What materials were available in medieval times?

Question: What materials were available in medieval times!?

Hey, really need you all to reply-
easy points!.

What materials were available during the medieval era!?
We're doing medieval costume design in drama & we're only allowed to use material (cotton etc) that were around back then!.

HELP ME!?!Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Wool, linen, silk, fur & leather!. Cotton would have been very rare in Medieval Europe - but not as rare or expensive as silk!.
See:
http://www!.learner!.org/interactives/midd!.!.!.
http://www!.octavia!.net/9thclife/Clothing!.!.!.
http://www!.kyrene!.org/schools/brisas/sun!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

!. !. !. and hopefully you are using materials appropriate to the social class you are portraying!.

The peasant class (the vast majority of the population) wore natural linen underwear, an off-white slightly peach or light brown colour!. Outer garments would be of wool, either unbleached and undyed (so again, an off-white, grey or pale brown) or dyed with plant dyes - dull and drab colours like browns, russet, greys, greens and yellowish-browns!.

Middle and upper classes wore fine bleached linen underwear with the finest wool or silk as outer garments!. Anglo-Norman French includes the names of many garments worn by aristocracy, some of wool, others of linen or silk!.

The other point to make is that fashions changed considerably throughout the middle ages - there is simply no such thing as a "medieval dress", since there is no resemblance at all between a 12th century dress, a 13th century dress, or a 15th century dress!.

If you want to use cotton, then you must be royalty or the family of an earl at least!. Lower than that, silk would be the best fabric available for the rich!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Depends where/when, medieval is a long time!.

After the first Crusades (by 1110, say), silk and cotton were both available through most of Europe!. Locally made in England were linen (from several fibers, not just flax), wool, leather!.Www@QuestionHome@Com