Faire Attire | Renaissance & Medieval Clothing

 

Fashion during the Renaissance was even more of a status symbol than it is today. More often than not a person’s wealth was shown in how extravagant their clothing was and what materials the clothing was made from. Clothing during this time was an investment which could be pawned or sold in times of need.

 

 

During the Renaissance women’s clothing changed from three pieces, underskirt, bodice, and robe, to five or more pieces, which included the previous three, but added skirts, overbodices, vests, hoops, or collars. This helped wealthy women stand out amongst their peers and helped differentiate the higher classes from the lower classes as poor women did not have the means to procure such extravagant pieces of clothing.

 

Hair coverings also went from the more conservative-styled cone headdress, which allowed little to no hair to be seen; to the more popular lace covered veil which could be adorned with flowers or jewels. Most Renaissance women had long braided hair which, after time, society allowed to be shown and used as part of a woman’s beauty. As the years progressed during the “time of Enlightenment” it became totally optional for a woman to either wear or not wear a head covering at all, which was usually dictated by weather.

 

Wedding dresses, much like today, were made of the finest materials that the bride’s family could afford. However, unlike today, most wedding dresses were made of richly colored fabric as the “traditional” white dress was not adopted until much later. Dresses were often adorned with seasonal flowers as well as offset by jewelry that the bride would wear.

 

As with our own culture the wealthy and elite were the ones that drove the fashion trends of the Renaissance; however, the art of slashing began with the lower classes due to a law that was passed which restricted the colors that a lower-classed person could wear. Due to this, women began wearing dual layers of clothing whereby they would slash the first layer in order to let the second layer peak through. This style of clothing quickly caught on and was adopted by men’s clothing designers and shoe designers.

 

 

Women were not the only sex that believed that their wealth should be worn. Men began to wear more square-styled clothing which later evolved to the better known barrel-styled clothing. As with women, men wore richer colors adorned with various jewels. Men also adopted silk hosiery after years of experimenting with several fabrics, including tweed. Men also wore collars or stand up ruffs, attices, ornamental buttons, and fanciful shoewear.

 

 

During the later years of the Renaissance time period fashion was dominated by Spanish influences. At this time, the human form was considered just hips and shoulders. Clothing was tailored for the person but was padded with various materials, including horsehair, to provide the wearer with a completely square form.

 

Also during the Renaissance, the hoop skirt was invented which has lasted all these years to today. Amazing!

 

The clothing of the Renaissance period has lasted through the years and Faire Attire has put together a collective list of quality clothing to suit your needs as a LARPer, a faire attendee, a member of SCA, or even those of you who enjoy wearing these beautiful pieces of clothing every day!