"This book presents the first sustained analysis of the characterizing dress worn by those of Chaucer's pilgrims who were in holy orders, affiliated with universities, or both." "The author uses approaches from a variety of disciplines (received criticism of late medieval literature, developments in political, economic and social history, the visual arts, and material culture) in order to present the complex ideas and rhetoric the pilgrims' dress expresses." "The religious, intellectual, and material culture of Chaucer's day is made accessible to modern audiences through reconstruction of the significance of fabrics, dyes, accessories, garments, and assembled costumes, and by explanation of technical details and specialist vocabularies for cloth-making, clothing, accessories, and their images in the visual arts."--BOOK JACKET.