This work provides the primary source as well as German translations, critical commentary, and overview discussions on the topic of clothing.

"Why have you not sent the clothes which you were supposed to send from the province of the Frisians? For the sake of God the Almighty, send them soon."- from an anonymous letter to a cleric in Frisia in the spring of 748. In this work the author presents a pioneering cultural history of clothing from approx. 750 to 1050, which places the clothing and life of medieval people in their social context. The findings of this volume are based on the detailed examination and evaluation of written, graphic and archaeological sources. The author presents the clothing of the laity, the robes of the ruling classes and the habits of monks and cathedral clergy, and gives an overview of the changes in clothing and fashion. A more technical second section deals with raw materials, dyes, and production and processing technology.