Clothing In Northern Europe

women on the other hand, often had the stays as part of the outfit themselves(Rose). The jackets were aimed at the triangular shape as well. As said in the article Ruffled Shirts and Tailored Jackets.”Women commonly wore riding habits with what could be considered a precursor to the modern work-suit: jackets that cinched at the waist and form-fitting skirts. Victorian jackets also were often trimmed with fur or other sorts of piping.”(Rose).

Clothing was also an important part in men's lives. The Sumptuary laws implied to not only the women, but to the men too. Men also wore many layers, some similar to the women. According to Linda Alchin, "The fashions were designed to give the impression of a small waist-especially desired by the women but also emulated by men" (Elizabethan Upper Class Fashion). They wore most of the following under layers: a shirt, stockings, a codpiece, and a corset. Then, most of the following over layers: a doublet, separate sleeves, breeches, a belt, a ruff, a cloak, and boots or flat shoes. Men's clothing fashions were related to those of women's due to the similar, and many layers.

Imagine a woman rising from bed wearing heavy bedclothes of wool or cotton. Underneath she would be wearing a corset for sleep, made of cotton, wool or a mix of heavy linen. After brushing out long hair, which was rarely washed, she would be wrapped in a light cotton garb that would protect her skin from actually touching her formal corset. Often corsets would stretch from the mid-hip region to the breasts. Corsets were constructed of whalebone and metal stays, which shaped the ribs and stomach to form a fashionable waist of approximately eighteen inches. After the corset was tightly laced (which required assistance of at least one other person), then heavy wool or cotton stocking would be pulled on. Stockings were held up ties, girdle-like bloomers or special buttons in the petticoats. At this time, a woman would put on six to eight petticoats . She would put on a special top to keep the corset from touching her dress. At this point, a woman may have worn a large hoop skirt. The large metal device would allow the woman to keep proper social distance from her guests and potential suitors. Often the woman would have to be lowered into the hoop skirt. If the hoop was too heavy, a woman would be placed in the parlor room and she would remain there until after a dinner party or until such a time she could remove the hoop because it could render her immobile. In some rare cases, small rolling wheels were attached at the bottom of hoop skirts to aid women in moving

Although there are many differences in fashion from era to era the similarities are outstanding. Some of the most repetitive pieces from era to era include corsets, robes, and codpieces. Codpieces were a very fashionable cover for the zipper of men’s pants that the weather men wore to make themselves more presentable. Codpieces are still very popular

The popular style of dress, modified for the occasion, was characterized by a full skirted silhouette. The look included form fitting bodices paired with long hoop skirts of washable linen, cotton or wool atop shifts and form fitting corsets (stays). Stays were the rage or curse for women's wear during the Colonial era and were inset with unforgiving whalebone...a feature that could tend to restrict the movements and activities of the wearers. Little wonder why. (Its been recorded that ladies of the day were considered quite the 'loose woman' if not wearing their stays when out in public.) A Stomacher, a bit of inverted triangular fabric that held the front of the gown together, was also part of the overall dress presentation (The Stomacher was carried over from the European representation in women's clothing.)

Ever wonder where the strange fashion choices of society’s favorite Disney movies originated? It might be a bit of an understatement to say that the apparel of men during the Elizabethan Era was odd, but each piece of their outfit had a crucial role to play in their daily life. Clothing worn during the Elizabethan Era was greatly dictated by the Sumptuary Laws, the wealth of the individual, and fashion trend of neighboring countries.

The men of a high social status would wear a shirt, stockings, a codpiece, and a corset. Over those clothes the men would wear a doublet, separate sleeves, breeches, a belt, a ruff, a cloak, shoes, and a hat. These were the clothing items that the men would wear in a daily basis.

Clothing expression in medieval Europe, like all other forms of artistic expression at this time, found it's biggest outlet in the ecclesiastical field, as this was where all the money was to be found. The churches employed all the best builders and craftsmen in creating their great cathedrals, and art works. In clothing, the church dictated what sorts of materials were made, and brought into the area, what colors were in use, and what styles were used, influencing the secular as well as ecclesiastical dress. In the feudal system only great Barons and their families wore fine cloths, as clothing was a symbol of rank and importance. Each family made their own clothes, so fashion was very individualistic in style, and each family had their own characteristics. With an increase of wealth in the area, and the beginning of the crusades, new elaborate styles were introduced into the scene. Fashions became strange, and grotesque in nature reflecting the constant struggles and wars of the time, as fantasy and the grotesque generally influence social costumes accompanying times of war. Women in their headgear actually wore huge horns, like an ox, that towered above them and supported a veil, and men's shoes were peaked and extended six inches in front of them for common men, and a foot for gentlemen, and two feet for noblemen.

Today we often conceal the genitals but, this was also the case during the fourteenth century. From the late 1200’s and the early 1600’s men wore a simple piece of fabric that would tie down to the individuals. The purpose of the padded garment would emphasize the area of the scrotum region of a male. It may sound ridiculous but, English men of status took pride in the freedom of showing off their crotch. This paper will deal with the history, style and overall reasoning why men wore these garments. The codpiece is a garment of clothing that still has historical significance today.

The weather in England was harsh, resulting in the need to wear many layers of clothing. The monarch, the nobility, the gentry, merchants, yeomanry, and laborers wore a chemise under all of their clothes, then a corset (stiffened with wood, iron, or whalebone), then a petticoat, then a farthingale, stockings, a gown, sleeves, and neck and wrist ruffs(Elizabethan Clothing). A farthingale and ruffs were the statement making pieces of a high fashion outfit belonging to anyone close ranked to a queen. A farthingale was a hooped skirt made of whalebone or wood, used to give the gowns their “cupcake” look, the women believed that the bigger the farthingale the more rich and powerful the woman was. The farthingale was draped with fabric and was the most seen part of a gown, therefore, it had to be detailed uniquely with braiding, borders, embroidery, lace, guarding (ribbon trim), and gems or pearls.

These were about knee to calf length with a variety of necklines to suit the outer garment. After this the women would put on stockings which would sit just above the knee and fastened with a garter or ribbon. The next piece is a corset/bodice which uses glue stiffened fabric, dried reeds, rope or baleen sewn into the corset to keep its structure. After this a farthingale is put on. This is a skirt with hoops which is tied to the sides of the corset. Above this skirt goes a Rowle, which is a padded piece that sits around the hips to make the skirt stick out

At this time men wore three piece suits. This included of a sack coat, trousers, and a waistcoat. For women the start of the 1910s fashion was supple. Women wore a tunic over a long skirt. Women wore their hair

Clothing is very different than us. Most of the men in working classes wore either loincloth or short kilt and sometimes a type of shirt. Women wore straight dresses with one or two straps. Animal skins, above all leopard skins, worn by priests and by pharaohs. At times Kings and Queens wore ceremonial clothing adorned with feathers.

Clothing creation methods have changed and evolved over the course of many years, and with these changes, the clothing, too, changed drastically over the course of time. From the most basic of clothing to complicated, ever changing fashion, what we wore changed as the methods of creating it changed.

Things like clothing varied from each period. While during the Medieval times, it seemed as if the fashionable look was narrow and ease of the garment, whereas in the Renaissance, they used extravagant cloths and furs, along with padding for a broad silhouette. During the Renaissance, clothing molded you into the fashionable shapes and sizes.