Elizabethan Era Men's Fashion Lower Class

Elizabethan Fashion for Men

Danielle Reed

Danielle is a full-time freelance writer with a strong background in content creation and marketing. She worked in a large agency earlier deciding to pursue freelancing on a full-fourth dimension basis.

In that location were singled-out fashions during the Elizabethan era for men every bit well every bit some restrictions regarding what they wore. Find out how men'due south clothing styles were defined, what the common garments consisted of, and how they changed during this unique fourth dimension period.

Overview of Elizabethan Fashion

The Elizabethan period covers the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. She ruled England during 1558 to 1603. This period is often considered a renaissance in England, in both literature, art, and even political expansion. During this time, the Protestant Exploration occurred and as well expansion or exploration abroad. While England flourished during the second half of the sixteenth century, fashion remained strict for both men and women. For the men of Elizabethan England there were certain rules of what to wear, how to article of clothing it, and the manner 1 should look around women.

The fashions of the era inverse significantly while Queen Elizabeth was in power. While women are most remembered for their dress in this time, their article of clothing frequently mimicked the await of men. For example, the ruff (cervix frills) was worn past both genders and became more and more ornate as the period progressed.

Underclothes

Dissimilar today, the corporeality of clothing a man was required to article of clothing included several layers. The following pieces were all underclothes a human would wearable daily.

Stockings or Hose

Worn similarly to modern-day tights, stockings or hose were footed and pulled up to effectually the waist. Hose or stockings did not have a closed crotch, then codpieces were invented. Stockings or hose were always worn by a man, whether he was wearing breeches or non.

As codpieces went out of style, men switched to stockings reaching only over the knee. Knees did not show between the breeches and knees.

Codpiece

Worn over hose, the codpiece would cover the genitalia. This was peculiarly essential for men wearing shorter doublets and no breeches! It would conceal the opening in a homo's tights. Codpieces often were made larger than necessary and used as pockets.

By the year of 1570, codpieces were going out of fashion. Prior to this, men would have codpieces. Later, push fly closures became pop on breeches (listed nether overclothes). Men would but ever wear breeches over their hose. By the cease of Elizabeth's reign, the codpiece essentially disappeared.

Shirt

During this time period, shirts were made of simple rectangles and, of course, hand-sewn. In general a shirt "was fitted closely to the body and artillery, with gussets under the artillery to allow movement," according to St. George N, an Elizabethan England Acting Social club. In the lower class, shirts were fabricated of white or naturally colored linen. In the middle course, shirts were made of fine white linen and worn with a starched ruff. Even eye class men did not have dyed shirts, although they may have black embroidery on their shirts.

Overclothes

These are the pieces of clothing a human being would habiliment over his underclothes.

Doublets

The doublet was a fitted jacket worn over a shirt past men in the Elizabethan times. It typically was boned, padded, and included buttons down the front. The styles included varied amounts of padding, restricting boning, or buttons on different sides of the jacket. The shoulders were emphasized with padding. Also, doublets were designed to give a human being the impression of a small waist (to brand the waist look even smaller, they sometimes wore girdles).

Buttons were made from wood all the way to expensive gems. As a affair of modesty, a human should ever wear a doublet and shirt at all times.

Trousers/Breeches

Breeches worn by a homo were to be worn around the natural waist (no thing his grade). If wearing a doublet, the trousers would be suspended from the doublet past tying holes on a band within the doublet. The well-nigh unremarkably worn options were breeches worn at the knee, but beneath the knee, or mid-calf. These are not underwear, these are capri fashion pants.

Sometimes, men wore breeches made of finer wools than the lower classes and would also sport finer colors. A human in the middle course might wear pants pleated at the waist and gathered.

Expensive breeches were made of silk, stain, velvet, leather, and even fragile silks. Flair was added to breeches with vertical slashes down the leg and pops of color exposed or strips of textile in lining colors.

Ruffs

These are the frill at the neck of the shirt, gathered at the neck band. Ruffs were worn past both males and females. Typically men and women of all ages, and from every class, had ruffs. These typically did not take embroidery and covered the neck at minimum. Ruffs could also exist added to the wrists as well. Sometimes a ruff was attached to a shirt but not always.

Hats

It was standard for men to article of clothing hats in Elizabethan England when outdoors. Apartment caps, woven harbinger hats, shaped felt hats, knit caps, and biggins are all acceptable. A lower course man wore flat caps, a shaped wool tall hat, and even a straw hat. These styles reflected a man'due south trade, that a hat was necessary for their outdoor piece of work. Centre class and upper class men wore flat caps, Italian bonnets, or blocked felt alpine hats. Centre grade men would decorate hats with a few short feathers.

Outer Garments

Before leaving their homes or going to work, Elizabethan men couldn't go anywhere without their coats and shoes.

Jerkins

This a sleeveless doublet or jacket worn over a regular doublet. Depending on the class of its wearer, you'd see wool or leather jerkins. Jerkins could be styled with buttons, collars, or even decorative slashes.

Cloaks, Capes, and Coats

Coats were often loose in style simply like they are worn today. Men wore leather because of its ability to withstand pelting and bad weather. Higher class men added velvet accents on panels to their coats. Merely like now, coats came in tight plumbing fixtures, loose, long and curt styles. Whether a man had buttons down the side of his coat or the front of his coat, the value of it was obvious based on material and accents like fur collars or trim.

Shoes

Lower grade men wore simple slip-on shoes which were piece of cake to make and get fixed by the local cobbler. Boots for outdoor work fit shut to the legs, went up to in a higher place the knee, and had small buckles. Typically shoes were fabricated of leather as this lasted for a longer period. The toe tended to be rounded.

Clothing every bit Status Symbols

Clothing quality and decorations could easily testify a man's class. Fabric made of certain colors, with gold or silver, made of satin, or including furs indicated a person could afford such apparel. The upper class was the only 1 with access to velvets, satin, furs, cottons, taffeta, lace, and other 'rare' fabrics. Rich and bright colors ofttimes cost a considerable corporeality for dyeing and importation.

In 1574, Queen Elizabeth issued proclamations about habiliment allowed according to social rank. The rules were comprehensive and very specific. Some examples of information released in the queen's proclamations include:

The eldest son of a knight was immune to article of clothing velvet doublets and hose, younger brothers could not.
No one below the rank of knight could wear silk long stockings or velvet undergarments.
Golden was merely immune to be worn by barons and others of higher ranking.

Violation of these laws carried penalties like fines, loss of belongings, or even loss of title.

Clothing to Reflect Occupation and Personality

Aside from reflecting status symbol, clothing also reflected occupation. In the proclamations issued by the Queen, wearable also shows occupation. Cut, colour, and fit of clothing could hands reflect a person'south occupation or station in life. While at that place were certain pieces of vesture required for trades, like aprons or work belts, generally a man in Elizabethan times wore multiple layers of overclothes and underclothes.