The jester's costume became a word for wild diversity — and Shakespeare made "motley" the uniform of the only person at court who could tell the truth.
Incongruously varied in appearance or character; composed of diverse, often clashing elements. Also: the multicolored costume of a jester.
From Middle English motley, of uncertain origin, possibly from Anglo-Norman mot meaning a clump or from an unrecorded Old English word Key roots: motley (Middle English: "uncertain; possibly related to mote or mot (speck, clump)").
Shakespeare's Jaques in As You Like It declares "Motley's the only wear" — embracing the jester's multicolored costume as a uniform of truth-telling. The fool in motley had license to speak truths that no one else at court could utter, making the most ridiculous costume the garment of the wisest character.