Fashion
in the Elizabethan Era
The Elizabethan Era was marked in history from the period of
1500-1600 in the Western Europe. The clothing in this era was marked by
increased opulence. The garments consisted of contrasting fabrics, slashes,
embroidery, applied trims and other forms of surface ornamentation.
Queen Elizabeth reigned in this period. Around this
time, women’s fashion gained momentum. In spite of women’s fashion becoming
increasingly seductive, Queen Elizabeth’s pure demeanour always had its influence
on women’s clothing. Style back then would depend a lot upon the social status
the person had. For example - only Royalty were permitted to wear ermine.
Other nobles (lesser ones) were allowed only to wear foxes and otters. Apart
from that, colour was also reserved for specific social class. Purple was only
allowed to be worn by the queen and her direct family members. Lower classes
was only allowed to use brown, beige, yellow, orange, green, grey and blue in
wool, linen and sheepskin, while usual fabrics for upper crusts were silk or
velvet.
Women’s
clothing
The most common and basic garment worn by a woman in
this era was the gown. Gowns were made in various styles. They were either
loose or fitted, with short half sleeves and floor length. They were worn over
a kirtle which functioned like a petticoat. With time, kirtles were replaced by
bodices. Women wore
sturdy overskirts called safeguards over their dresses for
riding or travel on dirty roads. Hooded cloaks were
worn overall in bad weather. One description mentions strings being attached to
the stirrup or foot to hold the skirts in place when riding. Mantles were also
popular and described as modern day bench warmers: a square blanket or rug that
is attached to the shoulder, worn around the body, or on the knees for extra
warmth.
Men’s
clothing
Men in this era would often wear a linen shirt with
collar or ruff and matching wrist ruffs.
They were maintained by laundering them with starch so that they kept
bright and stiff. This was considered a stylish option to wear. Over this, men
would wear doublet with long sleeves sewn in places. The doublets were also meant
to be stiff and heavy giving the wearer a certain posture. Optionally, a jerkin,
usually sleeveless and often made of leather, was worn over the doublet. During
this time the doublet and jerkin became increasingly more colorful and highly
decorated.
Fashion
in the Baroque Era
Fashion in this period, i.e the period from
1660-1700 was characterised by rapid change. An increase in the way the outfits
were decorated and overall increase in exuberance was observed. This period
also marked the rise of the periwig as
an essential item of men's fashion.
Women’s
Clothing
The shoulders in the women’s garment started gaining
a lot of emphasis in this period. Full, loose sleeves ended just below the elbow at mid
century and became longer and tighter in keeping with the new trend. The corset
still remained as an integral part of the women’s clothing. It came with a low,
broad neckline and dropped shoulders. In later decades, the overskirt was drawn back and
pinned up to display the petticoat, which was
heavily decorated. A daring new fashion arose for having one's portrait painted
in undress, wearing a loosely fastened gown called a nightgown over
a voluminous chemise,
with tousled curls.
Men’s
Clothing
The fashions of the 1650s and
early 1660s imitated the new peaceful and more relaxed feeling in Europe. The
military boots gave way to shoes, and a mania for
baggy breeches, short coats, and hundreds of yards of ribbon set the style.
Men would wear a long coat, a vest or waistcoat (originally called a petticoat, a term which later
became applied solely to women's dress), a cravat,
a periwig or wig, and breeches gathered at the knee, as well as a hat for
outdoor wear. By 1680, this more sober uniform-like outfit of coat, waistcoat,
and breeches became the norm for formal dress.
Fashion
in the Rococo Era
Rococo period sprang up shortly after the Baroque period. Many
describe it as the happiness that followed the Enlightenment age. Everything in
the Rococo period was heavily decorated with frills to spare, especially the
clothes
In terms of fashion, everything was more decorative and more
elaborate. The dresses worn by women had winged arms that would show the lace
of the blouse that is worn underneath. Women would decorate their hair with
ribbons, jewels and feathers. The bodice still had its presence in this era. The
back of the bodice was pleated so that the fabric would hang more loosely down
the back forming an elegant shape. This shape has in turn inspired a lot of
paintings painted in the era.
Clothing during the Rococo period was a lot more than just a
covering up of the body. Much attention was given to every detail to the design
of the outfit. Clothing of the Rococo period followed much of the design of the
rest of the arts of the time. Rococo period may seem frilly to a
historian today, but it has inspired a lot of art forms.
The fashion industry is often seen taking ideas from the
Rococo fashion. The film industry also finds their muse in this period. Films
like Marie Antoinette, The Dutchess, Kamikaze Girls and others are examples.
Reference
1550–1600 in western European fashion (2015) in Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1550%E2%80%931600_in_Western_European_fashion (Accessed: 29th November 2015)
1650–1700 in western European fashion (2015) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1650%E2%80%931700_in_Western_European_fashion (Accessed: 29th November 2015).
