1
|
Portrait of the family of Sir Thomas More shows English fashions of the later 1520s.
Fashion in the period 1500-1550 in Western Europe is marked by voluminous clothing worn in an abundance of layers (one reaction to the cooling temperatures of the Little Ice Age, especially in Northern Europe and the British Isles). Contrasting fabrics, slashes, embroidery, applied trims, and other forms of surface ornamentation became prominent. The tall, narrow lines of the late Medieval period were replaced with a wide silhouette, conical for women with breadth at the hips and broadly square for men with width at the shoulders. Sleeves were a center of attention, and were puffed, slashed, cuffed, and turned back to reveal contrasting linings.
A gown of black-on-black floral silk is trimmed with bands of black velvet and fur at the cuffs. Kirtle, cap, chemise and belt are all embroidered or jewelled, Germany, c. 1530s.
Black and red embroidery on a child\'s shirt, Ambrosius Holbein, 1516.
European fashion in the earlier decades of the sixteenth century was dominated by the great rivalry between Henry VIII of England (ruled 1509-1547) and Francis I of France (ruled 1515-1547) to host the most glittering renaissance court, culminating in the festivities around the Field of Cloth of Gold (1520).Ashelford, Jane: Visual History of Dress in the Sixteenth Century, introduction But the rising power was Charles V, king of Spain, Naples, and Sicily from 1516, heir to the style as well as the riches of Burgundy, and Holy Roman Emperor from 1530. The inflow of gold and silver from the New World into recently united Spain changed the dynamics of trade throughout Western Europe, ushering in a period of increased opulence in clothing that was tempered by the Spanish taste for sombre richness of dress that would dominate the second half of the century.Boucher, François: 20,000 Years of Fashion, Ashelford, Jane: The Art of Dress: Clothing and Society 1500-1914, Abrams, 1996.
Regional variations in fashionable clothing that arose in the fifteenth century became more pronounced in the sixteenth. In particular, the clothing of the Low Countries, German states, and Scandinavia developed in a different direction than that of England, France, and Italy, although all absorbed the sobering and formal influence of Spanish dress after the mid-1520s.Boucher, François: 20,000 Years of Fashion, pages 219 and 244.
Linen shirts and chemises or smocks had full sleeves and often full bodies, pleated or gathered closely at neck and wrist. The resulting small frill gradually became a wide ruffle, presaging the ruff of the latter half of the century. These garments were often decorated with embroidery in black or red silk. Small geometric patterns appeared early in the period and, in England, evolved into the elaborate patterns associated with the flowering of blackwork embroidery. German shirts and chemises were decorated with wide bands of gold trim at the neckline, which was uniformly low early in the period and grew higher by midcentury.
Silk brocades and velvets in bold floral patterns based on pomegranate and thistle or artichoke motifs remained fashionable for those who could afford them, although they were often restricted to kirtles, undersleeves and doublets revealed beneath gowns of solid-coloured fabrics or monochromatic figured silks. Yellow and red were fashionable colors.Kybalová, Ludmila, Olga Herbenová, and Milena Lamarová: Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fashion, 1968, page 154
Elaborate slashing remained popular, especially in Germany, where a fashion arose for assembling garments in alternating bands of contrasting fabrics. Elsewhere, slashing was more restrained, but bands of contrasting fabric called guards, whether in color or texture, were common as trim on skirts, sleeves, and necklines. These were often decorated with bands of embroidery or applied passementerie. Bobbin lace arose from passementerie in this period, probably in FlandersMontupet, Janine, and Ghislaine Schoeller: Lace: The Elegant Web, ISBN 0-8109-3553-8, and was used both as an edging and as applied trim; it is called passamayne in English inventories.Arnold, Janet, Lost from Her Majesties Back
The most fashionable furs were the silvery winter coat of the lynx and dark brown (almost black) sable. Favier, Jean, Gold and Spices: The Rise of Commerce in the Middle Ages, London, 1998, p. 66
Anne of Brittany,Queen of France, and her ladies wear round hoods over linen caps. Anne\'s gown is open at the front to reveal a figured silk kirtle beneath. The gowns have wide sleeves with turned-back cuffs lined in fur, 1508.
" rel="nofollow">St Louis Art Museum web site misinterpret the turned-back sleeves as a "fur stole". She wears a soft sash at her waist and a sheer partlet over a square-necked chemise, c. 1535.
English or French fashion of 1545: the trumpet-sleeved "French" or "Tudor gown", worn over a farthingale and false undersleeves with a matching forepart. The turned-back cuffs are lined with furThe fur is probably lynx, and the skirt of the gown also appears to be fur-lined; see Janet Arnold, Queen Elizabeth\'s Wardrobe Unlock\'d, p. 125.Women\'s fashions of the earlier sixteenth century consisted of a long gown, usually with sleeves, worn over a kirtle or undergown, with a linen chemise or smock worn next to the skin.
