The 1500s saw an interesting turn of events in men’s medieval clothing. With the onset of the Little Ice Age and the period of cooling that ensued, Western Europe began adopting voluminous clothing, with women especially favoring abundant layers.  But this was far from saying that fashion was entirely relinquished. On the other hand, as the Renaissance got everyone comfortable in its golden glow, fashion only got more creative.

Bursting Renaissance Opulence

While the tall, narrow lines of clothes in the late medieval period endured for just a little bit longer, the Renaissance costumes promptly set the trend in wide hips and conical silhouettes for women and a broadly square figure for men. The era ushered in a time of opulence in clothing initiated by rivals France and England, tempered only by the somber luxury that Spain displayed.

Shirts and chemises developed full sleeves and often full bodies. Pleated designs became frills, then wide ruffles that eventually led to the wheel-like ruff towards the end of the century under Elizabeth I’s influence.

The prominent choice materials for Renaissance dresses of the era were silk brocades and velvets in bold patterns, usually in pomegranate or artichoke motifs. Elaborate slashing that revealed fabric of different colors, contrasts or patterns beneath the outer material remained popular. Nevertheless, contrasting fabric was used as trim on skirts, sleeves, and necklines. Red and yellow were the most fashionable colors to wear, while the trend in furs favored the silvery lynx and the dark brown sable.

Men’s Fashion Sticks Out Prominently

At this glowing point in fashion, the fashion sense of Henry VIII influenced male Renaissance clothing in England. The lavish Tudor’s clothes gradually steered English men’s fashion away from the narrow designs of the Middle Ages with wide revers and collars and large sleeves that gave strapping emphasis to male shoulders.

But perhaps most remarkable at this time is a clever piece of male accessory that made the Renaissance men jut out in pure male prominence: the codpiece.

The story that led to this bold fashion statement began with a man’s hose having been created separately for each leg. This left a significant area between the legs covered only by the layers created by a man’s chemise, doublet and jerkin. But when the hemlines of Renaissance clothing gradually rose (they started out at ankle length), covering the genitals became a problem.

So the codpiece began as a flap of fabric covering that most revealing gap. However, the Renaissance awakened the boldness in men, and they began to shape and pad and emphasize rather than conceal. The codpiece came at the height of prominence especially during Henry VIII’s reign, during which the armors for war even had such a bold addition, not to mention the then king’s armor itself.

It was only during the last Tudor, Elizabeth I the Virgin Queen’s, reign that the codpiece declined in popularity and eventually fell out of use.

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Paula Crisler writes articles related to renaissance costume and medieval clothing. You can find more information about medieval clothing at our web site.

Throughout the history of clothing, the headdress has been part and parcel of proper attire. It was an essential accessory on one’s person ever since people began to develop a sense of clothing in medieval times going toward a more decorative trend in the duration of the Renaissance and even the next century after.

Perhaps wearing some sort of head covering emerged when mankind began declaring war on one another, primarily as a form of protection for the head. Eventually, when Christianity was introduced and spread throughout early medieval civilization, people, notably women, began to include some kind of head covering in their medieval clothing concerns.

Middle Ages Headgear

In the late High Middle Ages, the Western world began to dress in what can definitively be recognizable fashion. While it was acceptable for Italian women to have uncovered hair, women elsewhere in Europe wore a succession of headdresses, from the wimple to the barbet and fillet, a band passed under the chin and a headband to secure a linen cap or coif and a veil. As well, thick hairnets known as crespines confined the hair to the sides of the head. At this time, men were walking around in Tristan clothing with heads uncovered.

When the 15^th century came in, it ushered in extremes and extravagances in the form of voluminous medieval dresses called houppelandes and saw increasing importance in headdresses that became more and more elaborate, jeweled and feathered. The crespine became a bejeweled mesh caul, which gathered the hair neatly to the back of the head. The most extravagant headdress was the hennin, a cone-shaped cap with a wired frame covered in fabric and topped with a veil. Men now wore doublets and hose characteristic of late medieval men’s clothes, displaying headdress extravagance with tall-crowned hats with short brim or without brim.

