The Role Of Clothing In Elizabethan England

“The clothes make the man”(Twain Alexander Atkins).The clothes showed how rich they were and who they were. Victorian clothing from rich to poor displayed how clothing was important to society.

Have you ever wondered what people in the Elizabethan Era wore? Fashion was just as important in those days as it is to some people today. What people were wearing mattered to others, and even the government. During the Elizabethan Era clothing, accessories, and cosmetics were all a part of daily life.

Elizabethan women dressed reasonably different than we do today. Women often wore many layers. The first layer would

The clothing in the eighteenth century could tell much about you, but was hard to put on. It was tedious to put on and heavy to hot and heavy to wear. I do not think I would like to wear the clothing in the eighteenth

In this essay I want to examine how the corset evolved from a staple of the British feminine wardrobe of the Nineteenth Century into a symbol of an outmoded tradition – only to later return as a statement of female liberation. I am going to look at different aspects of this development including technological advances, economic facts, external events, particularly the First World War and changes in social, political and aesthetic attitudes. I will also look briefly at the role of Chanel on the silhouette and how this impacted on the corset: focusing on the trend to towards ‘opulent androgyny’ in the 1920’s. Finally I will examine the resurgence of the corset

Ever wonder where the strange fashion choices of society’s favorite Disney movies originated? It might be a bit of an understatement to say that the apparel of men during the Elizabethan Era was odd, but each piece of their outfit had a crucial role to play in their daily life. Clothing worn during the Elizabethan Era was greatly dictated by the Sumptuary Laws, the wealth of the individual, and fashion trend of neighboring countries.

There are cheaper materials that don't last as long and there are more expensive materials that last longer. Unlike today, in Elizabethan Time the people didn't chose what fabrics to wear. Just like the colors it depended on their status and rank. "Elizabethan Nobles and Upper classes wore clothing made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta" ("Material & Fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing"). "The Elizabethan Lower Classes had to wear clothing made of wool, linen and sheepskin however, silk, taffeta and velvet trimmings were allowed" ("Material & Fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing"). Just like breaking the law of colors people would also get punished for breaking the laws of fabrics and materials. In the Elizabethan time the rank of a person made a huge impact on the clothing they would

The poor man wore very different clothes than the rich. They wore a very simple blouse made of very cheap fabric again, they tucked them in their pants. For pants they wore a often brown loose fitting pant and even the poor man wore this kind of leggings underneath it.

Women's fashion had undergone many characteristic modifications prior to 1750 and more so into the eighteenth century. Fashion trends were being set in the Old World, from France to England, and Colonial women were all too painfully aware of the need to adapt towards a sophisticated and up-to-date appearance.

face I'll grime with filth,/ Blanket my loins, elf all my hair in knots,/ And

There were many different types of clothing for men and women. One of the separations of clothing during the Elizabethan Era was gender, how they dressed very different in the styles, just the way they looked. The way they looked went from “[u]pper [c]lass [f]ashion - rich, sumptuous materials and elegant styles to clothes

Pearls draped around her shoulders and her neck, a large hooped skirt twice her size, and a pleated lace ruff--all these were part of the attire of Queen Elizabeth I and the trend-setting style of her era. The Queen often seemed to glow and radiate power and beauty with this revolutionary garb. For the Elizabethans, this was a desirable look that had to be mimicked. People of this time wore corsets, ruffs, and followed the stylistic lead of their Queen. Her extravagant dress made her an icon of the time and a leader in top fashion for the Renaissance.

The people who lived during the Elizabethan Era were not allowed to wear whatever they like or desired. Their Fashion choices had to be followed by a strict law! The English people chose to establish social classes by the colors they wore and this had an affect on costumes used in theatre. Queen Elizabeth I followed the sumptuary laws, which was only certain classes were consent to wear specific fabric and colors. Therefore in plays the actors could only wear certain colors for their costumes that displayed what role and class their character was in. The clothes worn during this era was a result of Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuary laws, which had an affect on costumes used in plays, and each color a person wore had a significant meaning.

My eyes fluttered as the sun crawled into the gaps not covered by my eyelids. I could smell the fresh sweets being cooked by the servants. The lace curtains swayed back and forth as the fresh air weaved throughout the room, adding a new aroma of fruit. The sweet smell of the fruit dispersed throughout my room. I grabbed the dainty lace cover and moved it with grace. Sitting up quickly, I blinked multiple times to allow my eyes adjust to the light. Today would be a thrilling and riveting day. My husband and I were invited to appear at the theater. He had asked me to accompany him yesterday and I had gladly accepted. I had told my friends I would be there. A servant then knocked on the thick wooden door, interrupting my thoughts. ( pg 43, Daily

They had no intention of going for a natural, modest, or conservative look; they strived for elaborate, artificial, stylized, and striking: “As Elizabeth's wardrobe became more opulent and elaborate, with a more exaggerated silhouette, so did that of her courtiers” (Royal Museums Greenwich). It was imperative to be fashion forward; meaning, if the Queen was wearing it, so should everyone else (who could afford it). Queen Elizabeth’s dress was similar to men’s style with broad shoulders, wide hips, and slim waists as she tried to appear more petite than she actually was. Many women during this time followed in her footsteps. Not only did the Queen have a great influence on women’s fashion, but she greatly influenced men’s fashion as well. Before the Elizabethan Era, “Men's fashion was much the same as it had been under her father and brother, favouring a broad, square silhouette with layers of garments made of rich fabrics” (Royal Museums Greenwich). After Elizabeth took the throne, the customary dress altered. Men began to wear corsets to obtain a cinched waist and stuffed 'peascod' doublets to make their stomachs pop out and have a pointed shape. On top of this, men’s dress consisted of underclothes such as a shirt, stockings or hose, codpiece, and corset and over clothes such as a doublet, separate sleeves, breeches, belt, ruff, cloak, shoes, and hat.