Costume Guide - The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire

MEN’S FASHIONS – MIDDLE CLASS The middle class men would quite often be gentry or petty nobility, with his own horse and lands. He might also be a high-ranking servant in a nobleman’s household, a rich merchant or highly skilled craftsman of some kind. He would have his own servants, among whom would be a valet, a personal body servant whose sole task was to see to his master’s clothing and personal appearance. Therefore, the middle class man would dress quite well, if he could afford it. He might choose to pay the sumptuary tax on some item of his apparel so that he could be even more richly dressed. Over the shirt, he wore a close-fitting doublet with long or short skirting that ended somewhere between his upper thigh and the knee, depending on his age and respectability. He wore breeches or slops, also called truck-hose or upper-stocks on his lower half and they were decorated to some degree.

His hosen, also called nether-stocks, now reached all the way up his legs and were sometimes knitted instead of sewn from bias cut fabric, as was most commonly done. Knitted hosen, however, were fabulously expensive, because they were always hand-knitted, usually out of silk, and cost upwards of five pounds a pair. That was a princely sum for those days, perhaps the equivalent of $200.00 today. His fine shoes were decorated with buckles or ribbon and his garter ties were sometimes embroidered or fringed on the ends. He wore either a flat cap or a tall crowned, small brimmed hat with feathers and a fancy hatband. His hair was short and older men and conservative types covered their heads with a coif or biggins under their hats. Men of this class were likely to go clean shaven, or if they had whiskers, they were well trimmed.

Many of the older or more conservative gentlemen wore knee-length coats called “surcoates” or “great coats,” and if worn long, were called “gowns.” These coats were worn over doublets and slops as an outer garment, instead of a cape. The surcoate resembled a modern choir robe with a deep collar or “rever” of velvet or fur.

Pouch and dagger hung from his belt and he might have a fine gold chain around his neck to denote wealth, rank or position. His clothes were trimmed, embroidered, and jeweled as much as he could afford and the sumptuary laws would allow, and his appearance was sometimes little different from that of a noble gentlemen.

Fabrics were still the practical wool and linen, but they were much finer quality than before. Added to this were cotton for undergarments, and silk, satins, and velvets in modest quantities. Those who could afford to dress especially well were always skirting the edges of the sumptuary laws, trying to get away with just a little bit more than their neighbors.

WOMEN’S FASHIONS – MIDDLE CLASS

Ladies of this class were wives or daughters of knights, country squires, or wealthy merchants or artisans, with their own servants. Or they might be high ranking servants in a noble household with a lot of authority and power of their own. Wives and daughters were under the control of their male relatives, having few rights. Like their male equivalents, they dressed as well as they could afford.

The middle class lady’s chemise was almost always high-necked and made out of some delicate fabric, such as fine linen, imported cotton lawn or even silk. It might be embroidered and had neck and wrist ruffs, which were lace-edged, budget permitting. A married lady or conservative spinster wore her chemise closed down the front and a single lady wore hers open. In the coldest weather, everybody probably closed their chemises just to keep out the cold.

Over the chemise, she wore a busk or corset, bum-roll or farthingale (hoopskirt), and petticoats, just like the noble ladies but in a less exaggerated style. Her corset was less tight, maybe her bum-roll was smaller, and her farthingale was less wide around the hem. Her underskirt, richly decorated, was cut to fit closely over the farthingale, so the effect was that of a stiff A-line, long skirt. The bodice was high-necked, with a tall collar. The overskirt was full and pleated or gathered into the waistband. The bodice and overskirt matched. The overskirt might be split up the front to display the fancy underskirt. Her lace-in sleeves sometimes matched the more ornate underskirt. She sometimes wore an open Spanish surcoate as an extra layer of clothing over her gown.

Her hair was dressed to imitate the styles of the Court ladies and she wore a variety of wigs, hats and headdresses, just as they did. She might have knitted hosen with pretty ribbon garters and her shoes would have low heels, or be more like dancing slippers. Out of doors, she wore chopines, similar to wooden clogs, over her slippers to keep the mud of the streets off of them.

She had embroidery or other trim decorating the garment edges, and they might also be beaded or jeweled if she were rich enough. Her hat or cap, pouch, and shoes could also be decorated like the rest. She still wore the household keys at her belt, but probably not a knife anymore. She would eat with a table knife and fork instead. Depending on her pretensions, she might also have a fine feather fan or pomander. She wore whatever jewelry she could afford and the sumptuary laws would allow. Jewelry would include gold and silver chains, strings of glass beads, semi-precious stones, or small pearls. She may have worn rings, brooches, earrings and pins as well.