Elizabethan Era

Elizabethan Era was the period under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. This period was known as the ‘Golden Age’ in English history because of the flourishing English literature, art, and poetry at the time. This was also the time that bought many changes in clothing and fashion, the time when fashion became an important part of everyone’s life. Clothing and fashion was no longer just a luxury to indulge in, but a symbol of every individual’s identity in the society.

During Elizabethan era, class segregation and social hierarchy became an important element of the society. It was a fashion conscious age where men and women alike were concerned about the latest fashions. Clothing became such a significant thing that there was even a law related to it.  These laws were passed to maintain the social structure, and stated the type of colours and clothing an individual was allowed to own and wear. These laws were called the ‘Statues of Apparel’ and were enforced by Queen Elizabeth herself in 1574.

It was all about proper division of class. Everything about a person’s apparel was an indicator of their social status; from the style of clothing to its colour and material, it was all about the rank and social standing.

 Higher the rank, the richer the colour and materials of clothing. The most rare and expensive materials were used by the royals and aristocrats. Silk, satin, velvet, damask, taffeta and furs were the most extensively used fabrics by the upper crust of the society. Along with these materials, the clothing’s were layered with brocades, laces, and even gold and silver embroidery. Precious gemstones and gold and silver buttons were also very popular.

These clothing restrictions did not end with the dimensions of upper class and the lower class. There were certain colours and materials that were only permitted to be worn by the royalty. Only royals could wear cloth of gold and ermine. Colours like purple and crimson red were only worn by the nobles and royalty. 

People belonging to the lower classes wore clothing made of materials like wool, linen, and sheepskin. They were only allowed to wear colours like beige, brown, gray, yellow, orange, and pale blues.

During the Elizabethan era, women’s clothing was elaborate and luxurious. The clothing generally consisted of many layers, starting with the thin undergarment made of linen called chemise. Over the chemise came the corset, commonly made of whalebone or wood. Then comes the farthingale and the petticoat. Farthingale was made of hoops to give a dome like structure to the skirt. Along with this came the kirtle, the partlet, ant the gown. Gowns had a split in the middle to reveal some part of the kirtle. Then comes the stockings, the ruff collars, and the stomacher. The outfits also included the embroidered shoes, the hats, and cloaks.These layers depended on the social standing of the women. Common women used to wear fewer layers for easier function. Simple clothing with less restriction made it easier to work in.

                            

Men’s clothing also incorporated some major changes during the Elizabethan period. The similarities between men’s and women’s fashion during the time was that the men’s clothing also consisted of quite a few layers. Their clothing included loose-fitting shirts that gathered at the cuffs, knee length puffy pants or breeches with stockings under them, doublets made of wool or leather, ruffs for wrists and neck collar and elegant capes or cloaks. Men who belonged to the upper class wore clothing made of fabrics like silk, taffeta and wool. Their clothing also included precious jewels and gemstones and embellishments like feathers and brooches. Men from the lower classes wore simpler clothing made of tougher materials and pale natural colours.

                

Baroque and Rococo 

Baroque and Rococo eras existed from 1650-1800s.

The rise of King Louis XIV, in the 16^th century marked the beginning of a new fashion era. The Baroque period came into existence and with that the definition of fashion changed. This was the time when the influence of art, culture, and fashion shifted from Versailles to Paris, and French fashion was adopted as world fashion.

The Baroque period was marked in the fashion history for its sheer indulgence, extravagance, and luxury. Unlike the other periods in Europe, fashion was no longer confined to the upper classes; baroque period presented the lower classes with the freedom of keeping up with the new styles and fashion trends. This was also the time where fashion designers were on a rise, being in demand by the higher as well as the middle classes.

This era was distinguished by its rich use of brilliant colours and fabrics. Natural silhouettes became popular with the use of grandeur and intricate embellishments like ribbons, pearls, lace, and gold embroideries. The upper class indulged in a variety of expensive fabrics like silks, velvets, and brocades of the most beautiful colours and patterns. In contrast to this the poor sections of the society could only afford to wear wool.

Women’s clothing and silhouettes also transformed into much simpler and comfortable forms than the previous eras. From the tight corsets, non-breathable garments and unmanageable skirts the silhouettes changed to more flowing and natural with layered skirts. The plunging necklines with lace, known as the décolletage were also a popular trend during the time.

The extravagance did not end with the clothing. Hair and makeup trends became an important element to indulge in. with the new and fancy hairstyles, and the rouges for lips and cheeks, hair and makeup also became a part of the daily extravagance.

Similar to the women’s fashion, men’s fashion also went through major changes during the baroque period. The clothing became more comfortable and extravagant. Men’s clothing changed into knee length, high waist breeches and ruffled lace collars and cuffs. Square toed shoes and high heeled boots became popular, along with extravagant wigs and curly hairstyles.

