While almost no Anglo-Saxon clothing has survived to the present day, a rich collection of jewelry has survived to the present. Despite the paucity of clothing or depictions of clothing from this period, scholars infer the dress of the time based off of the clothes of related areas and description in text, such as in Beowulf. Similar to Germanic dress, Anglo-Saxon men probably wore a cloak made of fur or skin and decorated according to their wealth or social status. This idea is evidenced by the fact that there are many different words that explain outer garments. Men also donned tunic shirts, belted in the middle. Many also believed a form of lederhosen or garters were worn, as some have been found in archeological excavations. Women wore peplos dresses and more jewelry than men. They also sometimes wore cloaks, and usually wore a leather belt. Anglo-Saxon shoes were normally open-toed and leather. Jewelry was prevalent, especially with gems and gold. People often equated metal or stones with religious ideas. For example, some thought red gems corresponded to Christ’s blood.
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