Clothing & Hairstyles
The Vikings lived in a region of the world that was often very cold. In their quest to stay healthy, the Vikings knew they had to keep themselves warm. They made a clothing out of wool from sheep. The woman spun the wool and it was dyed in bright colors with mineral and vegetables dyes of red, green, blue, yellow, and brown, and then woven. The Vikings also made clothing out of linen and animal skins. But it was not cold all the time. So the Vikings created a style of clothing using layers.
The first layer for men was a long woolen shirt, somewhat like a tunic. Men also wore pants. The next layer, as needed, was a hip length leather jacket with a belt. When the weather was very cold, they added a wool cloak and a fur hat.
Women wore long linen dresses. Over this, as the weather cooled, they added a long woolen apron looking tunic. If needed, they added a shawl. They wore socks, longer and thicker in the winter. They wore soft leather shoes or boots. Like the men, when the weather was very cold, they added a warm woolen cloak and a fur cap.
Boots were made of goat or another animal skin. When the soles wore out, they attached a new sole. They laced their boots closed with leather cords. Boots were lined with fur to help warm their feet. This lining was removed when the weather warmed.
Instead of buttons, clothes were fastened with jewelry pins, usually decorated with copper. Pins were also decorated with designs of dragons and other mythical or real beasts. Both men and women wore jewelry, especially rings. Amber was very popular, as was copper.
Both men and women kept their hair long. They made combs out of animals bones and horns. First they would wash and comb their hair, and then they would braid it. In the summer, they held their hair back with a band. In the winter, they wound their hair around their head for additional warmth.
Did Vikings have horned helmets? NO. That is movie nonsense and costume nonsense from an opera. If you ever get a chance to visit a Viking museum, you will not find a single helmet with horns. But you will find some very interesting things. The Vikings were clever, creative, and colorful!
Viking clothing was comfortable, colorful, and practical.