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The Elizabethan Era And The Great War

Decent Essays

The Elizabethan era and the Great War era were both times of profound change and struggle and this is reflection through the fashion of both eras. The Elizabethan Era began in 1558 when Elizabeth I ascended to the throne, switching England from Catholicism under Queen Mary to Protestant. The era ended in 1603 with the death of Elizabeth. A little over 3 centuries later, the Great War broke out after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. After four years of fighting, the Great War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The outbreak of war in 1914 and the ongoing conflict in Elizabethan England between the Catholics and Protestants meant that fashion was constantly changing in response to the political and social turmoil of the times. Whilst Elizabethan fashion restricted spontaneous fashion as well as being a status of status and wealth, Great War fashion liberated women by allowing them to wear pants and the cut of garments were more natural to allow for ease of movement. Both eras utilized fabrics such as silk, cotton and wool in the fashion world. However due to fabric shortages in World War I, synthetic fabrics such as rayon, were used as a cheaper and more readily available alternative. Both the Elizabethan and World …show more content…

The extreme and distorted silhouettes of the Elizabethan Era are in stark contrast to the pared back fashion of the war years. Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth’s intelligence and ruthlessness made her a formidable political force (Fischel, 2012) and due to portraiture being the main artistic genre of the time we can see the way Elizabeth influenced and dictated the fashions of her day. On the other hand, fashion during the war years was dictated by fabric rationing and the need for more practical and comfortable clothing was apparent especially in women’s

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