Renaissance Clothing Essay Research Paper Renaissance ClothingThe

Renaissance Clothing Essay, Research Paper

Renaissance Clothing

The Renaissance period is said the be the .Great Chain of Being.. The clothing style keeps changing every year. No one knows what to expect next. The people of today never had rules to follow. The people wear whatever they want. Back in the Renaissance period though, they did have rules for each of the classes of men and women. The children to the nobilities had different ways of dressing.

The Renaissance people had some rules they had to follow for the classes they were in. They have a mandatory dress code for each class. The person could not dress above his or her station. The royalty wore true purple, the middle class could not wear gold or silver trim, and the nobility wore black. If one walked by, he could tell what station the other person was in just by looking at him. It is said that it made life easier. Proper behavior to a person above or below them is very important. If one would touch a nobility, he would get a beating of his life would be on the line (Ohio Ren. 36). For weddings and special occasions this was an excuse to wear expensive silks and damask, velvet, and taffet. The clothes were an important mark of class distinction. The wealthy family would distribute smart clothes to servants so the whole family would give a good impression in public (Cavendish 20). Men and women shared equally in color and splendor of clothing (Cavendish 41).

The peasant men did not have the best clothes to wear. Peasant men usually wore a shift of shirt with breeches and jerkins over that. It was made of leather and wool. There was a pouch on the belt to carry personal belongings. All but the poorest man

Schroer 2

would wear socks and shoes of leather. The hats were supposed to keep his hair out of his face (Ohio Ren 37).

The men in the lower class dressed similar to the peasants, but they had a few extra belongings. The men in the lower class wore a shirt or shift and breeches of some kind. He might wear laced-up, buttoned jerkin (vest) with or without sleeves. They wore a hat with biggins underneath to keep the shaggy hair out of his eyes. All but the poorest would have cloth hosen (stockings) and shoes if they had no hosen (Winter 16). In cold weather, they had a pouch to carry oddments and a small knife for eating purposes. The lower class men wore clothes with dirt, holes, or patches. Their bodies were seldom clean. They had to spin their own yarn and weave their own clothes. From hunting, they sometimes wore skins of rabbits and squirrels (Winter 17). Trims on their clothing were simple and consisted of embroidery or plain strips. The clothes barely matched, and everyone only had one outfit. Once the clothes were worn out, they were thrown out. The clothes were combined with others and would be recycled in one form or another until fibers fell apart (Winter 18).

The lower middle class was the same as peasants but cleaner, neater, and less well worn. They owned more than one set of clothing. The shirts may have ruffle on the collar. The jerkin fit less like a sack (Winter 18). Ribbon or rows of embroidery are at the edges of the garments. The clothes are always colored but not silver or gold because of the cost and prohibitive laws. The jewelry was flat out and semi-precious stones in settings of brass or pewter. Pins are the most common (Winter 19). The men wear a coif

Schroer 3

with a flat hat or straw over that. In the cold weather, they wore a fur trimmed cape to keep warm (Winter 18).

The middle class clothing was suitable to social/financial standing. It was made of merchant or petty nobles. Only moderately successful men wore clothing similar to peasant but with finer fabrics and neatly kept (Ohio Ren. 36).

The upper middle class had finer clothing. The shirts were made of fine linen and cotton with neck and wrist ruffles. A touch of blackwork embroidery on the collar and cuffs edges the ruffles. Sometimes they would have lace if they could afford it. Over the shirt they wore a close-fitting doublet with long or short skirting. It ended somewhere between the upper thigh and the knee. The length depended on the age. Men wore breeches of sloped, trunk hose or upperstocks with the lower half decorated. The hosen, knitted silk, reached up all the leg. The shoes were decorated with buckles or ribbon shoe-roses. The garter ties were fringed at the ends and embroided. A pouch hung from the belt with a dagger, and a gold chain around it to donate wealth. The fabrics were wool and linen but much finer than before. They wore a flat tall crowned cap with feathers and fancy hatband. They had modern choir robes that had deep collars and revers of black velvet or fur. For winter, the garments were completely lined with fur (Winter 20). The colors were brighter jewels. They wore black for most of the formal occasions (Winter 21).

The nobleman was the peacock and fashion settler. The clothing was heavily pearled, jeweled, and embroidered. The shirts were made of fine linen, cotton, and silk

Schroer 4

with lace-edged neck and wrist ruffs. If the guy was pot-bellied or stout, he wore a courset to give a slender look (Winter 21). The breeches now reached to the knees. The hosen was knitted of the finest silk. The garters were embroidered with gold or silver thread. Court shoes were made of velvet or soft leath