The high-waisted gown of the late medieval period evolved in several directions in different parts of Europe. In the German states and Bohemia, gowns remained short-waisted, tight-laced but without corsets. The open-fronted gown laced over the kirtle or a stomacher or plackard. Sleeves were puffed and slashed, or elaborately cuffed.
In France, England, and Flanders, the high waistline gradually descended to the natural waist in front (following Spanish fashion) and then to a V-shaped point. Cuffs grew larger and were elaborately trimmed.
Hoop skirts or farthingales had appeared in Spain at the very end of the fifteenth century, and spread to England and France over the next few decades. Corsets (called a pair of bodies) also appeared during this period.
A variety of hats, caps, hoods, hair nets, and other headresses were worn, with strong regional variations.
Shoes were flat, with broad square toes.
In the first quarter of the sixteenth century, German dress varied widely from the costume worn in other parts of Europe. Skirts were cut separately from bodices, though often sewn together, and the open-fronted gown laced over a kirtle with a wide band of rich fabric, often jeweled and embroidered, across the bust. Partlets (called in German gollers or collars) were worn with the low-cut bodice to cover the neck and shoulders, and were made in a variety of styles. The most popular goller was a round shoulder-capelet, frequently of black velvet lined in silk or fur, with a standing neckband; this goller would remain in use in some parts of Germany into the seventeenth century and became part of national dress in some areas.Kõhler,History of Costume, "Sixtenth Century"
Narrow sleeves were worn in the earliest years of the century, and were later decorated with bands of contrasting fabric and rows of small panes or strips over puffed linings. Skirts were trimmed with bands of contrasting fabric, but were closed all around. They would be worn draped up to display an underskirt.
From 1530, elements of Spanish dress were rapidly adopted in fashionable Germany under the influence of the imperial court of Charles V.Kõhler, History of Costume, "Sixtenth Century"
Dress in Holland, Belgium, and Flanders, now part of the Empire, retained a high, belted waistline longest. Italian gowns were fitted to the waist, with full skirts below.
The French gown of the first part of the century was loosely fitted to the body and flared from the hips, with a train. The neckline was square and might reveal the kirtle and chemise beneath. Cuffed sleeves were wide at the wrist and grew wider, displaying a decorated undersleeve attached to the kirtle. The gown fastened in front early, sometimes lacing over the kirtle or a stomacher, and the skirt might be slit in front or the train tucked up in back to display the skirt of the kirtle.
As a fitted style emerged under Spanish influence, the gown was made as a separate bodice and skirt; this bodice usually fastened at the side or the side-back with hooks and eyes or lacing.
From the 1530s, French and English fashions featured an open, square-necked gown with long sleeves fitted smoothly over a tight corset or pair of bodies and a farthingale. With the smooth, conical line of the skirt, the front of the kirtle or petticoat was displayed, and a decorated panel called a forepart, heavily embroidered and sometimes jeweled, was pinned to the petticoat or directly to the farthingale.
The earlier cuffed sleeves evolved into trumpet sleeves, tight on the upper arm and flared below, with wide, turned back cuffs (often lined with fur) worn over full undersleeves that might match the decorated forepart. At the very end of the period, full round sleeves (perhaps derived from Italian fashions) began to replace the flaring trumpet sleeves, which disappeared by the later 1550s.
Fabric or chain girdles were worn at the waist and hung down to roughly knee length; a tassel or small prayer book or purse might be suspended from the girdle.
The low neckline of the gown could be filled with a partlet. Black velvet partlets lined in white with a high, flared neckline were worn pinned over the gown. Partlets of the same rich fabric as the bodice of the gown give the appearance of a high-necked gown. Sheer or opaque linen partlets were worn over the chemise or smock, and high-necked smocks began to appear; toward 1550 these might have a small standing collar with a ruffle, which would become the pleated ruff of the next period.
In France, England, and the Low Countries, black hoods with veils at the back were worn over linen undercaps that allowed the front hair (parted in the middle) to show. These hoods became more complex and structured over time.
Unique to England was the gable hood, a wired headdress shaped like the gable of a house. In the 1500s gable headdress had long embroidered lappets framing the face and a loose veil behind; later the gable hood would be worn over several layers that completely concealed the hair, and the lappets and veil would be pinned up in a variety of ways.
Flemish hood c. 1500 is worn over an undercap with a fluted (finely pleated) frill
Albrecht Dürer\'s Young Woman of 1507 wears hat called a barett, popular in the German states.
A simple rounded hood of the early years of the century evolved into the French hood, popular in both France and England; its arched shape sat further back on the head and displayed the front hair which was parted in the center and pinned up in braids or twists under the veil.