Rococo Era came into existence at the beginning of the 18^th century. This was the time of a significant cultural shift that occurred in France; art, culture, and fashion gained new importance. The new fashion trends did not only affect the royals and the aristocrats but also the middle and the lower classes. Louis XVs mistress Madame Pompadour was the main figure behind the introduction of the Rococo fashion. It was her love for light, floral patterns and pastel colours that started the new trends and came to be known as Rococo fashion.

This was the time when fashion designers gained more important and influenced the people of all social classes with the latest styles and trends. Fashion magazines were the new go-to thing to keep up with the latest fashion. The most important iconic fashion figures during the era were Madame Pompadour, Marie Antoinette, and her dressmaker Rose Bertin.

With the Rococo Era, women’s clothing and fashion took a new turn. New silhouettes were developing and the fashions were changing. The natural silhouettes were transformed into elaborate and full skirts. Panniers and wide hoops came into trend, they were worn under the skirts to make it a full skirt with the cinched up waist provided by the tight and constructing corsets. Gowns with tight bodices and plunging necklines also became popular among women. Women’s heels became fancier with much more slimmer and daintier heels. Powdered   wigs and towering hairstyles adorned with flowers, ribbons and feathers became part of the daily outfit.

Men’s fashion also incorporated minor changes during the Rococo Era. The basic coat, waistcoat, and breeches were transformed into more extravagant versions. The coats and waistcoats became flowing and more decorative with lavish embroidery and embellishments. Knee length breeches with white stockings and heeled boots were popular among men.

          

Roman Clothing

Roman clothing is often confused with the Greek clothing, it is because of the certain similarities between the two, but it has its own distinct form.

Similar to the Greek clothing, Roman clothing was also based on similar forms. With minimal sewing or stitching the clothing were simply clasped or pinned.

The most common fabric used during that time was wool and linen, worn by the common people. Other fabrics like silk and cotton were rare and expensive and affordable only by the richer class.

The undergarments worn by the ancient Romans consisted of a simple loin cloth that was knotted on the sides. The loin cloth was known by different names like subligacula, subligar, or subligaria, because of their varied shapes. Women also wore a simple band like breast cloth known as the strophium.

The most commonly worn garment by the people in the ancient Rome was the tunica or tunic. This was also a part of the inner garments. The tunic was made of a large rectangular cloth that was sewn in a tubular shape and pinned around the shoulder, similar to a Greek chiton. The male tunics were generally knee length, whereas the tunics worn by the women were always longer, reaching the ankles or the ground.

The dresses also differed from one class to the other.The most distinguished and important article of the Roman clothing was the Toga. The Togas were made of a single, large, semi-circular cloth that was draped over one shoulder, leaving the other side free. In the early days, togas were worn by both the genders, irrespective of their social rank. It was only after 2^nd century BC that, the women wearing togas were marked as prostitutes, and men wore togas as an official garment for public events. The colours and materials of the toga also varied according to the social class or title of the person. The upper class wore natural coloured togas made of good quality wool, whereas the togas worn by the lower class were made of course material or thin felt. The different borders and embroideries of the togas also represented different social classes and ranks.

The women clothing included a simple garment known as the Stola, similar to the men’s Toga. The stola was a full length garment, worn over the tunics, and was pinned at the shoulders or held by Fibula (brooch). Another important element of the women’s clothing was the Palla; it had no specific size and could be worn as a shawl.

There were three main types of footwear worn by the Romans; Solea, Soccus and Calcae. The most commonly worn were the sandals made of leather thongs and straps.

Ancient Greek Clothing

 

Ancient Greek culture has marked many significant achievements and developments in the areas of arts, philosophy, and sciences that influence our lives even in today’s time. From the architectural influences to the arts, its reflections can be seen in the present age, and a major part of it can be seen in the clothing inspired from the Ancient Greece.

The present day Greece inspired clothing is a lot different from that of the ancient times. The ancient Greek clothing was primarily simple. With the brutally hot climate for major part of the year, the Greeks wore simple clothing that was made for easy function. It was generally a single piece of fabric that could be styled and pinned. The different style of garments was derived from a basic tunic, worn by both men and women. Length of the clothing varied according to the age, gender, and occupation of the person.

The clothing was typically made of homespun fabrics. The fabrics used at the time were silk, linen and the most commonly used wool. The colours of the clothing varied from natural, light, and earthy colours with simple borders to bright colours with elaborate designs.

 The most common tunic as the Chiton, and was worn by men and women of all ages. They were long and wide rectangular piece of fabric sewn or pinned up at the sides and shoulders. It was generally made of lighter linen material and allowed easy function. It could be draped over one shoulder or both. The length of the Chiton also varied, knee length for men and floor length for women.

                                 

 

Peplos was a large square piece of cloth made of heavier material like wool. It was a full length garment worn by women, which could be draped and pinned in different styles.

Himation was the cloak or the outer garment worn over the tunics by both the genders. It was a large rectangular piece of wool draped over the shoulders like a Roman Toga to keep the person warm.

The common footwear in the ancient Greece was leather sandals or boots, but it was common for people to go around barefoot.

These ancient Greek clothing styles are often seen as an inspiration for the present day designers. 

The Budget Bride

Chandni Chowk, purani dilli of the capital, a place known for all the reasons be it food, clothes, utilities, electronics and endless other things.

 It’s not a place to be missed for any bride to be, shopping in Delhi, who is restricted to a budget. This place has designer replicas which more or less fulfil a brides dream wedding look.

The shops unlike big designer stores are located inside the “tightest galis’, but the location and the approach to the shops here cannot be judged for the stuff you find inside there. Some of the must visit shops are…

Om Prakash Jawaharlal: one will be surprised to see the large variety of lehengas this shop has, and there is something to please everyone. The price range starts from 40-50 thousand going up to lakhs. But the key word is bargain. 

The other shops in competition to this are Tek Chand Arjit Singh, CTC, Sudhir Bhai aisian couture, Ram Kishan Sarees and so on. These are the places to go to if one is looking for bling in their wedding attire. Some of these shops only deal in bridal dresses.   They also present a wide variety of designer collection to choose from.

 A trip to these shops in chandni chowk is a must for a budget bride

The Renaissance

The European renaissance began in Florence in the 14^th century. The term renaissance is derived from the French word meaning rebirth.  This period in Europe was considered as the bridge between the middle ages and the modern history. It was during this period that European history experienced many changes.  It was the phase of Europe between the 14^th and the 16^th centuries that revived the classical art and the intellect of the Ancient Greece and Rome.

The renaissance period, as seen by many as the social and political upheaval, was also the time of the development of the art and science, literature, architecture and philosophy. It was in these disciplines, the emergence of new trends and fresh styles, which were inspired by the ancient European history.

 The development in these disciplines was believed to be because of the role that Medici family played in Florence. It was under the influence of Lorenzo de’ Medici that more lifelike art was encouraged. It was also the time leading artists, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli and Michelangelo, became known.

Renaissance period was also a turning point in people’s attitude towards their clothing and appearances. It was the time when the idea of fashionable dressing came into focus. Tailoring was transformed and innovative techniques in cutting and sewing came up. Use of accessories like hats, gloves, bags and hairpieces came into fashion.

During the renaissance the type of clothing varied according to the social class that person belonged to. During this period clothing was all about showing of one’s social standing in the society. The clothing in this period was a great symbol of one’s wealth, and there were several differences in the clothes that a high class person is wearing than to what a peasant would wear.

The clothing of the wealthy was made of expensive fabrics like silk, velvet, fur, brocade and cotton. Fur was often used as lining inside of the garments. Their clothing was made of darker colors and elaborate embroidery and jewels were often sewn into the garments.

In contrast to the wealthy, the lower classes wore much simpler garments. There were also rules that restricted lower classes to clothing of only one color. Many of the clothing styles of the lower classes were imitates of the clothing of the wealthy.

The women’s clothing during this period was very extravagant and multi layered. Women would wear full length gowns with tight fitted bodice with many layers in the garment and usually had sleeves. Women of lower classes had fewer layers in their clothing than compared to that of wealthy women. The layers of a women’s gown was also considered as a status symbol. The more layers you wore, the wealthier you are. Dresses with elaborate necklines were also fashionable.

Women of lower class wore fewer layers and less restrictive styles as it gave more freedom of movement, they also wore much looser corsets or none at all. All women wore linen chemises or shifts, petticoats to fill out the gown and stockings which were normally knee high.

 

Headwear was also very popular for women during the renaissance. There were many different styles of headdresses like the “Pointed Cone”, the French hood style and lace trimmed veils were also very common. Some headwear completely concealed the hair of the women while others allowed the hair to be shown.

Men’s clothing during the renaissance changed a few times but the most popular style was the “square” silhouette during the reign of Henry VIII. The “square” silhouette was achieved by the widening of the shoulders on vests and coats and padding them which was often made of horsehair. They used to wear knee length breeches with hose or stockings instead of trousers. The shirts were with lace collars and cuffs with low neckline. Over the shirt would go a fitted top called doublet and a close fitting jacket called the jerkin.

Men’s headwear included a wide brimmed hat to finish off the square look.