logo
g Text Version
Auto
Beauty & Self
Books & Music
Career
Computers
Education
Family
Food & Wine
Health & Fitness
Hobbies & Crafts
Home & Garden
Money
News & Politics
Relationships
Religion & Spirituality
Society & Culture
Sports
Travel & Leisure
TV & Movies

dailyclick
Bored? Games!
Postcards
Astrology
Take a Quiz
Rate My Photo

new
Journals
Folklore and Mythology
Business Coach
Marriage
Senior Living
Ethnic Beauty
Adolescence


dailyclick
All times in EST

Full Schedule
g
g Renaissance Site
Christine Sharbrough
BellaOnline's Renaissance Editor

g

A Renaissance Woman's Clothing
Guest Author - Helen B. Wharton

I have often found the various names of different articles of clothing from the Medieval and Renaissance periods to be quite confusing. Sometimes a term is used that is no longer used or understood. At other times a modern term is used, but its meaning is completely different. So let's take a look at a complete outfit a Renaissance woman might have worn, item by item, and find out how it relates to what we wear today.

The innermost layer is the Chemise. This was underwear, a straight gown, usually made of woven linen or silk, gathered at the neck and worn as much for warmth as to protect the more expensive outer garments from skin oil and perspiration. For more information about the chemise and ideas on how to make one Look Here.

Next came the Farthingale. Think hoop skirt, with this. The farthingale's purpose was to support the skirt, which could be several layers. The fashion at the time was for women to be as wide as possible and a farthingale, with sewn in hoops of wood or whale bone, did just that.

Today we might wear a shirt or blouse, Renaissance women wore a Bodice. This was worn over the chemise and was usually sleeveless, with the sleeves of the chemise showing, but detachable sleeves were sometimes added. The bodice was a tightly fitted garment which could be padded to help keep its firm shape, but was also reinforced with whale bone, or flexible wood such as willow branches. Noble women would have more reinforcements than lower classes, who needed to be able to move, to work. The bodice was usually laced up to ensure that it stayed tight.

With her bodice, a Renaissance woman wore a Petticoat, or several. The petticoat, unlike what it is to us today, was merely a skirt. Frequently worn in multiple layers, in varying colors, petticoats were sometimes pinned up in front to show the layers beneath. They were also frequently slashed or slit to allow the pretty layers underneath to show.

Another clothing option was the Gown. This is a bodice and petticoat in one garment as our dresses and gowns are today. Gowns tended to be opulent. These might be sleeveless, but id so, detachable sleeves were worn and they tended to be very large and wide - remember, the fashion was to emphasize the width of a woman! Gowns also tended to have open skirts in front to display the skirts beneath.

This is an example of clothing from the English Renaissance, better known as the Elizabethan Era, but similar fashions could be found throughout Europe at the time.


Renaissance Clothing - The Chemise
RSS
Related Articles
Previous Features
Site Map

Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Twitter Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Facebook Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to MySpace Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Del.icio.us Digg A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Yahoo My Web Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Google Bookmarks Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Stumbleupon Add A+Renaissance+Woman%27s+Clothing to Reddit


Content copyright © 2009 by Helen B. Wharton. All rights reserved.
This content was written by Helen B. Wharton. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact Christine Sharbrough for details.

g


For FREE email updates, subscribe to the Renaissance Newsletter


Past Issues


print
Printer Friendly
bookmark
Bookmark
tell friend
Tell a Friend
forum
Forum
email
Email Editor

g features
Boccaccio, Dante, Petrarch: Influential Authors

New Leonardo Work Delights Historians

Comparing Michelangelo's Bacchus and Victory Works

Archives | Site Map

forum
Forum
email
Contact

Past Issues
memberscenter

jobs
what
job title, keywords
where
city, state or zip
jobs by job search


vote
Growing a Garden
Veggies and Flowers
Veggies Only
Flowers Only
No Garden

g


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2009 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


BellaOnline Editor