Fashion During the Elizabethan Era

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Have you ever wondered what people in the Elizabethan Era wore? Fashion was just as important in those days as it is to some people today. What people were wearing mattered to others, and even the government. During the Elizabethan Era clothing, accessories, and cosmetics were all a part of daily life. During the Elizabethan Era, there were a set of rules controlling which classes could wear which clothing called the Sumptuary Laws. The Sumptuary Laws controlled the colors and types of clothing a person could wear. This allowed an easy and immediate way to identify rank and privilege (Elizabethan Era | Clothing). Those found dressed in inappropriate clothing could be fined, lose property, lose rank, and even be killed (Elizabethan Dress Codes). Those of the upperclass wore clothing made of more expensive materials, and those of the lower class wore the same general outfits, but their's were made of less expensive materials. Fashion during the Elizabethan Era was disciplined by the Sumptuary Laws. Clothing affected the lives of women greatly. Women wore many layers of clothing that could be hot and tight, making them uncomfortable. Different types of clothing were also used to make women seem more petite than they actually were (History of Fashion - Elizabethan). Many outfits included most of the following under layers: a smock, stockings, a corset, a farthingale, a rowel, a stomacher, a petticoat, a kirtle, a fore part, and a partlet. Then, most of the following over layers: a gown, separate sleeves, a ruff, a cloak, and shoes. Shoes were often a flat, Mary Jane style, or had a platform to keep one's feet dry. The biggest influence on woman's clothing during the Elizabethan Era was actually Queen Elizabeth I herself. "Queen... ... middle of paper ... ...as, if not more than, it impacts people today. Works Cited "Accessoriesliz." Accessoriesliz. Margo Anderson, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. Alchin, Linda. "Elizabethan Upper Class Fashion." ELIZABETHAN UPPER CLASS FASHION. Linda Alchin, 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Mar. 2014. Alchin, Linda. "Tudor Make-up." Tudor Make-up. Alchin L.K., 16 July 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. "Chertsey Museum." Hair: the styling of society-. Chertsey Museum, 2014. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. "Elizabethan Dress Codes." Elizabethan Dress Codes. British Library Board, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. "Elizabethan Era." Elizabethan Era | The Lost Colony. The Lost Colony, 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. "History of Fashion - Elizabethan." History of Fashion - Elizabethan. History of Fashion, 2007. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. Laver, James. The Concise History of Costume and Fashion. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1969. Print.

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