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English 1

24 January, 2023

Elizabethan Fashion

Florals, big hair, and large hoop skirts were all the rage in the Elizabethan Era. This

era is from 1558 to 1603. It is a portion of the Tudor period marked by the reign of Queen

Elizabeth I. Not only was this the time of these striking fashion trends, it was the time of

Shakespeare, romanticism, and English pride. This era is often depicted as the “Golden

Age” in England’s history due to its stable government, revival of education, etc. But in

my opinion, it was the “Golden Age” because of the fashion.

Perhaps the most important element of Elizabethan fashion was the materials.

Materials had to be appropriate in the terms of the sumptuary laws. These were laws that

controlled what people were allowed to wear based on their yearly income, status, etc.

Someone who wore clothes of silk, satin, velvet, fur, etc. would be immediately

recognized as a member of the Elizabethan nobility or upper class. Bright colors were a

luxury enjoyed mainly by the upper class due to the high cost and demand for the dyes.

Scarlet red came from a red Mediterranean insect (Alchin, para 3). Not only were colors

hard to get, if you were lucky enough to get them they would provide information about

your status. Someone wearing purple would be of royalty. Gold, silver, crimson/scarlet,

deep indigo blue, violet, black and pure white were only worn by the highest nobility.

These were colors you would only see the trendsetter Queen Elizabeth I in. Elizabeth
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could often be seen wearing dresses with gold thread detailing and embroidery (Arnold

18) She influenced the fashion styles of her ladies, the court, and everyone in Britain

(Arnold 3).

Although the upper class had access to high quality materials and gorgeous colors, the

lower class was not so fortunate. They wore clothes made of wool, sheep skin, linen, etc.

Usually these clothes the women/seamstress of the house made by herself. Occasionally,

the poor could enjoy velvet or taffeta trimmings on clothing specifically for special

occasions and only special occasions. Since they couldn’t afford the dyes and coloring for

their clothing, they were creme or beige colors, or whatever the original coloring of the

material was (Alchin, para 4). Even if the lower class could somehow get access to

luxuries such as extravagant clothing they wouldn’t be allowed to wear them due to the

sumptuary laws (Alchin, para 2).

A staple piece, worn by both men and women, I’m sure you’ve seen in portraits or

movies is the ruff. This was the collar that resembled a fan, or in an odd way a dog cone.

It started off small and simple but eventually developed into a large, dramatic accessory.

The original purpose was to keep the top of someone’s shirt from “soiling” or getting

dirty. This was so convenient because they were removable and could easily be cleaned

without having to go through the trouble of washing the whole outfit. But, eventually

they just turned into an accessory for fashion purposes. It had a wire frame supporting its
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shape and was starched to keep the fabric stiff. But later in the 16th century it was

replaced by other collars, such as the peter pan collar, just because of changing trends.

The Elizabethan bodice was revolutionary for the people of its time. For women, it

was a tight corset made with whalebone and wood panels to give it shape. It was odd

because it was so tight, but almost bulky, it created a manly-like shape–similar to an

inverted triangle. For men, the doublet was the most popular top. This was a short and

tight fitting jacket. It was usually made of leather/wool or other thick materials. It buttons

in the front and went high up on the neck. It eventually developed into a deep V on the

bottom. They also eventually grew to include an accessory garment called a peascod.

This was extra padding on the lower hem of the doublet and it made the wearer look like

he was strutting like a peacock, hence the name. Another name was the bombast which

was extra padding used to create extra shapes on clothing.

Accessories were quite common and popular during the Elizabethan era. Accessories

such as hats or headpieces. Women wore things like the french hood. This was the head

band in a shape similar to the rainbow. It usually had beading or stitches of patterns in

gold thread. These were worn by many ladies such as Anne Boleyn (Arnold 24), the late

wife of King Henry VIII, who was almost always pictured wearing the french hood.

Sometimes they had pieces of fabric draping over the back of the head covering the hair.

There was also the attifet headpiece. Which resembled a heart and had beading/pearls
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sticking out along the top. Men often wore bonnets with the ends pleated to a stiff brim to

create a hat. These hats were often accessorized with long feathers sticking out of the

tops. They also sometimes wore top hats with feathers.

We’ve visited the topic of wealthy men and women, but we haven’t talked about the

people who made up the majority of England’s population–the lower class. Women and

men in the lower class wore flowy undergarments, these were white and usually the only

things washed. Then for women, over that would be a kirtle which was a simple one layer

dress that reached the floor. It was made without sleeves because the undergarments

usually had longer sleeves already. The kirtle was closed in the front by laces similar to a

corset just backwards. These women wore simple leather shoes as opposed to the silky,

bejeweled shoes wealthy women wore. Oddly enough, men’s outfit styles and garments

stayed the same and the main difference between the lower and upper classes was the

materials used.

Why were the sumptuary laws created you might ask? Well, contrary to what you

might think it wasn’t targeted towards the poor. It was actually targeted towards the rather

expensive bourgeoisie. Government officials began to worry that they would spend too

much and so they created laws to limit consumption. (Refashioning of the Renaissance

paragraph 1) It also had much to do with that portion of the population that believed by
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wearing extravagant clothes they would be an embarrassment to the future generations.

Most of the people who were concerned with the issues of consumption and flashy

clothing were the elders. People who were worried about how the new ways would affect

British society. Although we don’t have sumptuary laws, we do have standards and

stereotypes. If you’re seen in sweats and flip flops people might assume you are lower

class. But if you are often wearing Chanel, Gucci, or Louis Vuitton then most people

assume you’re rich.

As you know, since then fashion styles have changed and evolved. Hoop skirts

turned into bell bottoms in the 70s, colorful leggings in the 80’s, ripped jeans in the 90s,

and mini skirts in the 2000s. For men, the doublet evolved into jean jackets in the 70s,

patterned shirts in the 80s, flannel shirts in the 90s, and band tee shirts in the 2000s. All

these things have changed mainly because of accessibility to materials and clothing.

People can buy whatever clothes they want just by clicking a button on their phone. It is

actually revolutionary how quick and easy it is to buy whatever clothes in whatever style

you want them. Also, trends have changed with different generations due to media and

general “changing of the times”. Standards are different and things always will keep on

changing, but we always remember Queen Elizabeth I and her big skirt & corset.

Sources

- Arnold, J. (1988). Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe unlock'd. Maney. \

- Cartwright, M. (2023, January 24). Clothes in the Elizabethan era. World History
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- Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from

https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1577/clothes-in-the-elizabethan-era/
- Google. (n.d.). Tudor and Elizabethan fashions. Google Books. Retrieved January 25,
- 2023, from
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Tudor_and_Elizabethan_Fashions/DNzoX
HHlIYcC?hl=en&gbpv=0
- Lyon, K. (2017, September 8). Clothing and fashions in Elizabethan England: How to
- look the part. Shakespeare & Beyond. Retrieved January 25, 2023, from
https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2017/09/05/renaissance-fashion-elizabet
han-clothing/
- Material & fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing. Material & Fabrics used in
- Elizabethan Era Clothing. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2023, from
https://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/material-fabric-elizabethan-clothing.htm
- Renaissance fashion by Dolores Monet - USF. (n.d.). Retrieved January 25, 2023, from
- http://art.arts.usf.edu/content/articlefiles/2330-Renaissance%20Fashion%20by%2
0Dolores%20Monet.pdf