Carmelite or White Friars wore habits of white throughout, but from about 1240 to 1290 their cloaks were parti-colored, white and red.
Crossed Friars wore blue habits with a plain red cross.
In the early church there were various orders of nuns. They lived in convents, apart from the world, and took the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Their costumes were of extreme simplicity and dignity, in keeping with their religious ideas. Each order had a distinctive costume of gray, blue, brown, white, or black. The materials were wool and linen. Note the full mantle, sleeves, and head-covering.
Crusaders’ Costumes. Every boy and girl who loves adventures has no doubt been thrilled by stories of the Crusaders. The story of Richard the Lion-hearted may come to your mind. This illustration shows you the kind of costumes that he and other Crusaders wore. Beginning in the year 1096, and during the two hundred years which followed, there were nine crusades. People from every country in Europe and from every class set forth for the conquest of Jerusalem and the recovery of the Holy Sepulcher. When these great companies of people set forth each wore the costume of his own country and class, but upon each surcoat was worn the cross. According to the order of Pope Urban II which read: “You are a soldier of the Cross, wear, then, on your shoulder the blood-red sign of Him who died for the salvation of your souls.” What a sight it must have been! Godfrey of Bouillon set forth from his province of Lorraine with 10,000 horsemen and 80,000 infantry, all bearing this blood-red cross upon their surcoats. Raymond of Toulouse led forth, it is said, with 160,000 horse and foot.
Crusader's Costume
Out of the successes and failures of these great pilgrimages came the experience and inspiration that created the literature, architecture, and arts of the Middle Ages, and gave the Christian world many of its saints and martyrs.
XIIIth Century Costumes. One of the greatest expressions of this intensely religious age was the cathedrals. From the infinite number of statues that are carved upon their façades and especially their portals and those statues that are within the cathedrals, from the figures in their stained-glass windows, the brass effigies in their pavements, and their frescoes and paintings, came the most authentic and complete information about the costumes of this period. Illuminated manuscripts and tapestries, such as the Bayeux tapestry, are also valuable sources. Photographs and reproductions of all this material are available. If one is seriously interested in costume he can collect reproductions from a surprising number of sources, such as newspapers, especially the Sunday supplement, magazines, and postcards, and make them into a costume scrapbook.
XIIth Century Costumes: Lady and Noble