German women adopted hats like fashionable men\'s baretts early in the century; these were worn over caps or cauls (colettes) made of netted cord over a silk lining.Kõhler, History of Costume Hats became fashionable in England as an alternative to the hood toward the 1540s. Close fitting caps of fur were worn in cold climates.
Linen caps called coifs were worn under the fur cap, hood or hat.
In warmer climates including Italy and Spain, hair was more often worn uncovered, braided or twisted with ribbons and pinned up, or confined in a net. A Spanish style of the later 15th century was still worn in this period: the hair was puffed over the ears before being drawn back at chin level into a braid or wrapped twist at the nape.
First-time brides wore their hair loose, in token of virginity, and a wreath or chaplet of orange blossoms was traditional. A jeweled wreath with enameled "orange blossoms" was sometimes worn.
Women of wealth wore gold chains and other precious jewelry; collar-like necklaces called carcanets, earrings, bracelets, rings, and jewelled pins. Bands of jeweler\'s work were worn as trim by the nobility, and would be moved from gown to gown and reused. Large brooches were worn to pin overpartlets to the gown beneath.
A fashionable accessory was the zibellino, the pelt of a sable or marten worn draped at the neck or hanging at the waist; some costume historians call these "flea furs". The most expensive zibellini had faces and paws of goldsmith\'s work with jewelled eyes.Sherrill, Tawny: "Fleas, Furs, and Fashions: Zibellini as Luxury Accessories of the Renaissance", in Robin Netherton and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, editors, Medieval Clothing and Textiles, Volume 2, p. 121-150
However, it should be noted that not all women or men were allowed to wear jewelry because of the sumptuary laws that restricted wearing certain types of jewelry and luxurious fabrics, such as purple velvet, to first royalty and then nobility. The newly wealthy merchant classes who were not aristocrats could not wear jewelry on their clothing or fabrics restricted to nobles.
Gloves of soft leather had short, sometimes slashed, cuffs and were perfumed.
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 036.jpg
1 - 1502-03 |
Lucas Cranach d. A. 025.jpg
2 - c 1506 |
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 038.jpg
3 - 1514 |
3-vornehm-Damen-1525.jpg
4 - 1525-30 |
Katharina-v-Bora-1526.jpg
5 - 1526 |
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 040.jpg
6 - 1526 Bride |
Meyers frauen.jpg
7 - 1526-30 |
Marten van Heemskerck 002.jpg
8 - 1529 |
Christina of Denmark, Ducchess of Milan.jpg
1 - 1538 Mourning |
Museo thyssen g 427 339.jpg
2 - 1538-39 |
AnneCleves.jpg
3 - 1539 |
Bruyn Anne of Cleves.jpg
4 - c. 1540s |
Bruyn c 1542.jpg
5 - 1542 |
Willem Key 1542.jpg
6 - 1542 |
Christoph Amberger 004.jpg
7 - 1545 |
Hemessen-Selbstbildnis.jpg
8 - 1548 |
Raffael 036.jpg
1 - 1505 |
Ladyhare.jpg
2 - c. 1505 |
Albrecht Dürer 089.jpg
3 - c. 1505 |
Araldi pallavicino.jpg
4 - 1510 |
Jacopo Pontormo 060.jpg
5 - 1516 |
Raffael 035.jpg
6 - 1518 |
Marguerite d\'Angoulême.jpg
7 - ?1527 |
EleonoreofAustria.jpg
1 - 1530 |
Foschi lady.jpg
2 - 1530-35 |
Tizian 034.jpg
3 - 1536 |
Tizian 055.jpg
4 - 1538 |
Angelo Bronzino 045.jpg
5 - 1540 |
Angelo Bronzino 038.jpg
6 - 1545 |
Tizian 057.jpg
7 - 1548 |
Elizabeth of York.jpg
1 - c. 1500 |
CatherineAragon.jpg
2 - 1502 |
Mary Tudor and Charles Brandon.jpg
3 - c. 1516 |
Catherine of aragon 1525.jpg
4 - c. 1525 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 035.jpg
5 - 1527 |
More family detail.jpg
6 - 1527-28 |
Lady with a Squirrel detail.jpg
7 - 1527-28 |
Gablehood front-back c1535.jpg
8 - 1528-30 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 031.jpg
1 - 1536-37 |
2 - 1536-37 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 034.jpg
3 - 1535-40 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 027.jpg
4 - 1540-41 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 033.jpg
5 - 1543 |
Mary1England1544.jpg
6 - 1544 |
El bieta I lat 13.jpg
7 - 1546 |
CatherineParr.jpg
8 - 1540s |
Fastening of an Italian chemise, c. 1525
Henry VIII wears a fur-trimmed red gown with split hanging sleeves over a jerkin and an embroidered and slashed doublet and sleeves.Hans Holbein the Younger, 1537
Early in this period, men\'s silhouette was long and narrow, but gradually it grew wider until by the later reign of Henry the VIII the silhouette was almost square, with shoulder emphasis achieved through wide revers and collars and large sleeves.
