RAVENSHIRE RENAISSANCE COSTUME GUIDE

The year for the Renaissance side of this faire is 1550, a time when fashions had just switched from the styles of the court of Henry VIII to the slimmed down look seen in the latter half of the 16th century. The young and fashionable and politically aware would be dressed in the new styles, while older folk and the poorer classes would be seen in the fashions of the earlier time.

Men

The boxy, heavily puffed and padded doublets and coats of Henry VIII's time had gone out of fashion to be replaced by closely fitted and heavily tailored suits. For fashionable sorts, breeches, capes and coats were very short, none of the three ever reaching the knee in length. The breeches were mostly hidden beneath the skirts or basques on their jerkins or doublets. Doublets and jerkins fit the body closely without any of the baggy drapery or sloppy slashings of the previous fashion. Small wings or epaulettes adorned the shoulders. Shirt cuffs and collars were trimmed with small pleats or modest amounts of hand-made lace. Men wore long hose, sometimes gartered at the knee. Codpieces, though shrinking and becoming less ornate, were still in vogue. Sportsmen and soldiers wore tall over-the-knee boots, and everyone wore soft flat slipper-like shoes. A small, beret-like cap (with or without a brim) trimmed with feathers completed the outfit.

Women

Women of this time wore tight, conical bodices over full, cone-shaped skirts. The waistline was set slightly below the natural waistline. This waistline was either straight or slightly dipped in the front. Necklines were either low or square, filled in sometimes by a dickey of sorts called a "partlet," or they reached the base of the neck and flared up into either a standing or a wing collar. Sleeves were long and tight, and usually had either puffed and padded sleevecaps or large, false stuffed undersleeves. Small wings or padded rolls decorated the shoulder. Chemises were worn beneath all to protect the clothing from dirt and sweat. The hair was always covered to some degree, and a great variety of headdresses were worn, most with long veils down the back. Women wore slipper-like shoes, not at all unlike modern flats, though these rarely showed beneath their skirts.

Class Differences

You could immediately tell who was who by looking at clothing. Class differences were made obvious by clothing differences.

Upper class men and women could be identified by the higher quality, better fit, and fancier materials of their clothing. They wore expensive fabrics such as velvets and tapestry and imported silks. They lined and trimmed their outerwear and winter gowns with fur. They wore deep blacks and rich, saturated colors. They wore lots of jewelry and had accessories of gold and silver. Pearls were prized. Their garments (and even undergarments) were often heavily embroidered and decorated. Small ruffs were common, worn both at the neck and wrists. Upper class men should have a coat or short cape to match their doublet or jerkin, close-fitting hose or leggings, short breeches (always above the knee in length) and a small hat with a fancy ostrich plume. Daggers and rapiers were the carried weapons of choice. Upper class women should wear a corset beneath their gown, a farthingale (a narrow hoopskirt), and a high-necked chemise or a partlet or a small shoulder cape. Their hair should be covered by a tight snood or hidden beneath a structured hat or headdress. Ladies often carried a fan or a pomander.

Upper Class Fabrics:

Middle Class Fabrics:

Lower Class Fabrics:

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