Elizabethan Clothes and Costumes

Upper class women favored many petticoats covered in “rich” colors like orange, red, green, black and yellow. The upper class also wore fine linens such as silk, satin and lace, this made sure that the lower class people knew to show them respect. Lower class people wore ordinary, simple clothing that showed that they had a lower social position and they wore a lot of blue because it was cheaper than other colors and it was associated with servants. The basic rule all classes went by was, if people wore nice clothes then people treated them well and if they did not then people most likely would not even talk to them. The lower class started stealing small amounts of lace or silk to add to their own clothes; however, the upper class was starting to get upset with all the poor people wearing nicer clothes. Finally by the 18th century, everyone was allowed to wear nicer clothes; yet the upper class still wanted to differentiate themselves from the lesser people, they wanted to show that they were better than them. They decided to adopt a more conservative fashion that was less colorful and

“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.

Have you ever wondered what people in the Elizabethan Era wore? Fashion was just as important in those days as it is to some people today. What people were wearing mattered to others, and even the government. During the Elizabethan Era clothing, accessories, and cosmetics were all a part of daily life.

The use of clothing exemplifies civilization, order, and rule. Being in new places can lead us astray from civilization. We may find new interests and hobbies that can change our true identity. However, clothing can represent order and rules. For example, if a child was going to play outside after church they would subconsciously change their clothes because they see clothing as rules and order. Clothing can be viewed as order because it becomes custom to people to dress as needed. Finally, clothing in Lord of the Flies represents rules because having those guidelines remind us of civilization in our

Shakespeare's use of cross dressing and deceitfulness extends beyond the actual writings in the plays and goes onto the stage. Women were not allowed to perform on stage in Shakespeare's time. ."..all the great women's roles in Elizabethan and Jacobean plays, from Juliet and Lady Macbeth to the duchess of Malfi, were written to be

The corset was of course associated with high society and was an important signifier of social class. For example in the grand balls that often featured in Victorian novels, a restrictive corset was part of the essential uniform – Becky Sharpe in Vanity Fair for example. It also became associated with the ‘dandy’ aesthetic of the late Nineteenth Century (Oscar Wilde being an example) when it was worn by men.

Juliet- Like her mother, Juliet often wore the colors of gold and silver. She did not wear any purple because she was of slightly lower class caused by her young age. Gowns, partlets, and kirtles were often worn by Juliet. Her high class was reflected in her clothing. Corsets and multiple petticoats helped achieve the small waist desired by the ladies at the time. Juliet

There are cheaper materials that don't last as long and there are more expensive materials that last longer. Unlike today, in Elizabethan Time the people didn't chose what fabrics to wear. Just like the colors it depended on their status and rank. "Elizabethan Nobles and Upper classes wore clothing made of velvets, furs, silks, lace, cottons and taffeta" ("Material & Fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing"). "The Elizabethan Lower Classes had to wear clothing made of wool, linen and sheepskin however, silk, taffeta and velvet trimmings were allowed" ("Material & Fabrics used in Elizabethan Era Clothing"). Just like breaking the law of colors people would also get punished for breaking the laws of fabrics and materials. In the Elizabethan time the rank of a person made a huge impact on the clothing they would

Often times throughout history clothes have been very important in equating social or occupational status. For example, on a construction site you see the hierarchy of power by the color of the hats worn by the employees. Sadly,

The richer class believed “Clothing was a sign of importance and power.” (Stevenson, par 1) Nobles believed the amount of money they spent on their clothes determined the amount of authority they had. The more rich you were, the more people looked up to you. Chaucer writes about the Summoner “The better he looks the more successful he will be.” (Prentice Hall 113) Nobles such as the Summoner had extra money to spend on things like clothing. These people in the second estate dressed to impress more than dressing for comfort. Comfort did not apply to the nobles, because they had less work than the other estates. The nobles wanted to show their riches, so the bigger and brighter their clothing the

Woman who were from the higher class had different clothing in the Renaissance era which has changed across the years, whether with time or influence . Clothing was powerful as they were used to represent your social class. Each one of the social classes had certain things that they were allowed to wear (different in each class). One of the fashion icon during the renaissance was Queen Elizabeth I. She possessed a large amount of influence on fashion as well as the people.

To begin, when looking at the outfit choices of the actors, they are wearing casual clothing, this is very suitable and relatable to the current style trends of young adults today. To illustrate, Hamlet is wearing a fun t-shirt with a design of a muscular chest along with jeans (Shakespeare, 2010). Simultaneously, Ophelia portrays to be more elegant and put together, as she is wearing a dress with a v-neck where the dress flows down to her knees (Shakespeare, 2010). Additionally, she pairs this outfit with a simple necklace and white heels (Shakespeare, 2010). This exemplifies that there is not a huge emphasis on fashion today opposing to the Elizabethan era, since it was very scandalous for people to walk around with a t-shirt, jeans and a short dress. Further, this demonstrates that people in this century wear whatever is comfortable for them, allowing younger audiences to easily relate and appreciate the actress's fashion choices. Lastly, the careful selection of colours depicts a very modernized atmosphere while Hamlet is speaking. In particular, Hamlet is wearing a dark orange shirt and Ophelia is wearing an olive green dress (Shakespeare 2010). Since dark orange is a very attention seeking colour and also represents heat, this suggests Hamlet’s insanity and that he is the most important actor of the scene ("Basic Color Theory"). Conversely, olive green represents peace, this symbolizes Ophelia’s mental state, as she is calm while speaking to Hamlet before he screams at her ("Basic Color Theory"). Moreover, these two colours compliment each other very well, creating a pleasant mood for the audience’s enjoyment ("Color Wheel Pro”). On the whole, the use of clothing and its colours help to support that the intended audience for this Hamlet medium is for a younger

There were numerous pieces of clothing put together to complete the whole look. Men and women were always making sure that they had the most fashionable and newest clothing. In fact, Queen Elizabeth supposedly owned over 2000 gowns.

During the middle ages, clothing and fashion were a representation of how someone lived. Each social class had clothing very different from one another. Every clothing item was specific to individual groups of people; men, women, rich, poor and the church. Materials people’s clothing were made out of could show if someone had a lot of money or had a little supply of money. Medieval Europe spent a large amount of time making their clothing and presenting it to show who they were and where they were in the social class.

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.