Red Petticoat (replica)

During Medieval times red was a fashionable colour for clothing, as dyeing and embellishing fabrics became an increasingly popular sign of taste and prosperity.

Almost everyone during this time wouldn’t have worn what we recognise today as underwear, as the knickers, boxers or briefs we use today didn’t exist until the 1930s.

Instead they would have worn long knee-length shorts called braies, smocks, petticoats, or nothing at all. This meant that the majority of people would have free bled during their period, making it a lot more likely to get blood stains on clothing.

Red and darker fabric colours were known to be the most popular petticoat colours, and whilst historically this has been written off as a fashion choice, contemporary

historians now debate whether this was actually an informed choice. Darker fabrics were able to hide stains, such as menstrual blood, much better than white or neutral

coloured fabrics and would have potentially allowed people who menstruate to go about daily tasks with less concern and more comfort.