8-4Fashion

What were popular forms of hairstyles, men’s fashion, and women’s fashion in Elizabethan England? //Answer Prepared By Maddy E // This woman shows a high class woman dressed for an average day. According to several sources, including the book __A History of Fashion and Costume Elizabethan England__ by Kathy Elgin, multiple different links from the site __Elizabethan Era__, several links from the website Elizabethan England, and the book __Tudor Costume and Fashion__ by Herbert Norris the clothes that people wore meant a lot to those living in Elizabethan England. Fashion was considered an art during this time period and the people were very proud of their style. Even though they were so passionate about fashion they were not free to wear anything they liked. They were forced to abide by the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws. These laws were meant to control behavior and to ensure that a class structure was maintained. It helped to be able to easily identify what class a person was in. Penalties for violating the Sumptuary Laws included fines, the loss of property, title and even life. The Sumptuary Laws controlled what colors and material of clothes the different classes wore. The higher classes got the privilege of wearing higher fashion clothes while the lower classes never got to wear fashionable clothes. This did not stop Elizabethan Englanders from showing off their sense of style.

Women’s clothing was extravagant and ornamented. The most fashionable women wore long gowns with many layers under the dress. It would normally go something like this; first the shift, next one or two petticoats (the second one was often pleated and a different color than the gown), then the gown. The dress would often have full trailing skirts. Many women also used a hip pad to give their gown extra shape. The neck of the dress was normally square and low in front and was usually V or U shaped in the back. Every woman wanted a small waist. In order to make their waists seem smaller women would wear corsets, which were tied extremely tight to suck in their stomach. Women also used stuffing to make the chest swell out; this was called bombast. Many women wore gloves and when they were outside they would wear velvet masks. These masks were to shield their faces from the elements and to disguise them from people they didn’t want to talk to. With all of this said every woman still had to abide by the Sumptuary Laws. Different women were allowed to wear different colors and materials. The higher classes were allowed to wear the more fashionable clothes and colors. Often the only time that the lower classes got to see the more fashionable clothes is when Royalty or nobles were near. This made women pay close attention to what they wore and also what others wore.

Men’s fashion during the time period was also paid close attention to. Men spent time picking their clothes and they took pride in them. Men wore dresses (the doublet) with standing and ruffled collars. They were stiff and uncomfortable. To cover their legs they wore short pants or stockings. Boots were thought to be highly fashionable for men. Men carried swords and rapiers to look manlier, offsetting the dresses that they wore. Men also had to abide by the Sumptuary Laws so they also could not wear whatever they liked. The higher class you were, the nicer clothes you wore. Men, like women enjoyed dressing fashionably and took time make sure that they had beautiful clothes.

Men and women took a long time on their hair and could spend hours waiting to get their hair done at the barber shop. Most Elizabethan women would normally dye their hair blond and would lie in the sun because they thought that it added a golden tint. Many women also wore wigs made out of peasants’ hair or silk. Women would decorate their hair with hair nets, gold trimming, jewels, hairpins and hair combs. Women sometimes wore pointed hats over the hair nets to emphasize the look. Most Elizabethan men went to the barber to get their hair done. The barber would stiffen, starch, powder, perfume, wax, and often dye the hair red. The hair would often be shoulder length and curled which people called "love locks." In Elizabethan England beards were considered attractive for men. The Elizabethan relied on their hair to stress their style. Works Cited Barfield, Fuller, Lesley, Tamarra. "Hairstyles of the Elizabethan Period ." __ElizabethanEngland.__ 6 Mar 2009 <[]>. Bridges, Granger, Stefanie, Shandy. "Women's Fashions of the Elizabethan Period." __ElizabethanEngland.__ 6 Mar 2009 <[]>. Doering, Matt. "Men's Fashion during the Elizabethan Period." __Elizabethan England__. 6 Mar 2009 <[|http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/mensfashion.html>.] Elgin, Kathy. __A History of Fashion and Costume Elizabethan England.__ Baily Publishing Associates Ltd, 2005. "Elizabethan Clothing." __Elizabethan Era__. 2 Mar 2009 <[]>. "Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws." __Elizabethan Era__. 6 Mar 2009 <[]>. Norris, Herbert. __Tudor Costume and Fashion__. Mineola: Dover's Publication, Inc, 1997.