What did church officials in medieval Europe wear?

Answer 1

It depends what you mean by "Church officials". All official members of the Roman Church, including pupils attending Church schools, were classed as clergy or clerics and all of them should have had their hair cut in the "Roman tonsure" with a bald spot at the crown of the head, indicating their status.

For all grades of secular (non-monastic) cleric, the basic garment was an alb - a white linen tunic with long sleeves and a hem reaching to the ankles. What was worn over this depended on grade; deacons, archdeacons, priests, bishops and archbishops all had specific garments indicating their status or the service they were about to conduct. University students and their masters wore a special type of closed cloak called a cappa clausa.

In the monasteries, the basic item was a woollen habit or tunic, worn over a linen shirt (except for the Cistercians, who disallowed underwear). This habit indicated the Order to which the person belonged: natural undyed off-white wool for Cistercians or Carthusians, black for Cluniacs and Benedictines). To this was added a cowl of the same material, or sometimes a hooded cloak.

It would take too long to specify all the different types of garment worn by everyone from doorkeeper to Pope; just explaining the clothes worn by a priest is an entire answer in itself.

See links below for images:

Answer 2

Expensize clothing