Textiles | Textile Machinery | Renaissance period (1450-1600)
Renaissance Costumes | Costumes in 19th & 20th century

After 1450, the costume world suddenly reversed from the pointed Gothic look, to the square look of the Renaissance. People were ready for a change and it lead to a new era for women's clothing. The renaissance also brought about new patterns and ways of wearing clothes. Women wore a square-necked gown with the bodice laced up the front and attached to the gathered skirt at the hips; the front of the skirt was often open, to reveal decorative petticoats. These, together with a preference for rich, heavy materials, especially velvet, and a fad for profuse slashing and puffing of the under material seen through the slash, created a bulky appearance.

Men's costume had wide, square shoulders with puffed sleeves, padded doublets, bombasted upperstocks, or trunk hose, short gowns (cloaks), and square-toed shoes. The doublet, now sleeveless, was worn over the shirt (formerly the chemise) and under the jerkin. The Burgundian fashion of wearing hose prevailed for men, and later developed into stocking trousers over time, together with a laced doublet and a voluminous cape, the zimarra. Hat fashion gained significance even for men. As for men, fabrics became richer and heavier, while less of it was put into trains and sleeves.

In the Elizabethan era, the costume was stiffened, and the appearance was less bulky. Both men and women wore the characteristic shoulder wings, pointed stomacher, and starched ruff and cuffs made of lace. Materials were heavy and lustrous and considerable ornamentation was used. Men wore a short cape, and their trunk hose were unpadded, longer, and generally made in sections, or paned. Women wore exaggerated farthingales, or hoops.

Towards the end of the century, another nation took over as a fashion leader: Spain had become a booming colonial power by exploiting the riches of the New World. However, the fame of Spanish court fashion has different roots: It reflected the fact that Spain was the centre of Catholic pietism (in reference to Spanish Inquisition) by the use of black and dark colours and exaggerated stiffness. Both male and female costume was rigid, stuffed, and high-necked.

Textiles | Textile Machinery | Renaissance period (1450-1600)
Renaissance Costumes | Costumes in 19th & 20th century