Throughout this period, fashionable men\'s clothing consisted of:
From the 1530s, a narrower silhouette became popular under Spanish influence. Collars were higher and tighter. Shoulders lost their padding and developed a slight slope. Doublet sleeves became fuller rather than tight. Jerkins closed to the neck; their skirts were shorter and slightly flared rather than full, and they displayed more of the hose. Overall the fashion was more rigid and restrained.Kybalová, et al.: Pictorial Encyclopedia of Fashion
Lower class men wore a one-piece garment called a cote in English, tight to the waist with knee-length skirts and long sleeves over their hose.
Bright colors (reds, yellows, purples, pinks, and greens) were popular.
Hair was worn chin-length early in the century, and grew shorter along with the wide silhouette.
A variety of hats were worn in the period. The German \'barett, with its turned-up brim, was fashionable through out the period, and a similar hat with a turned-up round or "halo" brim was popular in the court of Henry VIII. The flat hat combined a low, gathered crown with a circular brim and was worn in mid-century.
Arthur Prince of Wales c 1500.jpg
1 - c. 1500 |
Henry Seven England.jpg
2 - c. 1500 |
Giorgione 011.jpg
3 - 1500-1510 |
LucasCranachtheElderCuspinian.jpg
4 - 1502-03 |
Raffael 037.jpg
5 - 1506 |
HenryVIII 1509.jpg
6 - 1509 |
Tizian 025 detail.jpg
1 - 1510 |
Raffael 089.jpg
2 - 1512 |
Palma il Vecchio 002.jpg
3 -1512-15 |
Hans Baldung 021.jpg
4 - 1513 |
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 042.jpg
5 - 1514 |
Albrecht Dürer 084.jpg
6 - 1519 |
Bernaerd van Orley 003.jpg
7 - 1519 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 040.jpg
8 - 1519 |
Francis1-1.jpg
1 - 1520-25 |
Lucas Cranach d. Ä. 055.jpg
2 - 1521 |
Tizian 063.jpg
3 - 1525 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 057.jpg
4 - 1527 |
Tizian 081.jpg
5 - 1532-33 |
Ambassadors-Dinteville.jpg
6 - 1533 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 041.jpg
7 - 1534-35 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 072.jpg
8 - c. 1535 |
Angelo Bronzino 063.jpg
1 - 1535-40 |
Holbein, Hans - Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk.jpg
2 - 1539-40 |
Moretto da brescia cesaresco.jpg
3 - c. 1540-42 |
Holbein Unknown man.jpg
4 - 1541 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 048.jpg
5 - 1542 |
6 - 1544 |
Edward VI of England c. 1546.jpg
7 - 1546 |
Tizian 066.jpg
8 - 1548 |
Shoes for men and women were flat, and often slashed and fastened with a strap across the instep. Rounded toes were worn early, and were replaced by broad, squared toes in the 1530s. Toward the middle of the century, shoes became narrower and were shaped naturally to the foot. Soft boots for riding fitted to mid-calf.
Jan Gossaert 001 detail.jpg
German, c. 1505 |
Toddler boys wore gowns until they were breeched.
Bernhard Strigel 002.jpg
German, 1517 |
Jan Gossaert 010.jpg
Probably French, 1520-35 |
Jan van Scorel 004.jpg
Dutch, 1531 |
Hans Holbein d. J. 044.jpg
England, 1538 |
Bartholomäus Bruyn d. Ä. 002.jpg
German, 1530-45 |
Angelo Bronzino 037.jpg
Italy, 1545 |
Angelo Bronzino 041.jpg
Italy, 1545 |
Rueland Frueauf d. J. 003 detail.jpg
1 - c. 1505 |
Breviarium Grimani - Juli detail.jpg
2 - c. 1510 |
Breviarium Grimani - Juni detail.jpg
3 - c. 1510 |
Hieronymus Bosch 048.jpg
1 - c. 1510 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
| History of fashion | ||
|---|---|---|
| Medieval | Byzantine · Early Medieval · Anglo-Saxon · 12th century · 13th century · 14th century | |
| Renaissance and Reformation | 15th century · 1500-1550 · 1550-1600 · 1600-1650 · 1650-1700 | |
| Enlightenment to Regency | 1700-1750 · 1750-1795 · 1795-1820 · 1820s | |
| Victorian | 1830s · 1840s · 1850s · 1860s · 1870s · 1880s · 1890s | |
| Edwardian | 1900s · 1910s | |
| Between the World Wars | 1920s · 1930-1945 | |
| Postwar and Cold War | 1945-1960 · 1960s · 1970s · 1980s | |
| Contemporary | 1990s · 2000s | |
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia