Sailors, field workers and other men engaged in physical activity stripped to their braies - long, baggy, linen underpants. The 12th century observer and writer Alexander Neckham tells us that in summer the sailors at the Port of London wore nothing but braies and linen coifs, adding a woollen gonne (long tunic) in cool weather. In art, workmen pruning vines, gathering grapes and harvesting crops are depicted dressed like this - wearing only braies was considered to be fully dressed at such times.

Even in the depths of winter men stripped to their braieswhen threshing grain inside the threshing barn - it was hot, tedious work lasting many days.

Women would never dream of removing any clothing but many wore a large-brimmed straw hat in hot weather to keep the sun from their heads. At the very most, they might tuck the hem of their woollen dress into the belt, leaving the long linen shift below to cover their legs.

The links below take you to images of men working striped to their braies:

From the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, nobody at any level in society wore "trousers" (pants in American English) - they wore separate leggings of wool cloth called hose, which each tied to the drawstring of the linen braies (male underwear).

Sailors, building labourers and farm workers often took off their hose and worked just in their braies, which reached to below the knees and might vaguely resemble shorts, but they could have ties around the bottom of each leg or splits at the bottom of each leg; they were made extremely loose and baggy, since linen does not stretch and tight garments would simply burst apart at the seams. Noblemen would never be seen without their hose, which were made to fit closer to the leg, of better quality wool and sometimes with feet coverings attached ("footed hose").

See link below for an image:

From about 1400 to 1600, the Renaissance saw an explosion of art, music, scholarship and exploration. Europeans discovered the "New World." Protestant reformers rebelled against the Catholic Church. Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci, Dante and Shakespeare, Galileo and Isaac Newton flourished. Costumes evolved over the period and varied regionally, between men and women and by wealth and social class.

Early Renaissance gowns had high waists with wide gored skirts and trains, gathered at center front and worn over a linen shift. They had square necklines and flat bustlines. Sleeves were puffed, interchangeable and separate from the bodice, tied to it with laces. Fabrics were rich: brocaded and embroidered silks and velvets, fine linen in dark, deep colors accented by gold and jewels. By the late Renaissance, waistlines of gowns dropped to the natural waist. Skirts became much fuller, supported by hooped underskirts that showed through slits in the gown. Collars became high and ruffled. An outer garment for warmth was the houppeland, a long, full, sleeved gown that opened in the front.

Peasants' clothes were simpler. Women wore a shift under a laced bodice and overskirt for everyday with a houppeland for warmth. For rare festive occasions they may have had gowns similar to those of noblewomen but in coarser, plainer fabric.

The basic men's garments were chausses and a doublet or jerkin. Chausses were knitted stockings tied to braies, which were similar to a loincloth. Doublets and jerkins were padded tunics fitted at the waist and flaring out from there to the hips. As with women's gowns, sleeves were detachable. They were made from the same fabrics as women's gowns, and worn over a linen shirt that was gathered at the neck and wrists. By the late Renaissance, chausses and braies had evolved to resemble modern-day tights. The stockings were connected in the back by a triangular piece of fabric and tied to a codpiece in the front. The late Renaissance ruffled collars were worn by men also. Men's houppelands were shorter, ending at about the knees.

Peasant men wore chausses and braies as well, but of coarser fabric. Over that they wore a long shirt and a doublet, jerkin or houppeland.

Then as now, social status and personal taste were reflected in clothing. There were no designer labels, but the fabric and decoration told the story.

The first item of clothing for a man was a set of linen breeches or braies, similar to loose boxer shorts. These would have been secured with a thin belt or lace. Over these went a pair of hose, long woolen stockings that covered the entire leg. The next layer was a linen shirt that reached to the thighs or knees. Over the top was a wool tunic. Laborers and those who did physical labor wore shorter tunics,often to the knee, to allow for movement, those of higher status who did not do physical work would have longer tunics, in some cases reaching the feet. Tunics would also be decorated and trimmed bases on wealth and social status. A peasant or laborer would wear a simple tunic of plain cloth. The tunic of a wealthy man might have embroidery, trim, fur, or even jewels for decoration.

