Renaissance Fashion: A close look at the reference periods of fashion, which is in a continuous cycle of development, change and turning back. Our third stop; Renaissance.
Fashion refers to currently popular clothing styles. It always develops and changes and returns to the top. Every style and trend in fashion is recalled from an absolute time or era. That is why it is very important and valuable to have an idea of the history of this evolution.
As you get an idea of a person, you also learn his style. While reading the history of humanity, it is inevitable to take a look at the history of fashion.
In this article series, we will take a closer look at the periods used by fashion as a reference. Enjoy reading.
The invention of the printing press in 1450 by the German inventor Johann Gutenberg; By enabling the rapid spread of knowledge that would lead to new inventions, new styles and new discoveries, it heralded the beginning of a new era: the Renaissance. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
Although this colorful age started in Florence, Italy, it spread to Europe in a short time and enriched music, painting and literature. Although the styles that emerged afterwards were deeply influenced by the previous era, it still had a unique personality. It was referred to as Elizabethan fashion for a period in England, especially as it was influenced by monarchs such as Elizabeth I.
While Italy was becoming the center of art, it was necessary to look to England for the evolution of fashion. France took over this flag with the Baroque period. As the middle class expanded, fashion became as busy as it was a sign of nobility within them. With the development of transportation and communication, clothing ideas and materials could easily spread in the region. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Defining Features of Renaissance Fashion
From the slits opening to the top worn, which are accessible because they also serve to create different looks, the clothes in which the bottom garments are slightly embossed, round necklines made of folded or folded fabric, and the sleeves that have been put on and removed were among the styles that continued to be effective throughout the period. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
With the first furry fan that Columbus brought to Queen Isabella, this accessory started to be widely used in America as well as England. Being a decorative object rather than its functionality, the range is enriched with precious stones and expensive feathers. It was Catherine de Medici who popularized the foldable fan.
Another accessory symbolizing wealth and power was the handkerchief. The lower classes were prohibited from using handkerchiefs under consumption laws. The corners of the handkerchiefs, which are highly decorative elements, were embroidered with laces and special threads.
Perfume and lace were used for the first time with the Renaissance. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
At the beginning of the Renaissance, clothes were more rounded and fluffy. Waistlines were raised in women’s clothing, collars were cornered and sleeves were slit. But towards the end of the Elizabethan era, the waist lines gradually descended until they tapered and tapered at the ends. The arms gradually rolled and filled and embossed. Although the collars were angular, they were raised with frills at the end of the period. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
The hoops and petticoats used to shape the skirt can be said to be the greatest contribution of the Renaissance. When it was first used, it was called the Spanish petticoat, while it was wide and conical, its shape expanded at the end of the period and was named after the French. As the underskirt expanded, more material was needed to cover it, and new restrictive laws were introduced for this – albeit not followed. It was observed that the skirt lengths also got shorter; so much so that women could show off their high heeled shoes and even socks. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Another phenomenon in women’s fashion was plucking the hair on the forehead and removing the eyebrows for a wide forehead appearance.
During the Renaissance, the main emphasis in men’s clothing was on the shoulders and chest. Men wore tunics that stretched to the knees, belted at the waist, and were embossed on the chest. Flat and wide models were preferred as hats. Shirts gathered at the ankles and collars and shrunk. However, towards the end of the period, short, pumpkin-shaped forms that reveal the legs began to be supported with corsets. Men, like women, adopted V-shaped waist cuts. The short cloaks that were worn were decorated with feathers. Frilly collars and matching wristbands were essential.
Fashion in Elizabeth England
The Elizabethan period in Renaissance costume design includes the reign of Queen Elizabeth between 1558-1603. Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn, is one of the world’s most famous monarchs. The Elizabethan dress style and fashion can easily be distinguished by being characteristic and striking, and is very popular with names who design historical clothes. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Just like in the Middle Ages, the fabrics used to create clothes were wool and linen in the Elizabethan era. Imported fabrics such as silk and cotton started to be used in the clothes worn by the upper classes. The clothes worn by the elites inspired the lower classes with their fabrics, weavings, and embroidery, and as their economic status improved – and as the law allowed – they too began to include these details in their clothing line. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
Although the clothes worn in the Elizabethan era seem to be extremely heavy and overworked, the so-called Mini Ice Age prevailed in England and northern Europe at that time. So this weight was a necessity; However, it could not be denied that they looked very romantic and beautiful. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Fabrics
The most common fabrics of the period were linen and wool. As in the Middle Ages, people used linen in their underwear closest to their skin. Linen, produced from the cannabis plant, was a comfortable, breathable and easy-to-clean fabric. When people rarely wash their clothes, linen stood out with its ease of washing and its ability to soften with washing.
The clothes considered luxurious in the Elizabethan era were worn by the royal family, nobility and elites. In these clothes, besides wool and linen, silk, satin, velvet, damask and taffeta were used. Fine linens were bleached in the sun, embroidered or patterned with wood prints. Fashion embroidery included knitting, lace, ribbons, precious stones and pearls. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
In the Elizabethan era, the patterns embroidered on clothing were often delicate and complex, requiring superb craftsmanship and a lot of time to make.
