Livery
Fashion in the Age of the Black Prince: A Study of the Years 1340-1365

Medieval Military Costume Recreated in Colour Photographs

Renaissance Clothing and the Materials of Memory

The Great Household in Late Medieval England

What I’m looking for in this batch of links is a set of people in clothing that indicates a sort of uniform of affinity – while just about any clothing could be livery, the garments in these links are indicative of a group of people dressed similarly because the clothing was given to them as livery.

There’s a lot more to the concept of “livery” than I've addressed. It’s often a form of salary paid to one’s household retainers & servants, etc. These garments do not say “I am this person” (as a personal heraldic surcoat) or “I speak for this person” (as a herald’s tabard) but rather “I belong to (or in some cases, support) this person (or this geographic area, this political faction, this group, etc.).”

See also Livery Clothing circa 1460-1480 and 15th Century Livery Coats for Soliders.


NON-MILITARY CONTEXTS (civilian garments, servant & household livery, etc.)


MILITARY CONTEXTS (livery jackets worn over armor, battle scenes, etc.)