Fashion through the Eyes of Our Ancestors?

Fashion through time has changed considerably; it usually has always been down to status, profession, culture and leisure. Today our fashion is usually influenced and encouraged by the celebrity culture and media that surround us. If we take a step back to Tudor period, fashion was down to class and status, looking back at all the Tudor paintings of the royal family and famous Tudors they wore quality patterned fabrics and rich colourful embroideries. Women wore dresses that had long and frilly sleeves and although there dresses changed through the Tudor period the actual shape of the dresses seem to stay the same. During this period it was Katherine of Aragon who introduced the Spanish farthingale to the English court, which gave a more stiffness look to the female fashion and this remained a necessary garment for all that century. Fashion was different for the poor in Tudor England both men and women’s clothing had to be hard wearing and practical usually made of coarse wool. Workingmen wore a loose tunic which was easier to work in and stockings or woolen socks, which were called hose. Women wore a petticoat called a smock or shift or chemise made of linen or wool and a wool dress over it.  The female dress was made of two parts, a bodice or corset like garment and a skirt. Sleeves were held on with laces and could be detached. Workingwomen wore a linen apron.

The 18th century brought a refreshing new fashion to the rich society where women were made to look graceful, beautiful and elegant in dresses that were trimmed with frills, lace, ribbons and gloves and fans were an added as an added accessory to set off a certain trend. (Today we have handbags). Men wore breeches, waistcoats and justaucorps.

Wigs such as the periwigs for men became a huge fashion piece in our history that was introduced
from France and was brought over when Charles II was on the throne. The wigs caught on and became a big thing for the men in England around 1620s and through to the next century.
 In the 18th century wigs became less popular for everyone and then became a fashion that was adopted by the legal profession and high status people such as bishops from the Church of England. This carried on and still today for ceremonial purposes wigs are worn in the court room.

© Cheryl Horncastle 2008