In a medieval-fantasy setting, what clothing style would you expect a small wooden village to wear in the dense woods?

Fantasy... well could have a portal out back to the main empire's hub city for the latest and greatest fashions...

But presuming you mean an isolated village... leathers and hides... basically whatever is around.

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Original post by FeralOfEclecticWizard Fantasy... well could have a portal out back to the main empire's hub city for the latest and greatest fashions... But presuming you mean an isolated village... leathers and hides... basically whatever is around.

I believe this village is 10 miles from the big city. I'm still toying around if it should be an isolated village though. Leather and hides are a good starting idea. More specifically, can I get a small item list perhaps? At least something for a good start. Thanks!

10 miles is nothing - they could easily get all kinds of supplies from the city to the village on foot, even without horses...

Whenever I think of a medieval village I see tunics. I don't know why; they seem to be made of a burlap-looking material. I guess I can see hide/leather, too, but that just sounds heavy.

What do you mean by "item list"?

Trade aside, hides mean there is game and they have hunting privileges. Leather means they have cattle they can afford to slaughter (otherwise, quantities will be smallish). Wool is much more likely, being a more easily "renewable" material. Linen is also possible. Colors would probably come from readily available vegetable dyes.

Link

brown sandals, leather bracer, green tunic, etc. It'll get met started. How did they make leather in the woods? I found this screenshot on the net. It seems to fit well as of what I'm guessing everyone has in mind.

Picture

Thanks for the link, Fruny.

Ah, the medieval hoodie. Also in style during the colder parts of the Civil War, I believe.

Wool is good. Of course, wool means sheep, and I'm not sure how that jives with the "dense woods". Ten miles to the city might be a barrier to trade. How far are they from good pastureland? Is it a cold climate? Maybe they use caribou hide, or use vegetable fibers to make fustian.

I've always been a big fan of kilts. Easy to make, no complex underwear, and they can last just about forever. Tunics are also good, and as long as it's brown or grey nobody will ask whether it's wool or burlap or tree bark. Patches should also be present. You probably just have the one shirt, and get a replacement about once every six months or so at the outside.

Leather's kinda tough to work with, so unless you get shipments from the city (which means you have something the city wants) I'd avoid fancy gloves, boots, breastplates or hats. Belts and strap sandals are easy enough to make, and you might get a leather coin purse (provided you have currency) or even a nice piece of leather for an anklet or bracelet.

Don't be too cavalier with buckles, either. Metalwork is tough, and the materials may or may not be readily available.

Stitching should be big. They probably used intestine instead of fancy thread, so seams should be visible.

Rope is a good, cheap substitute for leather strapping in almost any case, and will probably be more common.

Item List for a Poor Guy (Top to bottom, * means optional):

*Hat - Straw, maybe even tree bark. A fairly wide brim to make it practical at keeping the sun off of face and neck.

Shirt - Tunic is good, sleeve length variable. Wool, most likely, unless flax is readily available for linen.

*Gloves - Not common, but if it's cold, mittens are possible. Knitted wool, most likely.

Kilt - Somewhere near knee-length. Heavy wool, for warmth and durability.

*Belt - Probably not needed, but a piece of rope or braded leather might serve to hold objects, tools or just to keep a battered kilt in place.

Stockings - Also wool, long and tough enough to keep legs safe and warm.

Shoes - wooden soles, held on with rope. Not warm or anything (the stockings handle that) but they protect the feet from sharp objects.

*Other - Scarves, aprons, muffs and cloaks might be worn under special circumstances if they're available. Jewelry will probably consist of shiny stones, animal parts, and rare or special wood held together with string or scraps of leather.

Cool, thanks for the help. This really opened my eyes on what to expect in such an isolated area. I'm guessing the village is 10-20 miles away from the large city, but they often live on their own. I don't think sheep would fit in considering their location. I'm sure the info you provided will get me thinking now. Thanks.