Clothing during Renaissance

Renaissance, literally meaning Rebirth was a significant period in history which began around the 14^th century ending the dark time called middle ages. After a grim period in history, Renaissance was a period of light. It brought with it, the decline of the feudal system, growth of commerce, innovation of paper, Mariner’s compass, printing, gunpowder, etc. It was also a time of high order thinking and people engaged in intellectual talks. All this meant that people now had the time and energy to put efforts into their clothing

The styles of the gowns worn in Renaissance changed from year to year, but the basic styles remained the same. Women wore gowns comprised of a tight-fitting bodice and a fuller skirt that would hang down to the ankles. This was a time when women’s dressing emphasized their curves. Dresses cut to expose much of the neckline were both acceptable and fashionable. As in other periods as well, clothing of the upper classes was heavy and cumbersome, and restricted movement for the wearer.

     

Women of the lower classes enjoyed much more freedom in what they wore, both because they couldn’t afford the heavy gowns and also so that they were comfortable enough to work in what they wore. They would wear a much looser corset, or none at all, and would possibly eschew other underpinnings such as bum rolls (crescent-shaped cushions worn around the hips) or farthingales (hoop skirts used to hold the skirts out) for added comfort.

        

 

 


 

 









All women's outfits be it upper class or lower class, started with a shift (a loose, linen smock worn to protect the gown), and stockings, which were normally knee-high. Petticoats were added both to fill out a gown and to keep the wearer warm.

A man's outfit would start with a shirt, which was quite similar to the shirts worn today but instead of the regular collars and cuffs, has them made out of frills. Over this would go a doublet, or fitted top, and finally over that a jerkin, a close-fitting jacket. Men of the working class like their female counterparts dressed for utility and might simply wear the shirt alone.

For their lowers, instead of trouser, men wore 2. The lower one being stockings and the upper one being a doublet which were frilly trousers just till the knees. In the reign of Henry VIII, doublets became shorter, creating a space between the upper hose and the doublet.

 

 
The Renaissance was an inspirational period for clothing and was considered one of the most stylish times. A lot of designers and luxury houses still take inspiration from clothing of that period. Brands like Dolce and Gabbana, Channel, Dior and many more have come u with collections inspired from that time. All in all, it is quite evident that times of intellectual prosperity lead to times of a greater aesthetic sense. 

 

Clothing during the dark ages

Every cloud having a silver lining is evidence enough that dark periods in history have ended with the beginning of merrier times. The same goes for the medieval period, lasting from 5^th to 15^th century that ended with the beginning of the renaissance period which was a period of intellectual awakening.

Since it was a long frame of time, clothing during this period went through various changes. There was a huge difference in the lifestyle of the rich and that of the poor peasants.

It wasn’t a very flourishing period for the common people since life wasn’t secure and epidemics were frequent, clothing was utility and availability based. Their clothing was very simple and basic with no embellishments. The main garment worn by both men and women was a tunic. Men’s tunics were mostly knee length whereas women had tunics till their mid calves essentially making it a dress. During the later period, these dresses became even longer and would go till the ankle. Sometimes these tunics (mostly men’s) also had side slits which allowed them more movement while working.

 

These tunics were belted at the waist. While working, these long tunics could be tucked into belts for easy movement. They were generally made out of wool which the women spun into threads that were woven into cloth for garments. Blue, pale yellow, green, dull orange, etc were prevalent colors for women’s clothing. Most men’s tunics were also made out of wool but were coarser and were not as colourful as that of women’s.

It also became fashion for people long shifts or under tunics. Usually among the working classes, these shifts would be woven from hemp and would remain undyed; after many wearings and washings, they would soften up and lighten in color. 

Men and women many a times would go barefoot but during the winters and while doing outdoor work, they would wear simple leather boots.

 

Head covering was an important part of their attire. Men wore hats while women wore veils and wimples.

The rich however, had much more elaborate clothing. Their inner garments were made of linen. Men started wearing long jackets with elaborate work and pleating and skirting. Their clothes were brightly colored since bright dyes were expensive. Many a times, their jackets and tunics had fur linings and borders. Women wore long flowing gowns. Men wore stockings under their long shirts. Their shirts and jackets were mostly trimmed with fur and had gold embroidery on them. They wore large hats which in those times was a sign of wealth.  Women wore fitted gowns that sometimes trailed off the floor. These gowns were highly embellished with pearls, diamonds and other gems.

Therefore the huge class difference was easily evident in the clothing. This long period of darkness came in with many hard times but finally ended with a golden period.

Of Newfound love

“There is absolutely no way that I am letting you people take this reckless decision. It may seem like fun and games, but I swear I’m telling you it’s going to be a nightmare”

These were my exact words when my family asked me about my opinion on getting a dog. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals but the thought of my younger brother being responsible for another living being wasn’t the most reassuring one. I knew it was just a phase that he might be pleading and begging now but come the dog and time to take care of it, he would dump the entire responsibility on my mother. And I was pretty aware of the gigantic mess that comes with them. So for obvious reasons, my vote was a no.

But since I don’t live with my parents anymore, my vote could only go so far. They ended up getting a Labrador that was about a month old. Off course it looked adorable. The first time I visited home after its arrival, it was about 2 month old and it came to welcome me at the door with his tail wagging and that cute heart melting face of his. My brother named him Ezzio and soon my all our dinner table conversations became about that creature. My mother would send me 10 pictures of him a day. I’ll have to admit, back then I couldn’t really see what was great about him. Yes he was cute, but aren’t all little furry things?

The next time, I visited after a month. He had now grown in size and had become more playful. This time, he came running towards me and held on tight to my skirt. Eventually I opened up to him as I spent the next 6 days at home. It started following me around everywhere. Woke me up every morning, waited for me near the door when it was time for me to get back home in the evening. Yes he did kind of start to grow on me. When I had to leave home to get back to Delhi, it was hard to admit to myself that I was going to miss him.

Next and the most recent time I visited home, He was about 6 months old. He was no more a little puppy. Was a bundle of energy that was hard to control. He was more playful than ever and also hungrier than ever. His energy was contagious and we became inseparable. I would take him out for walks, give him food, and play with him the entire day. Without my awareness, this creature had crept its way into my heart and had persuaded me to love it. You can’t help but fall in love with them.

Something, the thought of which was so revolting a couple of months ago, has now become an integral part of my life. It’s funny to think how now I may not be wanting to pay visit to my home otherwise, but the thought of that dog drags me there.