. You can wear a headpiece, boot covers, cowl neck drape, gauntlets, and accessorize with a belt, and carry a long, elaborate sword to complete the look.

A printed chest emblem would be a good touch. You can even wear a helmet along with light elbow and knee armor to appear like a full-fledged warrior.

To look like a musketeer, wear a white shirt, black pants, and black leather boots. On top of it, wear a tabard, which can be blue in color with a silver cross and a pattern similar to the fleur-de-lis of the Musketeers emblazoned on it. Complete the look with a black Musketeer hat with a plume, sword, and optionally with black leather gloves.

Go ahead and select from the costumes mentioned above, and match them with the proper accessories and make up. With the proper attire, you are sure to achieve a fantastic Middle Age look, and will definitely wow your audience/friends.