Renaissance Clothing for Men


A history buff, fashion student or are you just plain interested to know what did men wear in the Elizabethan Era? Renaissance began around the 1400's. It was a period of learning and elaborate medieval renaissance clothing. It was not only the women who wore rich fineries and voluminous costumes, but even men wore excessive costumes. There were different fashions of clothing for men that differed according to countries. The padding, sleeves, doublets and stockings that distorted the natural figure were fashionable in the Northern European countries. The people of England and France wore clothing that were similar to the more medieval styles of Italy. The Germans wore more elaborate patterns. The renaissance clothing for men in Germany consisted of large puffs on the head, shoulders and thighs. They wore smaller puffs on the chest, back, arms, legs and feet. Feathers were a part of their costume, from everything head to toe; on the wide-brimmed hat to the knees.

Medieval Costumes for Men

The medieval renaissance clothing consisted of long tunics that went down to the knees. This was a common medieval clothing for men. Kings and noblemen also wore these tunics as a part of renaissance festival clothing, during parties and ceremonies. The Germans were the ones who introduced the ideas of pants, that caught on with others, as men had to travel long distances on horses and during cold climate, pants made a better clothing option than skirts. Noblemen wore tights under their tunics. They wore woven tights that were not very tight as knitting had not been invented until then. During winter, the men wore wool cloaks to protect themselves from the cold, winter winds. The medieval costumes for men included leather shoes, especially for those who could afford them. Men wore shoes with square toes, before or after 1300s it was changed to shoes with pointy toes. They even had a curve up at the toes to make them look a bit more fancy.

Renaissance Clothing Patterns

The renaissance period is about 150 years long and thus there were many styles and fashions introduced in renaissance clothing patterns for men and women both. Older men wore corsets to control their bulging stomachs. The female skirt gave birth to the paned slops or pumpkin pants for men. The men's clothing focused on rich heavy materials, large sleeves, close body garments, large hip garments, heelless shoes and heads covered with hats.

The above men's renaissance clothing took a turn in the European countries and the patterns became more 'square' and then later turned more like a 'barrel'. The vest or coat was widened at the shoulders and padded to give the square look. The renaissance clothing included pants that were padded breeches and hosiery with wide-brimmed hats. When the 'barrel' look came in vogue, the clothes were made on just two lines, the shoulders and hips. The heavy pad in the middle of the vest was modified to look like a barrel. They used horsehair for padding and the embroiders would charge money for the thread. The men's clothing consisted of stand-up collars or ruffs added to their necklines. There were men who also added metal stays called 'attices' to their collars. The padded buttons also came into fashion during the renaissance.

The renaissance clothing for men, especially for the young, included short suits that were in lines with the tunics of medieval costumes for men. These tunics were modified with added sleeves and many accessories. These garments reached the knees and sometimes were even shorter and worn with pants of different colored fabrics. The fabric material like brocade, velvet and damask cloth were popular and were sewn in symmetrical rounded folds, so that the pattern of the rigid fabric was not lost. There were other clothing styles like the man's raincoat with sleeves and wide collars. These were folded in a rich manner that flowed towards the ground. This type of men's clothing became a signature costume for intellectuals, scientists and elderly people. You can see this old style still been adorned today, during the different official ceremonies of universities.

Men wore elaborate hairstyles which matched the renaissance clothing. The hair length was basically according to personal taste and was either straight or curled. During the 1600s shorter hair was preferred, just as in present days. Men wore low-crowned, brimmed caps with one or all sides tuned up. The most notable clothing consisted of certain costumes that are still talked about even today.

Of the most notable renaissance clothing styles, the jerkin is one of the most famous costumes. It is a short and sleeveless velvet or leather jacket that is similar to a waistcoat/vest worn today. The upper hose or full trunks extended from upper thighs to waist and the nether hose that were stockings covered the lower edges of the legs. These were rolled up above the knees and secured in place with garters. The 'simarre' was a robe that was derived from chimer and had a neck part that was more on the double-breasted line. It had no collar at the back and the front edge of the robe had wide revered that turned back from the front. It was worn ungirded or a narrow silk scarf was knotted with one loop and two ends at the waist. A chain of office that was worn by men across the chest and the neckline as decoration. The heavy chain often showed the organization to which a man belonged.

These and many other renaissance clothing were a part of men fashion in that bygone century. Men wore elaborate clothes just like women and took great pains to enhance their personality. It was a new era of men's fashion and every country flaunted their preferred styles.

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