English Renaissance Clothing
At historic-oriented renaissance faires, performers do not dress in costumes per se.
They attempt to dress in the clothing of the period. The difference is that clothing is to
be used on a daily basis, and must stand up to that abuse. However, costuming is not worn
daily. A performer's outfit undergoes a lot of stress at a faire, so it is in the performer's
best interest to make something that will last.
Most of the history books concentrate on nobility. It's a lot harder to find something about
the middle or lower classes. But we can cheat. We use the theory that the middle and lower
classes tried to imitate their betters. The differences would be in the type and color of the
fabric used (such as wool vs velvet), as well as the amount and type of detail (such as
trim or beadwork).
I am a great believer of doing your own research. A lot of costuming information that is
passed around at faires is just word of mouth. Rarely does anyone do their own research to
prove to themselves that what they hear at faire is indeed historicly accurate. With that in
mind, below I present some lists of books about the history of English fashion during the
Renaissance.
However, I have a scanner now, and am willing to make available some
excerpts from some
costuming books. These aren't books you can go out and buy. At least I've never found them
in a bookstore. They are out of print. I made copies from a university library.
I'm certainly not the only one with knowledge about costuming. Therefore I also have a
list of Web pages that deal with costuming.
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- Gary Kephart, February 1996
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- Arnold, Janet, Patterns of Fashion
- An oft-quoted book.
- Barton, Lucy, Historic Costume for the Stage
- Note that this is for the stage and may not be well suited for faires.
- Boucher, Francois, 20,000 Years of Fashion
- Bradfield, Nancy, Historical Costume of England
- Brooke, Iris, A History of Costume
- Carman, W.Y., British Military Uniforms
- Evans, Mary, Costume Throughout the Ages
- Cunnington, C. Willet & Phyllis, Handbook of English Costume in the Sixteenth
Century
- I consider this the best reference of all.
- Fairholt, F.W., Costume in England
- La Mar, Virginia A., English Dress in the Age of Shakespeare
- Lawson, Cecil C.P., A History of the Uniforms of the British Army
- Sichel, Marion, Costume Reference 2 - Tudor and Elizabethans
- Yarwood, Darlene, English Costume
- Foster, Vanda, Bags and Purses
- Corson, Richard, Fashions in Eyeglasses
- Harrington, Michael, The History of the Hat
- Brooke, Iris, Footwear
- Ledger, Florence E., Put Your Foot Down
- Swann, June, Shoes
- Wilcox, R. Turner, The Mode in Footwear
- Wilson, Eunice, A History of Shoe Fashions
Book Excerpts
Here are a few excepts from some of the books I have. They will be in either Ami Pro or
ASCII format. Deal with it.
- Cunnington, C. Willet & Phyllis, Handbook of English Costume in the Sixteenth Century
Other Costuming Web Pages
Know any other links to costuming resources on the Net? Let us know! Thanks.