Fashion of the Elizabethan Era
Fashion of the Elizabethan Era
The Elizabethan era was a time period centered around the life of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603). This period in time is considered the peak of English history and is the beginning of when people began to think and believe differently. That brought along changes in the way people dressed. How people, particularly rich ones, dressed was just another way for them to express themselves. Social classes are also very much prominent in the era. These social classes influenced the fashion of the Elizabethan era. This is shown in men’s and women’s clothes, shoes, hats, and accessories in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. (Whitmore, Deanne)
In the 1500’s men’s clothing was generally black in color because it went with everything and was the “in” color. Silk doublets and velvet mantles with slashed and puffed sleeves were what your average man would wear up top. For pants, tights were still in style but breeches were beginning to become popular. The royalty and upper class would generally wear the same style of clothing as the middle class but with nicer material. The lower class people would wear whatever they could find. Men’s shoes also changed during this time. (Head over Heels 1500s)
Men’s shoes in the Elizabethan era went from being heavy and bulky to being light and dainty. For example, the heelless eschapin came into style. These shoes were almost the same as women’s shoes, but excluding the heel. They were usually made of fine leather and covered with ribbons and ornaments. The lower class would not usually wear shoes because each pair had to be handmade and were often very expensive. Much like the shoes, men’s hats in the 1500’s were very radical compared to those of the previous centuries. (Head over Heels 1500s)
During the early sixteenth century, men’s hats were flat, silk or velvet slabs sitting on top of the head, but by the middle of the century they revolutionized into
The Elizabethan era was a time period centered around the life of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign (1558-1603). This period in time is considered the peak of English history and is the beginning of when people began to think and believe differently. That brought along changes in the way people dressed. How people, particularly rich ones, dressed was just another way for them to express themselves. Social classes are also very much prominent in the era. These social classes influenced the fashion of the Elizabethan era. This is shown in men’s and women’s clothes, shoes, hats, and accessories in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. (Whitmore, Deanne)
In the 1500’s men’s clothing was generally black in color because it went with everything and was the “in” color. Silk doublets and velvet mantles with slashed and puffed sleeves were what your average man would wear up top. For pants, tights were still in style but breeches were beginning to become popular. The royalty and upper class would generally wear the same style of clothing as the middle class but with nicer material. The lower class people would wear whatever they could find. Men’s shoes also changed during this time. (Head over Heels 1500s)
Men’s shoes in the Elizabethan era went from being heavy and bulky to being light and dainty. For example, the heelless eschapin came into style. These shoes were almost the same as women’s shoes, but excluding the heel. They were usually made of fine leather and covered with ribbons and ornaments. The lower class would not usually wear shoes because each pair had to be handmade and were often very expensive. Much like the shoes, men’s hats in the 1500’s were very radical compared to those of the previous centuries. (Head over Heels 1500s)
During the early sixteenth century, men’s hats were flat, silk or velvet slabs sitting on top of the head, but by the middle of the century they revolutionized into