The tight-fitting costumes characteristic of the 14th century emerged in Northern France in about 1340, though they had been seen on the Mediterranean coast for some considerable time. A narrow, short camisole, called a jaquette replaced the long tunic, and a padded jerkin that opened either at the front or the sides served as a coat. This left the thighs exposed: they were covered with leggings that had a sole attached to the foot, so that separate shoes were unnecessary. In bad weather, however, wooden galoshes or iron blocks were fixed to the soles.

The following is depicted in the print :

Eventually, fashion dictated that huge points, stiffened with whale-bone, be attached to both shoes and boots. These were called plumes (a corruption of the word Polonaise) in France, and Cracoves in England - both words showing the fashion's Polish origin. During the 14th century, the poulaines became ridiculously large, and even influenced the shape of soldiers' iron boots. At this time, shirts became more common, while lords and ladies took to wearing hose of two different colors: one leg would be white, yellow or green; and the other black, blue or red. Sometimes even the shoes were of different colors. In a reaction to the new styles favored by youth, ceremonial dress, as worn by men of letters and lawyers, stayed full and traditional. So much so, in fact, that it was common to talk of two different styles: "short" and "long" clothes. Fashionable "short" clothes, as worn at court, are shown below. 14th-century costume did not yet include immense hoods, with their points hanging down the back, that later became so fashionable, nor exaggerated sleeve-ends that hung down to the ground. The man on left, for example, is wearing a conical hat over a short hood, though it is extravagantly decorated with a costly ostrich feather. The jaquettes shown here only have short sleeves, while the sleeves of the doublets fit tightly over the arms for the whole of their length.

A queen that became ill and is ready to be transported on the back of the horses. On the right is a typical soldier in armor. He played a principal role in the Middle Ages battles.

The quantity and quality of medieval woman's clothing depended mostly on status. Queens wore elaborate, exquisitely detailed gowns while peasants wore ill-fitting hand-me-downs. Noblewomen and the wives of wealthy merchants could afford more costly garments. A good example is Margherita Datini, who was born in 1350 (Gies, Frances and Joseph. Women in the Middle Ages,Harper Perennial, New York, 1978: page 187).

A detailed list of Margherita's clothes from 1397 reveals what the average outfit would contain. The only undergarment consisted of a long dress, or shift. Since it had to be worn against the skin, this garment was usually made from a soft cotton or linen. This would be covered by a wool or fur petticoat during the winter months (IBID page 188).

Over the petticoat would be a long-sleeved gown. The surcoat covered the gown, but was sleeveless. The average wardrobe of the period contained very few gowns, but an assortment of surcoats made from various material. Margherita had a wide array to choose from; blue damask, taffeta, Oriental damask, and silk are only a few. Some of the surcoats had detachable sleeves, making the outfit versatile and adaptable to the seasons.

Women also wore capes, cloaks, and shawls as wraps. They could be made from wool, fur, silk, or velvet. Some of these garments may have included hoods, but there were other types of headdresses. Margherita and other women wore wimples, which were cloths that covered the head, neck, and under the chin. The wimple was sometimes covered by a fur or cloth cap, or straw hat (IBID page 190).

Ladies wore shoes that were carved wooden bottoms with leather laces. Slippers might be made from silk, but were more often made of leather. The heel was shaped either from small blocks of wood, or from layers of leather (IBID page 190). Other accessories included linen undersocks, long wool or silk hose, veils, purses, fans, and handkerchiefs.

Lower classes of women had an extremely limited wardrobe. Most pieces were handed down through the family, or were the cast-offs from the lady of the manor. She may or may not have the linen undergarment, and the dress was usually made from as a rough wool. In cold weather, she might wear a wool cloak or mantle (IBID page 156). It would be difficult for peasant women to have access to finer cotton, linen, or woolen fabrics. Although the spinning wheel made the production somewhat easier, few families were able to raise flocks of sheep. Even fewer had the resources to grow cotton, and a typical day on the farm would leave little time for spinning and weaving.

http://marauder.millersv.edu/~english/homepage/duncan/medfem/cloth.html