The Renaissance (French for “rebirth”) was a cultural movement in the 14th – 16th century, characterized by the revival of ancient roman and greek values and thoughts. It promoted individuality and freedom as opposed to the feudal division of the Middle ages and can be seen as a bridge between medieval and modern times.
Heavily ornamented and decorated clothing as worn by the upper class in the 16th century. Source: veya-esthesia.blogspot.com
This intellectual transformation can also be noticed in concern to fashion. It was then that men and women started wearing clothes closely fitting to the body, very different to the classical period.
As clothing was a status symbol, even more than nowadays, tailoring and embroidery became more and more elaborate. Black velvet, brocades and silks presented backdrops for jewel decorations, consisting of pearls, diamonds, rubies and other precious stones. The dresses were tight at the waist and opened up widely towards the front.
With the discovery of starch, ruffs gained popularity and could be made to stand several inches tall, often needing to be supported by wire.
Fashion accessories were almost as important as the clothing itself. Hoods, ruffs, wigs and cosmetics all came onto the scene during the 1500s.
Men wore collars, onion-shaped, puffy garments known as “trunk hoses”, which covered their legs from waist to knees, as well as heavily ornamented coats.
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