Many of the best preserved medieval garments were ecclesiastical vestments, kept either for their sacred or artistic value. While ecclesiastical vestments derive originally from ordinary clothing, the two classes diverged significantly in construction and style -- at different times for different types of garments. For this reason, it can be important to know which group a garment belongs to in order to know how to extrapolate its construction to other garments. Note that royal ceremonial garments may sometimes resemble ecclesiastical vestments more than contemporary secular clothing, but the assignment in this category has been based on the status of the wearer, not the style of the garment.