Friday, 18 September 2015

The Renaissance


The European renaissance began in Florence in the 14th 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 14th and the 16th 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.

 


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