Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of SouthhamptamĬhildren in Renaissance England were considered simply small adults, and their dress reflected this. 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).
Codepiece italian renaissance skin#
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. In order to preserve modesty, the cod piece became popular again, having been around since the middle ages. In the reign of Henry VIII, doublets became shorter, creating a space between the upper hose and the doublet. The upper hose were (often poufy) knee-length trousers which were met by the nether hose, or stockings, on the lower leg. Instead of trousers as we are used to them today, men would wear hose on their legs. Men of the working class like their female counterparts dressed for utility and might simply wear the shirt alone. Over this would go a doublet, or fitted top, and finally over that a jerkin, a close-fitting jacket. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.Ī 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.
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.Īll women's outfits started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. 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. Clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were acceptable and fashionable. Women wore gowns comprised of a tight-fitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. The styles of the gowns worn by women in Renaissance England changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. As with today, styles went in and out of fashion, often rapidly. While the the materials and sumptuousness of clothing varied greatly between the classes, the basic elements of an outfit were much the same. Liveries were exempt from many of the sumptuary restrictions, as they represented the upper class master, not the servant. Liveries, uniforms worn by servants with their master's colors or emblems on them, were provided by the master to the servant. As with fabric choices, the lower classes were limited in the amount of clothing they could afford, and may only have one set of clothing. As this was prior to the industrial revolution, all harvesting, weaving, and production of fabrics and clothing was done by hand, thus greatly influencing price. 1570įabrics available to those in the upper classes included silk, satin, velvet, and brocade. It was not until cotton farming in the new world and Eli Whitney's development of the cotton gin in 1793 that cotton become a favored fabric (Cotton).Īn example of middle-class women's dress, c. Cotton had been in production since antiquity, but its import and manufacture was prohibited in Elizabethan England in order to protect the wool industry, one of England's chief exports. Lower classes, such as laborers and apprentices would wear linen, a light, cool fabric derived from the flax plant, wool, or sheepskin. Not only did materials vary, but styles as well, as the lower classes opted for practicality in their clothing by necessity. The Renaissance Outfit "Is that thine codling or art thou glad to see me?" Anne Boleyn, to Duke Fabrizio of Bologna, apocryphal.ĭue to laws prohibiting who was allowed to wear what, and the cost of materials, there was a vast difference in attire between the classes. The Renaissance Outfit| Sumptuary Laws| Sources| Additional Links Home| Shakespeare Resources and Links| Clothing and Sumptuary Laws| Medieval and Renaissance Studies
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