Renaissance Clothing

Renaissance Costume History Around the 1490's is when costume historians can agree that the new dress for Renaissance began. This was the period of clothing that could be said that excessiveness in all areas of costume began. Different countries took the news styles differently. The northern European countries were distorting the natural figure by padding sleeves, doublets and stockings. Italy did not go as far as the North, and England and France followed Italy's lead while they stuck to more medieval influenced styles. Germans went to the greatest extremes making “improvements” on the natural silhouette. They put large puffs at the head, shoulders, thighs; small puffs, like boils, over chest, back, arms, legs and feet. They put feathers on many on everything from wide-brimmed hats to the knees. Clothing at this time followed suit with all other types of creative expression at this time—it went over the top into new discoveries.

Permanent characteristics Rich heavy materials Large sleeves Close body garments Large hip-clothing Wide-toed Heelless shoes Covered heads(masculine and feminine)

Colors Are strong, often dark colors. Black velvet was a staple fabric of the period, especially in headdresses. White linen was another accent against colors of gold and burgundy for collars and wrist ruffles.

Men’s clothing A man's outfit would start with a shirt, similar to today's dress shirt, but lacking the collar and cuffs we are familiar with, instead sometimes utilizing lace collars and cuffs. Over this would go a doublet, or fitted top, and finally over that a jerkin, a close-fitting jacket. Men of the working class like their female counterparts dressed for utility and might simply wear the shirt alone.

Men’s clothing Instead of trousers as we are used to them today, men would wear hose on their legs. The upper hose were (often poufy) knee-length trousers which were met by the nether hose, or stockings, on the lower leg. In the reign of Henry VIII, doublets became shorter, creating a space between the upper hose and the doublet. In order to preserve modesty, the cod piece became popular again, having been around since the middle ages. The cod piece was originally a cloth or animal skin pocket in the from of hose or trouser, but were now made from various materials, and often padded or used for storage - Henry VIII used his codpiece to store money. Once more, these additions to the outfit would be more common in an upper class individual or person at court than the average Englishman (Kosir).

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southhamptam

Men’s hair Most men's hair was bobbed but the length of your hair was chosen by individual taste. The could be straight or curled according to the nature of the wearer. As the sixteenth century advanced men wore their hair shorter almost like modern hair. The men wore variations of the low-crowned, brimmed cap and was often turned up all around or with just one side turned up

Women’s clothing Women of the lower classes wore much less restrictive styles, both for freedom of movement, and because they did not have servants to help them dress. In dressing, a lower class women would wear a much looser corset, or none at all, and would possibly eschew other underpinnings such as bum rolls (crescent-shaped cushions worn around the hips) or farthingales (hoop skirts used to hold the skirts out) for added comfort. All women's outfits started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.

Women’s clothing The styles of the gowns worn by women in Renaissance England changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. Women wore gowns comprised of a tight-fitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were acceptable and fashionable. Clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer.

Lady Jane Grey, c. 1545

Women’s hair Women wore the low-crowned hat in the same fashion as the men. Women either wore their hair with elaborate structures in their hair like the Germans or with just a kerchief. They had the hair covered with some kind of headdress. Some names of headdresses are: crescent, kennel, gable, transparent half-dome bonnet, or the gorget and wimple. Peasant women wore the cote of the earlier period and handkerchiefs or collars around their neck. They looked like what we associate dress of the Puritans.

Women’s cosmetics Among the very wealthy, cosmetics were popular, especially in age when small pox would badly scar a woman's complexion. After her own bout with the deadly disease, Elizabeth I wore ceruse, a smooth white powder made from lead. Vermillion was used as rouge and on cheeks and lips, and elderberries and marigolds were used to color hair. At the court of Elizabeth I, it became fashionable to dye ones hair auburn, after the queen's own tresses.

Flat cap A hat that is flat with soft crown and moderately broad brim often associated with Henry VIII.

Jerkin A short velvet or leather jacket, usually sleeveless, similar to a vest/waistcoat.

Upper hose and nether hose Upper hose or full trunks that extended from upper thighs to waist. The stockings that covered the lower edges of the leg. They were usually rolled above the knee and secured by garters.

Kennel/Gable Headdress Resembles in outline the pediment of a Greek temple. Its essentials were the piece that goes over the front part of the head and covers the ears and the veil or bag cap covering the rest of the head. With the formal styles of this headdress, no hair was visible, that at the forehead being covered with rolls or folds of cloth.

French/Crescent Stuart Cap A heart shaped cap worn by Mary Stuart. .

Bridged Sleeves Sleeves created by tying segments together at a bridge often bridged at the shoulder.

Cod Piece A pouch like appendage made from the same fabric as the jerkin or upper stocks and fastened by ties or buckles; a decorated covering for the opening in the front of the breeches; forerunner of the fly.

Simar A robe for men, derived from chimer or chimere, and ecclesiastical garment very much like it in shape. The neck part was somewhat on a double breasted line, with no collar in back, but with wide revers turned back from the front edge of the robe. The robe was worn either ungirded or confined at the waist by a narrow silk scarf, knotted with one loop and two ends.

Slashing and Puffing Vertical, horizontal or diagonal slits in the fabric of the garment, through which appeared a different fabric. Often the shirt was the garment which puffed through.

Funnel Sleeves Sleeves that start big and tighten toward the cuff.

Order of the Garter An honor bestowed by the King and the person was given a special garter to wear.

Duckbill Shoes Very wide square-toed, slipper-like shoes, often decorated with jewels, puffs or slashes.

Stomacher False front or ornamental covering on the front of bodice.

Clocking Embroidery on the socks at the ankle and sometimes on boots.

Chain of Office A heavy chain worn by a man across the chest and neckline as decoration; often denoted an organization to which he belonged.

Elizabeth I wears padded shoulder rolls and an embroidered partlet and sleeves. Her low- necked chemise is just visible above the arched bodice, 1572

In a typical hairstyle of the period, front hair is curled and back hair is worn long, twisted and wound with ribbons and then coiled and pinned up.

Mary I wears a cloth- of-gold gown with fur- lined "trumpet" sleeves and a matching overpartlet with a flared collar, probably her coronation robes, 1554. Neither the sleeves nor the overpartlet would survive as fashionable items in England into the 1560s.

The Earl of Lincoln wears a stiffened, gathered hat with a jeweled band. He wears the livery collar of the Order of the Garter c. 1575.

Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in the narrow fashions of the 1560s: Ruff, doublet, slashed leather jerkin, and paned trunk hose with codpiece.