The Importance Of Costumes In Elizabethan England

Summary/Background:
Caitlin:
The Elizabethan Era was one of the most fascinating periods in the History of England.
The Elizabethan era was a time associated with
Queen Elizabeth the first's reign (1558–1603) and is often considered to be the golden age in
English history
. It was the height of the
English
Renaissance
. This was also the time during which
Elizabethan theatre flourished, and
William
Shakespeare and many others composed plays that broke free of England's past style of plays and theatre. Hair &
Makeup:
Ashley: White face make­up was applied to acquire the pale look; it was made up of a mixture of white lead and vinegar. A pale complexion was desirable in that era. Face paint made from plant roots and leaves
was also applied. This was to resemble the look of Upper Class women in those days. Expensive dyes such as Cochineal was also makeup used to redden the cheeks and lips. Actors had to wear wigs which, by their colour and styles, showed the age and status of their character. Most just wore wigs because women weren't allowed in the plays so men had to step in and play the womens roles. Clothing in the theatre:
Ashley:

The Globe Theatre Costumes were fabulous, extravagant materials, vivid colours and very costly. The costumes didn’t always reflect the correct period of the Play. The Globe actors generally wore the dress of their own time instead of the time period presented in the production.
Some were specifically made for the actors and some were donated by rich patrons. The Globe plays had to be produced in a great hurry in order to ensure a rapid turnover of new material and performances for the demanding Elizabethan audience and to beat the competition from rival theatres. Not enough time was available to build up a ready made store of costumes which reflected the correct period of the play. In this instance a combination of Roman clothes and
Elizabethan clothing might well have been seen together.
Ashley:
To understand the impact of the costumes worn during the time of William Shakespeare it is necessary to learn of the laws which determined the clothes which were worn during the that era. The Elizabethan period dominated by the class structure. Elizabethans were not allowed to wear whatever they liked. It didn’t matter how rich they were, the fabric, and even the style of their clothes were dictated by their rank or status. These strict rules were enforced by English

Laws called Sumptuary Laws. They were designed to limit the expenditure on clothes and to maintain the social structure of the Elizabethan Class system. Lower Class Elizabethans were not able to wear the latest fashions. Fashionable clothes would only be seen at a distance, when wealthy nobles were in view. Costumes in the Elizabethan Theatre would therefore double as a fashion show. It was illegal to wear items of clothing which indicated a high rank or status. This would have been disastrous for clothing actors in appropriate costumes relative to a King or noble. These English Sumptuary Laws were strictly obeyed and the penalties for violating
Sumptuary Laws could be harsh; fines, the loss of property, title and even life.
Caitlin:
On stage, a variety of different characters were played by many different actors. The social class of the actor did not always line up with the social class of the character played. This made costuming difficult due to the fact that there was a law governing the way people of different social classes dressed. This resulted in a new law that allowed acting companies to get permits from the Queen allowing actors to dress in the necessary apparel for their role in the play. Caitlin: In the theatre nearly every colour of clothing had its own meaning in relation to status and rank during the Elizabethan era, and these meanings were clearly understood by the audience. The colors, materials and styles of the Globe Theatre costumes conveyed an enormous amount of information as soon as the actor walked onto the stage. As soon as a character walked on the stage the fabric and color of his clothing would indicate the role of the character he was
playing.
The character and rank of an actor wearing a Globe Theatre costume made of velvets, furs, silks or lace would be instantly recognised as a member of the Upper Class. Other things such as cottons would indicate a much lower status.
Women’s Costumes:
Caitlin:
In the theatre a typical womens costume would cover them completely. The bodice or the top part of the gown was generally tight fitting with square shoulders. The yoke was usually of a dark color, and there was often some type of high collar. The collar would extend all the way to the chin and usually would ruffle at the top. The gown usually contained a v­shaped point at the waistline and then expanded into a sort of funnel shape reaching the ground. The shoes the women wore were not important because the gown reached to the floor; the shoes most often were not seen. As for jewelry, they wore large pendants of gold around their necks. Earrings were not very common except among the very sophisticated, who would wear pearls.

Men’s Costumes:
Ashley:
The men wore embroidered vest­like shirts called jerkins, which had square
shoulders and buttons down the front. The sleeves were often decorated and loose­fitting all the way to the wrists. The pants were loose­fitting and extended to about three to four inches above the knee.
They were padded with horsehair and slashed in order to show the knitted silk stockings underneath.The shoes of the men were generally made with the finest of leather. They contained a small leather heel and were often decorated with slashes. The headgear was either a small flat hat made of velvet or silk or a tall crown hat that was covered by fine fabric or feathers.