Clothing in Elizabethan Times
Queen Elizabeth 1 had natural red hair but to maintain the look of a "virgin queen",she constantly dyed her hair yellow and wore lots of wigs known as periwigs. It is believed that she owned over 80 periwigs and hairpieces. Snoods (a kind of headress) also gained popularity during the Elizabethan era.
The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat, veil, coif or caul. This fashion therefore ensured that much of the hair was hidden by some form of head coverings. The style of the head covering dictated the hairstyle. Many of the hats were adorned with feathers, pearls, glass jewels, spangles, gold thread, embroidery and lace.
Headpieces
The Elizabethan fashion dictated that the head was adorned with a hat, veil, coif or caul. This fashion therefore ensured that much of the hair was hidden by some form of head coverings. The style of the head covering dictated the hairstyle. Many of the hats were adorned with feathers, pearls, glass jewels, spangles, gold thread, embroidery and lace.
Headpieces
- The Coif - The coif ( commonly referred to as the 'biggin' ) worn by all children. Material was plain white linen, a close fitting cap tied under the chin. Coifs were often worn as caps to keep hair in place under more elaborate hats
- The French hood - Introduced from the French court by Anne Boleyn, the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. A half moon, or crescent, style band or brim sloping away from the face. The edges were often adorned with pearls or glass jewels, called bilaments, and a veil covered the back of the hair
Clothing in the Elizabethan time was important as they showed your stature, wealth and self expression. For example, royalty dresses were very different from "lower class" clothing with gold and silver jewellery to tattered, ragged shirts.
Upper class fashion - During the Elizabethan time science and mathematics influenced greatly on the clothing as they were based on geometrical shapes rather than showing the natural body shape using shoulder pads, hip pads made with whale bone or buckram to give the "stiff", proper look. The fashions were designed to give a small waisted look, not just for women but also for men wearing girdles (the equivelent for a corset for women).
Upper class men were often more elaborately dressed than women to get maximum attention at court - this was referred to as the Peacock age.
Headpieces
- The Atifet - Similar to the French hood style but with a heart shaped crescent - favoured in white by Mary Queen of Scots. Lace trimmnigs were added
- The Caul - Cauls were the Elizabethan hair net! A Caul covered the hair at the back of the head and was made of fabric, or fabric covered by netted cord which was sometimes adorned with spangles.
- The Pillbox style of hat - often had a veil attached to the back
Elizabethan Jewellery
Elizabethan jewellery was similar to the type of jewellery worn in the modern age - but it was only available to the Nobility or Upper Class. Gold, silver, copper and copper-gilded metals, ivory, jet together with precious and semi-precious stones were used in Elizabethan jewellery. Cheaper alternatives made of glass, bone, horn and even wood were also used.
The items used in Elizabethan jewellery:
- Brooch - Used in a variety of ways with a pin or clasp and worn on various items of clothing around the neck, on hats and on buckles
- Chains - made in gold and often used as a symbol of high office
- Earrings - also referred to as ear-pickes. Worn by men and women
- Bracelet / Armlet - Gold and silver with precious jewels
- Necklace - Gold and silver with precious jewels
- Pendant - Replaced the brooch in popularity. Worn as crosses, cameos and jewels suspended from ribbons or chains. They also featured miniature portraits
- Pin - Made in gold or siver and sometimes studded with jewels
- Watch - Garnished with jewels and worn suspended from pendants or in brooches
- Ring - Solitaires, clusters, wedding or signate rings. Gold and silver with precious jewels
- Earrings - also referred to as ear-pickes. Worn by men and women as a single gold hoop or a pendant with jewels
Clothes worn by women
Elizabethan Clothing & Fashion for women consisted of many layers including most of the following elements:
Underclothes- Smock or shift, also called a chemise made of linen
- Stockings or hose
- Corset or bodice
- Farthingale - a hooped skirt
- A Roll or Rowle
- Stomacher
- Petticoat
- Kirtle
- Forepart
- Partlet
- Gown
- Separate sleeves
- Ruff
- Cloak
- Shoes
There were clearly two categories of shoes during the Elizabethan era - those for the lower class and those for the upper class. They were made of stout or fine leather or, for the Upper Class velvet or silk. Shoes with high heels were created during the end of the Elizabethan era but were only worn by the nobility. Shoes could be slipped on or fastened with ribbons or laces. They were sometimes decorated with trims, embroidery or jewels and 'pinked' with tiny holes.
Elizabethan shoes came in many styles which are detailed as follows:
- Boots - Boots were made of smooth or wrinkled leather, fittings were loose or tight, used for riding and walking
- Gamache - A gamache was a high boot
- Buskins - Buskins were calf length shoes / boots
- Startups - Startups were leather shoes worn as protective coverings for outdoor use
- Pumps - Pumps were light, or single-soled slip-on shoes
- Chopines - Chopines, or Chapineys, were slip-on over shoes made of wood and covered with leather
- Clogs - The clog was an outdoor, wooden shoe
- Corked Shoes - Corked shoes featured a wedge of cork between the foot and the sole
- Galoche - A Galoche, or Galage, was a protective overshoe
- Pantofle - A Pantofle came in two styles - a protective, outdoor overshoe and a slipper for indoors
- Pinsons - A pinson or pincnet was a delicate shoe
- Brooch - Used in a variety of ways with a pin or clasp and worn on various items of clothing around the neck, on hats and on buckles