Introduction

   A King, Prince, and Knight all once said, “Tho cloak are not created equal! Cast off thy filth'st garb. Bring ye thy silken gown!”  With that said, I'd like to present to you with a few of the basics about Medieval cloak fabrics and a short history of some of the more popular cloths used for clothing during the Renaissance.

What I hope to reveal, is that although most of the fabrics we use now in the making of cloaks, Medieval and Renaissance garb today are likely to be synthetic fiber based, (except for wool) the fabric themselves are still very much entrenched in a deep history of that era.

   What was fabric like during Medieval times through the Renaissance? By the time the Renaissance Age rolled around the tailoring business was already developed and the idea of fashion was being rejuvenated. There wasn’t much difference among the distinct social classes in the way clothing was cut, the differences only became apparent in the vibrant colors and expensive fabrics that were used in the tailoring for the elite. The poor peasant prepared his or her fabrics themselves, while nobility and royalty had the means to buy the most expensive and colorful fabrics whether imported or woven locally.

   Wool from local flocks was woven into cloths of different strengths and had already become a commodity and main staple for the common man. While the most expensive, the finest and the most colorful cloth was silk and velvet.

   Preparing nearly any fabric, whether be wool or silk, from natural fiber threads was a time-consuming job. The Industrial Revolution didn't come until the 19th Century, so there was plenty of need for skilled fabric craftsmen and women. Fabric was extremely valuable whether or not it was homemade, local or of an imported origin. Medieval and Renaissance threads were spindled with a distaff - an early type of spinning wheel. For one whole dress where the density of threads was over fifth teen threads per centimeter you needed as much as fifteen-thousand meters of finished thread. That would be over thirty kilometers of one-filament thread equivalent to ten miles of thread for every dress!

So, what exactly were the popular fabrics of the times?

And please, please leave me your vote of confidence before leaving my guide! I'll keep trying to write more...

Fabric History (Tho Cloak!)

Velvet 

• Dates Back 2th Century BC - Egyptian
  

   The most important fabric for royalty and truly reserved for only Royalty was Velvet. Throughout the medieval era through the renaissance and beginning 19th Century velvet was the cloth of Kings and Queens. Only royalty and nobility could afford to own garments of velvet. Velvet for our medieval and renaissance cloaks is the fabric of choice too. With a past that dates back to 2000BC in Egypt, velvet carried an elite reputation of the robes of royalty.

   Velvet fabric was a lavish and expensive fabric of the Renaissance. Velvet was made from various fibers and blend yarns, which in themselves have their own history. One reason velvet fabric was so popular with nobility is due to the deep rich colors produced when velvet is dyed. Any beautiful color imaginable can be produced from velvet fabric and for this reason is our medieval and renaissance cloak of choice.

Satin 

• Dates Back 30th Century BC - Chinese
  

   The history of satin is inextricably linked to the history of silk from which all true satin is made. Silk was developed in China, about the 27th Century BC. The Chinese for an amazing 30 Centuries kept the secret of silk. The secret was finally brought to Europe in the 6th Century AD by the Emperor Justinian and a silk industry soon flourished in Asian Minor.

   The price of silk in Europe was once the equivalent as the same weight in gold. Silk was to have a civilizing effect even on the barbarians. In 408 AD when Alaric, a Goth, besieged Rome, his price for sparing the city included 5,000 pounds of gold, 3,000 pounds of pepper, 30,000 pounds of silver and 4,000 tunics of silk.

   Silk production did not begin in Europe until about the 14th Century. Production began in northern Europe and subsequently southern France. The domestic production of silk lowered the cost of silk and satin in Europe. Although Satin itself was first produced in China, because it was a woven fabric, Europeans had no difficulty producing it once the silk thread became available.
  
   Satin was commonly worn by wealthy Europeans by the 17th Century. The clothing were often worn with expensive lace and ruffle trim. European styles of the day often originated in Italy. The most important court of the 17th Century was the French court of Louis XIV. To keep the French nobility from stirring up trouble, Louis XIV bought them to France and placed great emphasis on ritual and clothing. The fancy outfits included suits made of satin and other luxurious garb and heavily trimmed in lace and ruffles.

 My Satin Cloaks

Moleskin 

• Dates Back 19th Century - England
  

   Moleskin, originally referring to the short, silky fur of a mole, is rugged soft combed nap fabric, woven and then sheared to create a short soft pile on one side. As the name suggests, moleskin is woven and finished to simulate the short, soft, fine fur of the small tunneling rodent.  Clothing made from moleskin is noted for its softness and durability. Some variants of the cloth are so densely-woven as to be windproof. Most manufacture of this cloth takes place in British mills. Named for the 19th-century farmers who favored the trousers for their toughness and comfort. These farmers used Terriers to catch rats around their grain bins, and often wagered to see how many rats would be caught. As the trend toward more casual attire grew, “rat-catchers” caught the eye of estate owners and sporting gentry. Soon, the trousers acquired the up-scaled name of “moleskin.”

   Moleskin is a soft pile fabric woven with a malleable satin weave construction with closely woven soft, fine fur like finish on the face of the fabric. The pile is cut, steamed to open the fibers to produce a dense nap looking like heavy suede and is sometimes referred to as “suede moleskin.” Moleskin is a hard wearing fabric and make an ideal cloak fabric for outdoor use.  The heavier weight, with a longer pile, can be used for winter cloaks, while lighter weights can be used for the summer.  Moleskin fabric which was at one time produced specifically for work cloths in the potteries of Staffordshire, England because dry clay or mud could easily be brushed from the dense pile.

 My Moleskin Cloaks

Wool

• Dates Back 5,000 BC - Prehistoric Asia Minor
  

   The story of wool begins long before any fabric in recorded history, when primitive man first clothed himself in the woolly skins of wild sheep. Primitive man had discovered a durable fabric which gave him what nothing else could give, protection from heat and cold, shelter from the wind and rain. A fabric which kept him cool in the heat of the day and warm in the cold of the night, which could absorb moisture without feeling wet and one durable enough to withstand the time.

   Around 10,000 BC man began to domesticate dogs. Then around 8,000 the goat, sheep and pig to use for milk, meat and, of course, make skin into leather cloaks while leaving the hair on to make them warmer. Spinning fibers didn’t come for some 5,000 years later. But, by the time the spinning wheel arrived in late in the 5th Century woolen goods were already a market and had wool fabric had been spun by ring and stick for over 5,000 years!

   Wool was the common mans fabric, yet because of its inherit values, it was used to keep Kings warm and Knights dry. Wool was perhaps the first commodity of the Middle Ages and was taxed heavily by the King.
 
   What is important for our history on Renaissance fabrics is that fabric from English woolen looms quickly achieved an international reputation during the 15th century. From being primarily a raw wool exporter, England now became in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries a manufacturer and exporter of cloth. At the end of the fifteenth century England was a nation of sheep farmers and wool mills.

 My Wool Cloaks

Summary

   Although there were many other cloths used for clothing (especially cotton) during the Medieval Ages through the Renaissance, I have tried to dedicate my short history to fabrics still in use today in the manufacturing of cloaks and Renaissance garb. It is always nice to know something about the history of the garment you are wearing, at next Renaissance fair, costume party, SCA or even that romantic encounter, you might have a tad more to talk about when someone asks, “Hey what made you think of wearing that?”


By Von Lancelot

Thank you for reading and if you've found this guide helpful,
your *YES* vote is much appreciated!