Elizabethan Era

Elizabethan Clothing, Fashion and the Sumptuary Laws

Elizabethan clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them. This was not just dictated by the wealth of the person, it also reflected their social standing. Only Royalty were permitted to wear clothes trimmed with ermine. Lesser Nobles were allowed to wear clothing trimmed with fox and otter and so on and so forth. Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws dictated what colors and type of clothing individuals were allowed to own and wear, an easy and immediate way to identify rank and privilege. The materials and even the colors of Elizabethan clothing were therefore very important and sections have been dedicated to these subjects in relation to dyes, fabrics and the type of clothes that men were allowed to wear and the type of clothing that Elizabethan women were allowed to wear. As you read through the restrictions placed on Elizabethan clothing the subject becomes more and more fascinating. The importance and significance of costumes used in the Elizabethan theatres also becomes very clear.

The specific items restricted were detailed, and covered every aspect of the Elizabethan costume. Among the restrictions listed in Elizabeth I’s 1574 statute were:

Purple silk and sable fur: Reserved strictly for the Queen, King, and their family members.

Velvet: The colors crimson and scarlet being reserved for only the highest nobility: dukes, marquises, and earls.

Tinseled cloth: Cloth that was woven with strands of gold and silver, that is, tinsel, was reserved for the nobility including viscounts and barons.

Gold, silver, or pearl embroidery: Reserved for dukes, marquises, earls (including the children of all three), viscounts, barons, and Knights of the Garter.

Lynx and civet cat fur: Restricted to the above ranks, and including the wives of men who can dispend 100 pounds by the year.

Enameled buttons, chains, etc.: Restricted to the above nobility, and including wives of barons’ sons, and wives of knights.

Silk, satin, and damask: Reserved for the above, and including knights’ daughters.

Clothing for Men

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. In the reign of Henry VIII, doublets became shorter, creating a space between the upper hose and the doublet. In order to preserve modesty, the cod piece became popular again, having been around since the middle ages. The cod piece was originally a cloth or animal skin pocket in the from of hose or trouser, but were now made from various materials, and often padded or used for storage – Henry VIII used his codpiece to store money. Once more, these additions to the outfit would be more common in an upper class individual or person at court than the average Englishman (Kosir).

Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southhamptam

Cloaks- Elizabethan cloaks were an essential item of clothing for both men and women of the era. Cloaks came in varying lengths – some covered as far as the waist, others as far as the knee and some reached the floor. Womens cloaks were fastened at the neck and covered the shoulders but some of the men’s cloaks were flung back over the shoulder and draped over their backs. They had long ties to hold them on, which were fastened under the arm and tied across the body in front. Cloaks were full and often fastened with broaches, clasps or gold chains. One style of Elizabethan cloak was called a jornet.

Elizabethan Breeches also called Nether Hose- Just as today, an essential item of clothing for the Elizabethan man. Breeches came in a variety of styles and fashions during the Elizabethan era. Early hose were fitted to the leg footed similar to modern tights but open at the crotch. Codpieces were added to cover the front opening. The different styles of Elizabethan breeches are described as follow

Hats- The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat. The Upper Classes used a variety of materials in their hats but it is fascinating to note that in 1571 a law was passed which ordered everyone over the age of six to wear a woollen cap on Sundays and holidays in order to help England’s wool trade. The Upper Classes were excused from obeying this law.

The materials that hats were made of were silk, velvet, taffeta and wool
Older men covered their heads with a coif ( commonly referred to as the ‘biggin’ ) under their hats
The taller the hat the more important the man – lower classes wore woollen flat caps
The Muffin cap – worn by the lower classes in cheap linen ( similar to a cooks hat )
Tall Crown hat worn by the Upper Class – made with expensive fabrics – silk velvet etc
The Flat cap worn by the Upper and Lower Class
The Toque – similar to a flat cap
Hat decorations – All classes and ages wore feathers in their hats. Hats worn by the Upper Class were expensively decorated with jewelled bands (called bilaments), broaches, badges and ribbons
A Fool’s Cap featured hornes, eares, ill faces and other such fopperies and were worn by court jesters, or fools

Clothing for Women

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. In dressing, a lower class women would wear a much looser corset, or none at all, and would possibly eschew other underpinnings such as bum rolls (crescent-shaped cushions worn around the hips) or farthingales (hoop skirts used to hold the skirts out) for added comfort.

All women’s outfits started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.