12th Century fashion

One major influence on fashion in the 12th Century was the crusades. Many texts will talk of crusaders bringing home luxurios goods looted while on crusade thus changing fashion, but XX (2002) asserts that there is little evidence of this (between luggage restrictions, spending most of the loot to pay for supplies in the east, and donating a few looted pieces to the church first upon returning). Instead while the crusaders came home largely empty handed, their heads were full of fashion ideas and a strong desire (lust even) for the luxurious goods (silk, gold, decorated bands of trim, fine patterned fabrics) that they had seen worn by the very highest classes of eastern society. XX (2002) The desire for fine fabrics increased the existing trade with the east greatly, and the byzantine fashions they had seen were copied as best they could from the verbal descriptions given by knights. As a consequence we see silken bliauts becoming highly desireable and the placement of more decorative bands on garments.