Clothing During The Elizabethan Era

“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.” (Fashion Quotes 1) The words once spoken by Henry David Thoreau are politically correct. People often look at Elizabethan‘s choice of fashion and ridicule everything about it from the hair, down to the stockings. As it appears, fashion has always been a broad topic of discussion in the world. Whether it is NY Fashion Week or a Macy’s fashion show, fashion is something that has always been an eye catcher. Fashion has been around for many years, and whether we know it or not, Elizabethan fashion has influenced the way modern fashion is today.

During the Elizabethan Era, there were a set of rules controlling which classes could wear which clothing called the Sumptuary Laws. The Sumptuary Laws controlled the colors and types of clothing a person could wear. This allowed an easy and immediate way to identify rank and privilege (Elizabethan Era | Clothing). Those found dressed in inappropriate clothing could be fined, lose property, lose rank, and even be killed (Elizabethan Dress

We usually pay more attention to the inner core of human beings, but clothing is not simply an outfit that covers out bodies—it indeed delivers a strong message to the society. A particular style of clothing marks the fashion of an era or a culture, but sometimes there is more historical context and material politics behind it. Clothing is not superficial; it represents identity and dignity of a group of people. According to Miller’s “Why Clothing is not Superficial”, clothing gives us “such dignity, glamour and refinement”, and they “actually were what made us think what we think we are” (Miller). It sometimes may have a unique appearance but it could be a powerful challenge to the public memory and hegemonic forces.

The Elizabethan Era was known for their elaborate clothing. Often the clothing helped classify social status. You could tell how much money a person had by seeing the clothes they wore. Social status was everything to them back then, so the clothes they wore basically defined them as people.       

They had to wear what they were told, by law. Those laws about clothes in the Elizabethan era were called Sumptuary Laws, and they were strictly obeyed. (L.K. Alchin. Elizabethan Era. May 16th 2012.)Lower class women were required to wear the less appealing fabrics and material.

The clothes during this time were different then what we wear today, a symbol of several religious and economical ideas, and had an impact on how the people went about their lives. During the time of the Elizabethan Era, clothes were far more extravagent than today. Men and women had many different layers of clothing that they would wear. Their “Clothing quality and decorations could easily show… class” (“Elizabethan Fashion for Men”).

The Elizabethan Era was a time that reflect the mood and values of the 16th

Elizabethan clothes in that time provided other people the information about the social status of the person wearing them. Their clothing showed the person’s wealth and social standing. For example the only people permitted to wear clothes trimmed with ermine were royalty. Elizabethan laws dictated what colors and type of clothing individuals were allowed to own and wear, by doing that everyone had a quick and easy way to spot out which people were important and which were not. It was during this time that men’s clothing was usually more elaborate than the woman’s. People’s hairstyles were very important in order to achieve attention and was considered upper class fashion. During the elizabethan era

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, bounteous, layered skirts we 're all the rage, so much so, laws were made to keep clothing in line. These laws were made to clearly divide the social classes of the time (Alchin). Knowing these laws was very important, because punishments for breaking the laws were harsh. Queen Elizabeth I saw the significance in the clothes people wear and how appearance alters the way people see others. This is why the Elizabethan people would sacrifice anything, even their health, to be beautiful. Queen Elizabeth definitely influenced the clothing of her Era and some of the clothing today by creating Sumptuary Laws, clearly dividing the social classes, and by raising the importance of body image.

“When the Medieval Time Period began, Roman togas were replaced by Germanic clothes.”( Www.ashevillelist.com ). The wealthy people, would wear fur lined jacket under a tunic which was topped with cloak. The wealthy people, they would buy and wear silks, velvet's in a variety of colors. Colorful cloth and silk were only available to those who could afford their price. Both men and women's clothes were trimmed or outline with fur.

The clothing of the Middle Ages, like everything else was decided by the pyramid of power. The pyramid of power was the Middle Ages Feudal System. Medieval clothes provided information about the rank of the person wearing them. From the 11th through the 14th centuries, medieval clothing assorted according to the social standing of the people. The clothing worn by nobility and upper classes was clearly different than that of the lower class. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them. The clothing and fashion during the medieval era of the Middle Ages was conquered and highly influenced by the Kings and Queens of the era. Only the wealthy could dress in fashionable clothes.

The people who lived during the Elizabethan Era were not allowed to wear whatever they like or desired. Their Fashion choices had to be followed by a strict law! The English people chose to establish social classes by the colors they wore and this had an affect on costumes used in theatre. Queen Elizabeth I followed the sumptuary laws, which was only certain classes were consent to wear specific fabric and colors. Therefore in plays the actors could only wear certain colors for their costumes that displayed what role and class their character was in. The clothes worn during this era was a result of Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuary laws, which had an affect on costumes used in plays, and each color a person wore had a significant meaning.

In the realm of fashion, the attire one wears can broadcast a statement, whether of their political view or general lifestyle. Consequently, throughout history groups in our society are often associated with a typical style of clothing. For instance, in 18th century France the sans-culottes (translated to those “without britches”) were the unruly lower class that would wear, “long trousers…[and] special caps, the same as those worn in ancient Rome by free slaves.” (pg. 81) This is indicative toward their ideals of a well-off government as well as the prospect of liberty. Moreover, they would refuse to sport the knee breeches worn by the wealthy, and was a method of identification, with this distinctive difference between them and the bourgeoisie.

Medieval women’s clothing was an important part of their social standings and showed the wearers rank and position in society; it was also not just affected by wealth as social statuses changed what you were and were not allowed to wear. The feudal system defined what they wore with the king and queens leading the fashion. There were also laws as to how a person could be dressed and the cost of the item/s for example: Only royalty could wear ermine trimming, only nobles, upper class and higher classes were allowed to wear velvet, silk, fur, lace, cotton, taffeta and coloured or dyed materials, lesser nobles were allowed to wear fox an otter trimming, lower classes could only wear wool, linen and sheepskin and the lowest classed, labours and

Perhaps the most important article of clothing for a Victorian woman was a dress. Without a dress, most of the other items would have no purpose! The Victorian era was the first recorded time pockets were sewn inside dresses for storage (Rowland-Warne 30). It was also when mass clothing production began a reality using the innovative sewing machine (Rowland-Warne 40). Towards the beginning to middle of the Victorian era, the dresses were bell-shaped and thick, especially after the invention of the crinoline (Rowland-Warne 42).