Renaissance Period

Renaissance was the period when people started noticing what they wore. The period when the clothing began to matter. Renaissance was a turning point in people’s attitudes to clothes and their appearance. Tailoring was transformed by new materials and innovative techniques in cutting and sewing, as well as the desire for a tighter fit was increasing to emphasise on the body form, particularly of men’s clothing. At the same time, because of the new media and the spread of the mirrors led to more people becoming interested  in their self-image and intro trying to imagine how they appeared to others. The new material expression of these emotions, which were tied to appearances, heart-shaped bags for men, artificial braids for women or red silk stockings for young boys, may strike us as odd. Yet the messages they contained such as self-esteem, erotic appeal or social advancement; and their effects remain familiar to us today.

Many people reacted with shock to these cultural transformations. Moralists warned that there should be clear principles concerning who should wear what in terms of their profession and bodily needs in different climates. Once the right kind of clothing had been identified there would be no need ever to change.

Due to laws prohibiting who was allowed to wear what, and the cost of materials, there was a vast difference in attire between the classes. Not only did materials vary, but styles as well, as the lower classes opted for practicality in their clothing. Lower classes, such as laborers and apprentices would wear linen, a light, cool fabric derived from the flax plant, wool, or sheepskin. Fabrics available to those in the upper classes included silk, satin, velvet, and brocade. As this was prior to the industrial revolution, weaving and production of fabrics and clothing was done by hand, thus they were expensive. As with fabric choices, the lower classes were limited in the amount of clothing they could afford, and may only have one set of clothing.

The styles of the gowns worn by women in Renaissance England changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. Women wore gowns comprised of a tight-fitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were acceptable and fashionable. Clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer. Women of the lower classes wore much less restrictive styles, both for freedom of movement, and because they did not have servants to help them dress. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.

A man's outfit would start with a shirt, similar to today's dress shirt, but lacking the collar and cuffs we are familiar with, instead sometimes utilizing lace collars and cuffs. Over this would go a doublet, or fitted top, and finally over that a jerkin, a close-fitting jacket. Men of the working class like their female counterparts dressed for utility and might simply wear the shirt alone. Instead of trousers as we are used to them today, men would wear hose on their legs. The upper hose were (often poufy) knee-length trousers which were met by the nether hose, or stockings, on the lower leg.

Children in Renaissance England were considered simply small adults, and their dress reflected this. Children were dressed in clothing very similar to their parents, and both young boys and girls wore dresses during infancy and toddlerhood.

The clothing of the Renaissance period was much more royal and comfortable from the ones in the medieval period. The clothes were more evolved. The material used in the clothings of both the period were basically the same, but the clothing during the Renaissance period was more developed.