How Did Women Use Clothing In The Elizabethan Era

425 Words2 Pages
Fashion and clothing during the Elizabethan era placed a lot of emphasis on social class. How men or women dressed directly correlated to their position in society. Stiff, colorful, and decorative clothing distinguished royalty or wealthy individuals. Wealthy men often wore many layers of clothing decorated with trimmings, distinct colors, and buttons. The outfit (or dress) was bound with laces or buttons. The clothing was generally covered with silk, fur, or jewels to promote extravagance or represent an individual’s wealth. Each layer of clothing usually contained padding of some sort, which in turn altered the overall shape of the outfit. Men also wore cloaks and corsets, and often adorned themselves with jewels and gold. All of these features…show more content…
Their dresses were composed of a “frame” that consisted of wire and wood. The woman’s body was often pressed and squeezed by the frame, which resulted in discomfort. This frame emphasized the waist area, as a women’s waist appeared to be much wider and bigger than it actually was. They then layered themselves with blouses, petticoats, gowns, and sleeves with different colors and trimmings. Women’s dresses were also fastened with lace. Large collars covered with ruff were worn around the neck. Women’s shoes had extremely high heels in order to give them a noticeable increase in height. Women were extremely stiff and somewhat restricted in terms of movement, due to their large “waists” and wide dresses. Like the men, wealthy women appeared to be much bigger and “puffy” than they really were. Little to no skin was shown, as their clothing covered most of their bodies. Wigs and hats were also common garments for the nobility. Feathers and buttons were adorned as ornamentation and complemented a person’s hat. The peasant’s clothing and garments were much simpler. Commoners were not allowed to wear bright, rich colors due to their lack of
Show More
Related

  • Friedrich Nietzsche: Wom God's Second Mistake?

    10705 Words  | 43 Pages

    same beliefs. In the same way, American Muslim women are different from their Pakistani counterparts, who are different from those in Saudi Arabia. In these countries, women are accorded different rights and privileges because of the social, economic, cultural and governmental set-ups of the area. Many American Muslim women are discriminated against because they cover their heads; Pakistani women have political rights but are often exploited; Saudi Women have no public role, yet they are the most secure

    Read More

More about How Did Women Use Clothing In The Elizabethan Era

Open Document