Elizabethan Costume

The clothes and costumes people wore during the Elizabethan era ranged from whether you were rich or poor. Upper class fashion otherwise known as rich fashion would be from sumptuous materials and elegant styles, the clothes would be stylish, very colourful and stand out. The clothes worn by the lower class or poor people would be basic and regular materials, the clothes would be dull, not interesting and very simple.

The women of the Elizabethan era would wear long gowns; most would wear corsets, collars, ruffs, shoes and hats. This would be seen as stylish. The under clothes for women would be smock or shift also known as chemise, stockings, hose, bodice, farthingale, a roll, stomacher, petticoat, kirtle, forepart or partlet. Over clothes would be things such as gowns, sleeves and cloaks. Other items could be make-up and jewellery, wedding dress clothing and garbs.

The men of the Elizabethan era would wear doublets, breeches, underwear ruffs, hats, shoes and collars. Men could wear shirts, stockings, codpieces and corsets underneath the other clothes. Over clothes would be sleeves, belts and cloaks.

During the Elizabethan era people were not allowed to wear the clothes they wanted whether or whether not they we rich. The clothing and items were dictated by the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws which governed the chosen styles and clothes worn including the colours allowed to be worn.

Irbaaz Syed