In the Elizabethan and Shakespearean time period, accessories were a large part of high-society attire. Capes, hats, bonnets, hair accessories, and jewelry were the staple accessories of middle- and upper-class citizens.
Lower-class citizens were fairly limited to basic hats and capes as accessories, all of which were made of simple fabrics like wool, sheepskin, or linen.
Hats, capes, and bonnets for middle- and upper-class members of society were often very elaborate. Men's hats often were made in different shapes, some being narrow and some being rounded.
These hats usually were made of more expensive materials and featured trimmings that were made of lace, chains, and silk, and often, they featured feathers. Women's hats were smaller than men's hats and also had interchangeable feathers to alter the look of a hat based on the occasion or outfit. Women during this time period also wore lace bonnets that were extravagant in design and could have contained intricate lace work along with ribbons, bows, and pearls.
Capes for both sexes were frequently made of velvet or silk and were a staple accessory that served as both a fashion statement and additional warmth. During theater shows and elaborate balls, it was not uncommon to see high-society women sporting masks that were brightly colored and adorned in jewels.
These masks were also worn by entertainers of the time to increase the amount of drama that the audience would feel. Hair accessories were also quite popular in the Elizabethan fashion period; common hair accessories included feathers, strings of pearls, golden rings, and ornaments made of glass. Jewelry was also popular for middle- and upper-class men and women.
Large earrings were fashionable with both and women, although generally, earrings were more popular among high-society males than females. Rings and necklaces made of gold were worn by both middle- and upper-class people, although rings and necklaces for higher-society men and women were much more intricate and featured more expensive material and larger, precious gemstones such as pearls and emeralds. Buttons on clothing at this time were often considered a form of jewelry as well, and for royalty or high-class people, they would be made of pearls or gold.
The Elizabethan time period marked a unique time in fashion where new accessories were being created while many old accessories from different cultures were also introduced. Exact Match Search? A white face, red cheeks and a blonde wig turned a boy actor into a beautiful young woman. Crushed pearls or silver could be added to make-up to produce a shimmering effect.
When two characters wore the same make-up and wigs and often costumes too you knew they were twins — even if they did not really look alike.
Powdered hogs bones mixed with poppy oil gave boy actors playing women a pale skin. However, this is not recorded often, and actors probably did their own make-up. Want to download these resources and more?
Log in or sign up to Teach Shakespeare. Log in or sign up to add your own notes. Resource Downloads Notes In this fact sheet, students will learn about the costumes actors wore, what make-up was used and more. A printable version of this Fact Sheet is available in the downloads section below. Prior to this, men would have codpieces. After, button fly closures became popular on breeches listed under overclothes.
Men would simply always wear breeches over their hose. By the end of Elizabeth's reign, the codpiece essentially disappeared. During this time period, shirts were made of simple rectangles and, of course, hand-sewn. In general a shirt "was fitted closely to the body and arms, with gussets under the arms to allow movement," according to St.
In the lower class, shirts were made of white or naturally colored linen. In the middle class, shirts were made of fine white linen and worn with a starched ruff. Even middle class men did not have dyed shirts, although they may have black embroidery on their shirts. The doublet was a fitted jacket worn over a shirt by men in the Elizabethan times. It typically was boned, padded, and included buttons down the front. The styles included varied amounts of padding, restricting boning, or buttons on different sides of the jacket.
The shoulders were emphasized with padding. Also, doublets were designed to give a man the impression of a small waist to make the waist look even smaller, they sometimes wore girdles. Buttons were made from wood all the way to expensive gems. As a matter of modesty, a man should always wear a doublet and shirt at all times. Breeches worn by a man were to be worn around the natural waist no matter his class. If wearing a doublet, the trousers would be suspended from the doublet by tying holes on a band inside the doublet.
The most commonly worn options were breeches worn at the knee, just below the knee, or mid-calf. These are not underwear, these are capri style pants. Sometimes, men wore breeches made of finer wools than the lower classes and would also sport finer colors. A man in the middle class might wear pants pleated at the waist and gathered.
Expensive breeches were made of silk, stain, velvet, leather, and even delicate silks. Flair was added to breeches with vertical slashes down the leg and pops of color exposed or strips of fabric in lining colors. These are the frill at the neck of the shirt, gathered at the neck band. Ruffs were worn by both males and females.
Typically men and women of all ages, and from every class, had ruffs. These typically did not have embroidery and covered the neck at minimum. Ruffs could also be added to the wrists as well. Sometimes a ruff was attached to a shirt but not always. It was standard for men to wear hats in Elizabethan England when outdoors.
Flat caps, woven straw hats, shaped felt hats, knit caps, and biggins are all acceptable. A lower class man wore flat caps, a shaped wool tall hat, and even a straw hat.
These styles reflected a man's trade, that a hat was necessary for their outdoor work. Middle class and upper class men wore flat caps, Italian bonnets, or blocked felt tall hats. Middle class men would decorate hats with a few short feathers.
Before leaving their homes or going to work, Elizabethan men couldn't go anywhere without their coats and shoes. This a sleeveless doublet or jacket worn over a regular doublet. Depending on the class of its wearer, you'd see wool or leather jerkins. Jerkins could be styled with buttons, collars, or even decorative slashes.
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