Cloth was made by spinning wool or other fibre into thread which was then woven using an upright loom. Each region had their own style and these styles changed throughout the Anglo-Saxon period.
Women's dress consisted of an ankle length wool tunic secured at the shoulders by two brooches over an under-dress of linen or wool with long sleeves, together with a cloak or wrap, often held in place by a further metal brooch or clasp. These dresses were versatile, and simple to fashion with minimal risk of ruining the cloth, which would have been painstakingly woven on a standing weighted loom over a long period of time. The overdress would be held in at the waist by a belt which may have had a characteristic hoop bag hanging from it. Women would also carry a knife called a seax, to use when cooking and eating. They would also have worn leather shoes. A well preserved grave of an Anglo Saxon woman was found at Alwalton, objects found in the grave can be seen at Peterborough Museum.
Men wore shorter wool or linen hip-length undershirts with long sleeves under a wool tunic, over a pair of trousers, belted at the waist and fastened to the legs with cross garters. Tools and weapons would have been hung from the belt. A cloak would also be worn and held by a metal brooch or clasp.
Anglo-Saxon clothes came in a variety of bright colours, and their jewellery was beautiful and intricate with beaded bracelets and necklaces.
Long hair was the norm for men. In Alfred the Great’s Law Codes there are even fines for people who cut off someone else’s hair without their permission.
References:
Multiple sources including Peterborough Museum
Images:
Anglo Saxon dress, credit WyrdLightcom
Northumbrian Franks Casket showing Anglo Saxon dress, credit Michel Wal
Detail from Franks casket credit Creative Commons
Anglo Saxon hoop pouch and hoop (replica)
Drop spindle and wool
Cover Image Hedda stone from Peterborough Cathedral
