Essay on Clothes and Fashion of the Elizabethan Era

Of all aspects of Elizabethan culture, the most distinctive is probably the clothing and fashion. A lot of the clothing varied to whether they were a member of the nobility, upper class or the poor. But even if a women or man was wealthy or poor, they were not allowed to wear whatever they wanted. It was a highly fashioned age that prized a look that was artificial, elaborate, and striking. The style of clothing of the Elizabethan Era are easily recognizable today and popular with designers of historic costume. The reign of Queen Elizabeth l refers back to the Elizabethan period in costume. Elizabeth became one of the most famous monarchs in the world. She was the daughter of King Henry Vlll and Ann Boleyn. She ascended the throne of†¦show more content†¦Most of the upper class wore clothes made of silk, satin, and velvet, in addition to wool and linen. Most of the Elizabethan artwork reflected the clothing worn by royalty, the nobility, and the elite. More expensive linens were bleached in the sun or block printed. Most of the embellishments included braiding, borders, ribbon trim, lace, embroidery, gems and pearls that got sewed onto the clothing. Another fabric that was popular was leather. It was used to make shoes, hats, gloves, belts, and even mens breeches. Colors were everywhere during the Elizabethan Era. They came from natural dyes that usually fade. Even the most vibrant colored garments muted over time. Cheaper dyes for the lowers class were brown and grey. Black was a very expensive but fashionable color to wear. It was popular in Spain and often in royal portraits, especially the men. In the Elizabethan clothing, there were two shades of red. There was a dark red that was made from a plant called madder. This type of red made a warmer hue which probably made it cheaper. As for the other red, it was brighter and more vibrant red that was specifically reserved for royalty. During the Elizabethan Era, there were a lot of layers incorporated in the silhouette. Most of the men or womens outfits were not made all in one piece as they usually are today. Instead, they wore two or more garments to get the full outfit. For the women, the bodice was a tightShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Elizabethan Era674 Words   |  3 PagesThe Elizabethan era lasted from 1550-1625, it was a time of great change in English culture. â€Å"For perhaps the first time in history, man viewed his recent past with contempt, dismissing the Middle Ages, somewhat unfairly, as a hopelessly backward period.† (Kemper 67). Queen Elizabeth I ruled from 1558-1602. Queen Elizabeth drastically changed the design of clothing. She created new sumptuary laws that stated who could wear what distinct colors and articles of clothing. 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