Costumes
As in all times the monarchs had a great influence on the developments in
their times. Elizabeth Tudor( 1558-1603 )did not only mark her time because
of her strong will, her intense love of pleasure and her encouragement of
everything that added to the greatness of England, but also because of her
costumes. At an early period in her reign we find an entire revolution of
the dress codes of the English nation.
How you were dressed identified your class. The main classes were: the noble
class(those holding a title), the middle class(merchants, lawyers,) and the
peasant class(the"working poor").
MEN´S FASHION-PEASANT CLASS
All but the poorest peasant man wore at least stockings or long breeches
(similar to pyjama pants), cross gartered from ankle to knee, and shoes.
Peasant men would also wear a laced-up or buttoned vest, sometimes with sleeves
over this. He also would have a cape in cold weather. At his belt there was
mostly a pouch to carry a small knife for eating purposes. His clothing would
probably have holes or patches on it.
The
lower classes often spun their own yarn and wove their own cloth. They wore
wool, linen and combinations of the two fibers, such as linsey-woolsey. They
also wore leather when they could get it from hunting, and they lined their
winter clothes and capes with the skins of rabbits and squirrels.Colours for
dying the fabrics were obtained from vegetable sources available in the vicinity
and were mainly earth colours. There seldom was enough money or time to buy
or make a lot of cloth at one time. Because a peasant usually only had one outfit,
it did not get washed very often. Their clothes were working clothes, so that
not much time was given to upkeep. Worn out clothes were not thrown away, but
combined with others and recycled. The remains might have been rewoven into
a hole new piece of fabric or carded and mixed with fresh wool.
WOMEN´S FASHION-PEASANT CLASS
A
peasant woman wore a long-sleeved shift under everything and at least two skirts
over that. She had an apron over the skirts to keep them clean if she was doing
work. She wore a tight fiitting vest or bodice, which usually came to a point
in front, and laced or buttoned on over the shift. It also had removable sleeves.
MEN´S FASHION-MIDDLE CLASS
The
middle class man would be dressed quite well, if he could afford it. He wore,
over his shirt, a close-fitting doublet with long or short skirting that ended
somewhere between his upper thigh and the knee, depending on his age and respectability.
He wore breeches or slops, which were decorated very much. His tights reached
all the way up his legs and were sometimes knitted. Knitted ones were very expensive,
because they were always hand-knitted, usually out of silk. His fine shoes were
decorated with buckles or ribbons.
Many of the old and conservative gentlemen wore knee-length coats. They were
mostly worn over doublets and slops instead of a cape.
His clothes were trimmed, embroided, and jeweled as much as he could afford.
His appearance was sometimes little different from that of a noble man.
Fabrics were mostly wool and linen, but of a much better quality. In addition
to this they wore cotton, silk and satins. Everybody tried to be dressed
a little better than their neighbours.
WOMEN´S FASHION-MIDDLE CLASS
Ladies of this class were wives or daugthers of knights, country squires
or wealthy merchants, with own servants. Wives and daughters were under the
control of their male relatives and had only few rights.
The
middle class lady´s chemise was almost always high-necked and made out
of some expensive fabric such as linen, imported cotton, lawn - a plain-weave
linen or cotton fabric - or silk. A married or conservative lady wore
her chemise closed down the front, a single woman wore hers open. Over the chemise
she wore a corset, farthingale or hoopskirt and petticoats. Her richly decorated
underskirt was cut to fit closely over the farthingale. The effect was that
of a long skirt. The bodice was high-necked, with a tall collar, and matched
with the overskirt. The overskirt might be split up on the front so that the
ornate underskirt could be seen. These women were mostly very decorated with
jewels if they were rich enough.
HEAD WEAR
Under Elizabethan law, every person over the age of thirteen was required
to wear a hat in public. Hats were not only functional, but also signs of
class. Women of fashion kept their hair in snoods. There were several kinds
of headgear for women. These included hats like a turban, small caps and
other head coverings like straw hats, which were popularized by English women..
On festival days it was common for young unmarried girls to wear flower garlands
in their hair. Middle class men and peasants wore broadly brimmed felt hats,
straw hats, and cloth caps. The most common type of cloth caps was the"muffin
cap".
The Golden Age -
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