In modern society, with the continuous evolution of fashion concepts, people have begun to try to use more diverse and personalized fashion elements to decorate clothing. Among them, custom patches, as a unique way of decoration, have gradually become more and more popular. This kind of patch can be designed in shape, size and color according to the needs and preferences of different people, and can also be printed with various patterns or texts that you like.
Compared with the embroidery patterns of the Elizabethan era, modern patches are more flexible and can better adapt to clothing of different styles and occasions.
Frill
The most characteristic piece of Elizabethan fashion is extravagant frilly collars. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
While a simple ruffle was formed on the neck with the collection of the collar area before, it was designed as separate parts that can be put on and removed later. These huge proportions surrounding the face were eventually supported by wires.
Cuffs, which are compatible with collars designed mostly from lace and embroidered linen, have also become a defining and complementary of the looks. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Footwear
Elizabethan shoes were usually snub-toed and flat-soled, made of leather or fabrics such as silk, velvet, brocade, and enriched with embroidery.
In most of that period, shoes were made with the same mold for both feet, and leather or fabric took the shape of the foot as they wore it. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
Platforms or high heels were very useful for the period. It was mounted on shoes to keep the feet free from dirt, mud or debris. Later, this height was developed to be royal and embroidered models (chopines) with heels made of wood became popular. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
Hair, Headwear and Face
When women were young and unmarried, they grew their hair long, left them uncovered, and accessorized them, often with headbands or crowns of fresh flowers. After they got married, they collected their hair and covered it. Stylish women enriched their braids with materials such as gold chains, pearls or feathers.
England with Elizabeth’s mother Ann Boleyn; He met the French hood; The hood, designed with fabric attached to wires shaped like a half moon, celebrated the most magnificent state of the hair band. Keep reading for more information about renaissance fashion.
The ideal face of the Elizabethan era was pale cheeks and lips, sometimes highlighted with lipstick. Eyelashes were highlighted at important events. Cosmetic products were used by the fashion elite.
Perfume was widespread among both men and women and was a necessity considering that there was little bath during the period. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
17th Century and Baroque Period
In the 17th century, women’s clothing followed the Baroque style of the period. The lavishly ornate Baroque fashion suggested moving away from the soft, volatile lines and the intense, architectural clothing of the Elizabethan era. French fashion, influenced by King Louis XIV, highlighted the finely detailed styles of repressed Protestant cities.
In the previous century, women dressed in layers. The Mini Ice Age involved also made it reasonable to use these floors.
With the widespread maritime trade, Asia became more accessible with its fabrics and styles; Chinese silk and Indian cotton came into circulation. Interest in Indian cotton, in particular, was a significant part of the economy. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
As in the previous century, it was again the elite that set the fashion. Louis XIV enacted laws on what clothes, fabrics, and styles were allowed where. So much so that even the skirt lengths of women were determined by these laws.
Historical information about the clothes of the century was illuminated by drawings, pictures, written laws, merchants’ inventories and house records. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
Fabrics
Linen and wool continued to be wardrobe classics. The finest weavings and whites of linen worn by almost every segment were for the elite. The lower class wore more natural tones or gray. As it keeps the wearer warm even when wet, wool was preferred especially by the lower classes for upper parts such as dresses, skirts and cloaks.
Cotton was the newest popular fabric. It was also easy to clean this cheap fabric from India.
Hand dyed or patterned cotton fabric printing was the most volatile material for the exchange between European traders and Indian producers. Because, in addition to Asian designs, it was now produced with European patterns. The most popular pattern motifs were artichoke and pomegranate. Used as bed linen, curtains and tablecloths in the beginning, the basma was carried to clothes in the late 1600s.
Velvet came in different styles and thicknesses. The ones patterned with metallic threads were preferred by the elites. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
The clothes worn by the upper classes were in bright colors with the widespread use of dyes. If the clothes on the women depicted in the portraits were black, then black was the most expensive paint, indicating a prominent status. The dyes used by the ordinary people were paler and of the type that lost their effect as they washed. Continue reading to get more about renaissance fashion.
Footwear
Women wore pointy toes and coarse heels. The heels rose and contracted in the last quarter of the century. Shoes made of embroidered leather or brocade were tied with a ribbon.
Slippers worn at home, without heels, were called pantoffle.
In the 1640s, high heels began to be designed with a slight bend behind the heels. Square noses became popular. By the 1660s the heels got higher and the shoes tapered forward.
Accessories
Accessories such as gloves, handkerchiefs, wallets, fans and sleeves were popular. Face masks were worn to protect the skin in bad weather.
Women wore necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. Perfume pouches of cinnamon, clove and musk oils filled in glass bottles woven in silver or gold hung from the neck like a medallion.
It was possible to see women wearing short pearl necklaces in almost every portrait.
Women continued to wear small linen hats. The lace was draped over the hair like a veil.
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