The Golden Era of the Headdress

When the Renaissance era dawned on Western civilization, headgear burgeoned into its elaborate best. As the different regions of the Old World began to develop their own styles of Renaissance clothing, a variety of headdresses thrived with their matching dresses. Unique to England was the gable hood, a wired headdress shaped like the gable of a house. It had embroidered lappets framing the face and a loose veil behind. The French hood concurrently became popular in France, arched in shape and placed further back of the head to show center-parted hair that were pinned and twisted beneath the veil.

Men, on the other hand, wore large pancake-shaped hats to complete their Tudor clothes as inspired by Henry VIII. The German barrett, with a turned-up brim, was particularly fashionable throughout the period. The trendsetting Henry VIII himself and his courtiers wore a similarly flat hat with a “halo” brim.

By the time Elizabeth I became a prominent fashion influence, headdresses were reduced to decorative accessories to complete Renaissance costumes. Cauls and coifs still endured in women’s fashion strictly to keep elaborate hairstyles in place, while men’s hats derived from the flat hat its gathered crown but eventually became taller. A bit later, the conical capotain became fashionable. Nevertheless, all hats were decorated with a jewel or a feather.

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Paula Crisler writes articles related to renaissance clothing and wench costume. You can find more information about wench costume at our web site.

One’s wedding day is one particularly special day in anyone’s life. That is why future brides and grooms spend as much of their freely given time for proper preparation. For the purpose of making it even more memorable, some couples choose a secondary theme such as the Renaissance era, for adding an aura of atmosphere.

By selecting a Renaissance-themed wedding means going “all-out” in the type of choices you make in relation to entourage, garland, flowers, the cake and most significantly, the bride’s wedding dress.

A Renaissance wedding gown is famous for exuding beauty and elegance, which makes it ideal for those wanting to catch the spotlight. For this reason, It is also harder to find. For those passionate and enthusiastic enough about their themed wedding, it will all be worth the effort.

The first step in attaining you perfect gown could be to consult with a well-known designer to brainstorming costume ideas. If for financial reasons you decide against designers, it would be suited to seek the help of a friend. Another source of help would be to search online for costume designs, as it certainly provides the greatest diversity in choice available out there. When you are keen on something, it is advisable to always get a second opinion, as it can give you just the convincing or opinion you need to make the right choice.

To fuel our imaginations let’s go back in time to the infamous Romeo and Juliet. If you want to be Juliet, make sure that you are familiar with appropriate settings for it to be convincing. Your Renaissance dress would usually consist of an under dress and an over-drape. This could be a tad uncomfortable, but the elegance radiating from the complete picture will be overwhelming and compensating.

The next step would be to find a pro seamstress, although there are alternatives. For example, by ordering it online, choosing from the widest variety possible consisting of numerous costume retailers, you can be assured of having in on hands in time. These retailers offer Renaissance wedding gowns as well.

The effectiveness and expediency of obtaining a Renaissance dress on the web is also one of the principal reasons why the majority of brides-to-be purchase their wedding gowns in this manner as well. It gives more freedom of choice and better financial options.  If you need a design for your groom or anyone else attending your wedding, that is available too. With all this having been said, you are now ready to start planning this extraordinarily important day. For the purposes of further assisting you, we want to remind that not all online retail stores that sells Renaissance clothing are up to scratch. Make sure that you’re dealing with a trustworthy, reputable company that consists of proficiency and skill in the area of Renaissance themed weddings.

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Paula Crisler writes articles related to renaissance costume and medieval clothing. You can find more information about medieval clothing at our web site.

The medieval times were more famous for the things they did not show, more than what they did. Most of the time, women wore headdresses and caps to cover their hair, only a hint of it is seen from the edges. It was also during this time that due to paranoia, such as during the time of witchcraft, diseases, and religious fervour, that women were compelled to act as what was believed to be then as ‘normal’. Hence, it was scandalous if not threatening to upset one’s maker and go against social norms. Showing hair, was even, at some extent, scandalous.

When hair was shown, it was often times braided. Some would let it hang loose but it wasn’t a good practice then to show one’s hair in public or use alot of make-up, lest you be accused of witchery. Thus, it was more practical to follow the fashion of religious followers than flaunt one’s beauty.

Medieval braiding was the norm then, as there were several kinds of braid: four-strand, weaving style, three-strand, and twist-and-cross. Not all women could afford to have their hair in such fashion; many of those who sported this look were wives of men with means. But no matter how beautiful one’s hair might appear to be, they were often concealed. Thus, the beauty of a woman simply relied on her medieval clothes and her feminine features.

Today, however, renaissance festivals are a good way of commemorating the time that has come before us. It is a great opportunity to bear witness to a time that has once passed, where women were more caged, their options for clothes, hairstyles and even hair colors were more limited.

Renaissance fairs provide us with a more in-depth look of history and what we have achieved through the ages. And while braided hair might still seem common in renfairs, there are many who have opted to go with different styles, trying to establish what was then with what is now and how much has actually changed both in hairstyle and human perception throughout the ages.

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Malisa Willenborg writes articles related to medieval costume and medieval dress. You can find more information about medieval dress at our web site.

If there’s one thing I have proven over the many years of attending renaissance faires is that whatever you do, you cannot beat using the correct shoes. You may have the perfect medieval clothes but if you don’t have the perfect medieval footwear to go with it, then your clothes aren’t really worth anything!  And if worst comes to worst, the use of the wrong footwear would leave you looking stupid and out of place!

But why are shoes that important?

One of the things that people tend to forget when they buy costumes online is the need to also purchase footwear that matches their medieval clothes. Most of the time, we go with what we have already, not knowing that our chosen costumes and the footwear we have also chosen, directly affects one another!

Think of wearing a dress and some crummy old tennis shoes to go with it or how about a tuxedo and a pair of rubber shoes? While you might be sporting the best outfit or even the best pair of shoes, the fact that your shoes do not match your dress or wardrobe directly messes up everything. That’s how important shoes are!

So if you’re still wondering about what kind of footwear there is out there, we’ve compiled a list of common footwear available that you can choose from. These shoes are really cheap, are less than a hundred dollars, and are a perfect companion to your clothes, even if you are under a tight budget.

1. Black Magic Shoe

Feeling like an enchantress or a witch? This pair will complete your magical outfit!

2. Divit Toed Shoe

If you’re feeling like the lady of the manor, this pair of shoes is perfect for an evening or any special occasion!

3. Medieval High Boot

Sexy combatant or stylish witch?  Medieval high boots are perfect to emphasize those legs of yours!

4. Medieval Low Boot

5. Robin Locksley Suede Boot

6. Silk Mary Jane Shoe

7. Viking Suede Low Boot

For that fighter look in you, I’d recommend Viking suede low boots. It’s short and it looks like it’s ready for action!

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Malisa Willenborg writes articles related to medieval clothes and renaissance costumes. You can find more information about renaissance costumes at our web site.

So you’re planning to attend a renaissance faire but are wondering about what costume is best? That’s pretty common among first timers who are eager about going to their first medieval festival. Not everyone knows what classifies as good renaissance clothing or Tristan clothing for that matter! Some are not even looking into specifics. I know a few friends who were bored about getting ordinary Tudor clothes and wanted to break the rules.

What did they do? Simple: They read about medieval dresses and medieval clothing in general , bought a few clothes online from costume shops and mix and matched! The result were creatively made, very elegant costumes that everybody in the faire was talking about!

It’s actually simple to create and mix and match clothes! All you would have to do is to inform yourself about what kind of fashion the 16^th century people wore and through that, create your own masterpiece. Knowing about medieval fashion is also easy, as there are three sources you could get ideas from: books, pictures and paintings, and the internet.

Books

Books are great when speaking about clothes, in fact, they’re sometimes better than the movies! When you read books about knights and kings and what’s not, the author goes into the lengths of describing the character’s piece of clothing! There, you could get ideas about what they wore then and because characters are always as elegant as much as the author wants to portray them, their choice of clothes are a wonder.

Paintings and Portraits

Who could ever thought that looking at paintings gave off ideas about fashion? Well, alot of paintings and portraits show life as how it was then, including what they wore and how they managed to carry it with exceptional beauty. That’s why designers take inspiration from ordinary objects, because these are the ones that are best translated into designs.

Internet

And if you’re feeling lazy or just plain techy, there are alot of online sources that effectively describe what people wore during the time. There are even some websites that will show you pictures of medieval fashion; of kings and royalty and of ordinary men and women in their everyday attire. 

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Malisa Willenborg writes articles related to medieval dresses and medieval costumes. You can find more information about medieval costumes at our web site.