Tudor dresses were lavish, often with exquisite embroidery and draped in jewels. The fabrics used for the clothing of the Tudor court was rich and luxurious and included silks, satins, velvet and the finest linens available. The Tudor Dresses were put on in several layers, and while today we would view this amount of clothing excessive, each layer of clothing was necessary to achieve the desired look.
Tudor Garments
Contents
On average a Tudor lady would put on four layers of clothing, these include a smock, petticoats, her kirtle and then the gown. There were other layers which could be added though, depending upon the fashion of the time she could also add a forepart, partlet or farthingale. Of course, no dress would be complete without matching headwear.
The smock would be made from fine linen and was one piece of Tudor clothing common to everyone, rich or poor. Often the smock had embroidered cuffs or would be finished with lace. The petticoat could either be just the skirt or have a bodice attached.
The Tudor Gown
Most petticoats were red in colour as red was believed to be a healthy, life-giving colour. The kirtle is the layer that defined the lady’s shape. It was worn over the petticoat (and farthingale) it constituted a stiffened bodice, but unlike a modern corset did not cinch the lady in at the waist.
The gown is the only layer of the clothing that is shown in its entirety, as all other layers remain hidden underneath. A lady’s gown was designed to make an impact upon those that saw it. The more wealth the person had the more sumptuous the fabrics and the more expensive the decoration.
The gown was always made of silk or satin. They were also often adorned with silk ribbons and beautiful embroidery. In the case of royal ladies, the gowns were embellished with pearls and gold. Elizabeth I often kept re-embroidering her gowns to keep her wardrobe fresh and new.
She preferred black gowns to other colours because they were more versatile. The sleeves did not come attached to the gowns always. So they had to be tailor-made and attached to the gown.
What did Tudor Queens wear?
The queens in the Tudor era and other rich women mostly wore skirts that were held up with loops. Over them, they wore bodices and richly coloured long gowns.
Ladies had to make their stomach and waist look as small as possible to look dainty. For this reason, they wore corsets and wide gowns.
Tudor kirtle
The kirtle was a piece of dress that was used from the Middle-ages. It was usually worn over the chemise, that is, under the outer garment by the ladies. It was a part of fashionable dresses in the 16th century and remained so for some time among the middle-classes as well.
Tudor forepart
The forepart was a triangular piece of cloth attached to the under-petticoat or kirtle on the place that was otherwise visible through the opening at the front of the gown. They were beautifully embroidered.
Tudor Style Fashion
It was not uncommon for strings of pearls to be attached to the bodice or sewn into the design. The most common form of headwear during the reign of Henry VIII was the French Hood or the Gable Hood which was the English version.
No matter what social status a woman was headwear was always worn, while the wealthy would have theirs adorned with fine jewels and highly decorated the headwear of the common woman would be a simple linen item.
Tudor Dresses
The manufacture of a complete gown would include a wide range of people from silk merchants and weavers to tailors, seamstresses, milliners, and embroiderers. The goldsmith would also be involved in the process, adding delicate jewels such as brooches to the bodice of the Tudor Dresses.
Tudor style is very distinctive. The fashion of the time was designed to make men appear broad and angular, with the clothing making the body take on a square appearance.
Tudor Men’s Fashion
This no doubt was intended to make them look strong and powerful. For the Tudor ladies, the clothing was designed to give them a softer, more conical shape, emphasizing their softness and gentility.
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth the fashions changed and the deep square neck which had been the most popular look of gown altered and became higher. Lace additions were added which later became the famous Elizabethan ruff.
More Info On- Tudor Times Rich People Clothes and Clothing Fashion, Poor clothes and Clothing, Tudor Hats for Men and Women, Dress up Dresses Clothing Fashion, Clothing Doublet