Women's clothing was similar, but women did not wear braies. Their undergarment was a long shirt, longer than the man's. Women wore hose as well, although because her garments were longer women's hose were usually knee length. The woman's tunic was almost always long, ankle or foot length.

Both women and men would have worn a leather belt which was used to hold one's knife, purse, and other useful items. Shoes were typically leather with a flat sole and no heel, fastened with leather laces or drawstrings. Shoes were simple and were frequently repaired or replaced. Shoemakers are among the most common trades found in medieval tax and tenancy documents. A variety of outer garments would have been worn as conditions required, including a second tunic, a surcoat, or a mantle.

There was a variety of headgear. Men are shown bareheaded more often than women in the surviving sources. A variety of hats were worn by men, however, including a simple coif tied under the chin, hat and caps made of cloth or felt, and among agricultural workers straw hats. Women more often kept their head covered. Poor women wore a simple head wrap, and women of higher status covered their hair with a veil and secured it with a variety of means.

Source: Daily Life in Medieval Europe by Jeffrey Singman.

Despite the popular myth that monks wore a cross, this was neither permitted or needed by real medieval monks.

Depending on which Order of monks they belonged to, the habit was made of a particular colour of coarse wool cloth: black for Benedictines and Cluniacs (called "black monks"), undyed, unbleached natural wool for Carthusians and Cistercians (often called "white monks").

The underwear for Benedictines consisted of a natural linen shirt reaching almost to the knees, with long, tight sleeves. Underpants were only issued to monks leaving the monastery on some errand, otherwise they were not worn - they were called braies and were long, baggy and made of linen.

Shoes were of black or tan leather (sandals were not worn by monks, despite the popular cartoon version of history) and socks were permitted in cold climates, as were fur undergarments called pelices.

The habit reached almost to the ground and the sleeves were made very wide and far too long - they had to be turned back or bunched up the arm. At certain times the sleeves were allowed to fall to their full length, hiding the hands completely. A hood could be attached directly to the habit, or to an overgarment known as a cowl. The hood had to be worn at specific times.

When doing manual work, monks put on a protective garment called a scapular. This was a long, rectangular piece of wool cloth with a hole in the middle for the head, falling over the habit front and back to keep it clean.

Belts could be of leather, tied in a knot at the front, or of linen cord (without the three knots worn by friars).

The obvious mark of the monk was not any kind of wooden cross but his haircut, which was the Roman tonsure, leaving a bald patch at the crown of the head. Combined with the black or white habit this instantly marked him out as a monk and made all other signs unnecessary.

Many people today are confused by the dress of medieval friars, who were not the same as monks - in fact they were the complete opposite of monks. In general terms they wore grey or brown habits, sandals, rope belts with three knots, and had the Roman tonsure.

There was no specific set of clothes for medieval shepherds, they were among the very lowest class of peasants and wore their everyday clothing with a few additional items. Shepherds are frequently portrayed in Bibles since they feature prominently in the Christmas story - the inclusion of lowly peasant folk appealed very much to medieval congregations.

Apart from his usual linen shirt and braies (long, baggy underwear), woollen tunic and hose (separate leggings) and leather ankle boots a shepherd dressed for life outdoors in extremes of weather - he added a warm cloak, chape or hooded garment that might be lined with fur or made entirely of sheep's fleece, plus wrappings around his legs of linen cloth soaked in beeswax (cirecloth) to keep out the wet and mud.

Naturally he carried the tools he needed: a shepherd's crook (carried with the curved end downwards and the straight end in the hand) and a cow horn trumpet for calling the sheep or his dog and signalling to other shepherds.

Modern shepherds also wear warm clothing such as padded jackets or winter coats, but their footwear is wellington boots (gumboots) and hooded cloaks are not included. Modern shepherds also carry their crooks upside-down (curved end upwards) as walking-sticks.

See links below: