Fashion In The 16th Century Research Paper

Fashion was a huge turning point in the 16th century because people were slowly realizing that they could express themselves through colors and patterns. “Under Henry’s younger daughter Elizabeth, who came to the throne in 1558, the English passion for fashion would reach its high point.” Fashion also said a lot about one’s social ranking. “More personal adornment, brighter colors, and fine fabrics were all ways of making this statement.” Men and women’s clothing were very different. Men’s clothing was usually relatively simple, unless they were royalty. Women had more extravagant clothing choices. One reason that fashion was a huge turning point was that it said a lot about an individual. They finally had a new way to express themselves …show more content…
Since they were usually the ones to work out in the fields, there wasn’t much point in dressing for looks. Royalty, on the other hand, didn’t need to work, so they usually dressed to impress. “Early in Elizabeth’s reign, both men’s and women’s shirts were heavily gathered at the neck; this had given rise to the new practice of sewing a ruff into the neckband.” Most men wore their hair short during the early part of Elizabeth’s reign, but later on, they wore their hair longer, and trimmed their beards to a point. The same went for women as well. Average housewives would wear long dresses, an apron, and a bonnet or cap or some sort. “Women wore caps of various kinds. The ‘Mary Stewart’ style, with a heart shaped outline around the face, is still worn.” Women had a wider range of colors. Their makeup was rather extravagant and highly artificial, also. White lead and vinegar was combined and mixed together into a face mask of sorts to give one the appearance of fair, porcelain skin. Women also crushed berries and used the juice to redden their lips and cheeks. Little did they know that these run-of-the-mill beauty routines were slowly poisoning them. Women in the 16th century often had skin cancers due to the white