Elizabethan Accessories and Hair Styles Women's Dress

Elizabethan Acoessories and Hair Styles
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Elizabethan Accessories and Hair Styles
Jewelry was an important accessory for both men and women. Men wore pendants attached to
cord or chains, or lockets around their necks. Women, on the other hand, wore necklaces,
enameled jewelry, pearls, semiprecious stones, rings, chains, earrings, bracelets, broaches, beads
(eight or nine strings that hung down to the waist). Their necklaces were short or hip length.
Bracelets were made of rope or beads. Real flowers or jeweled insects were worn to decorate the
ruff.
Gloves were an important, but an expensive accessory. They were embroidered on the backs
and had cuffs with silk tassels. Often they were perfumed. Men also wore gloves.
Women sometimes would wear veils. They were large and transparent. Sometimes it would be
weird around the shoulders to form butterfly wings. Some women would place a corner over the
forehead to make a small cap. The rest of the veil fell to the ground.
Men’s shoes were made of leather, and had stockings that matched. A wedge shaped sole and
toe piece were one popular style. Later a pointed toe, low heel, and a cut out top became popular.
Women’s shoes were like men’s.
Hats were also common accessories. They were stiff and formal. They were often decorated
with small feathers. Women also wore metal and jeweled belts. They also carried fans made of
feathers or paper.
Men wore sword belts and carried a rapier.
Women wore their hair in many different ways. One style was the coif. They would comb the
hair away from the forehead , then curl or fizz their hair. They would dress their hair high and
out. They would also wear bright colored wigs. A high forehead was popular, so some women
would pluck out the front hairs. They would make a bun or braid the back of their hair and cover
it in a small cap of lace or linen. They also liked to decorate their hair. One style wore a tight cap
that followed the shape of the head and gathered in the front with one or two rolls of gold or
colored tissue. They would also weave in pearls or jeweled ornaments to add uniqueness to a
style. True blonds were held in high esteem. Other women would try to die their hair or wear
blond wigs to achieve blond hair.
A light beard and moustache were worn by the most fashionable men. Their hair was kept short
and neat.
Women’s Dress
Women’s clothes preserved a Tudor look for a lot longer than men. This was mainly because
Queen Elizabeth didn’t change her style. Some of the first major changes were the lengthening
of the corsage, enlargement of the farthingale and the growth of the ruff. The ruff was first seen
worn by Catherine de Medicis at her wedding although it was first called Verdugado, and worn
in Spain. It started as a small frill encircling the neck as high as the ears, but grew huge very
quickly. In 1562 an Edict was issued against the wearing of huge ruffs.
Skirts of the time were separate and attached to a waistband. The skirts closed in the front.
One style had a “simulated V shaped opening” made with an inverted box pleat in the front.
Another style had bullet pleats all the way to the waistband; it opened in the
front to reveal the top petticoat, which was embroidered. Nothing was worn under the skirts,
when it was cold they would layer Petticoats over their skirts. They also had thick, quilted

doublet and a waistcoat that they wore over the shirt and under the doublet.
Their sleeves were tight and straight, ended at the shoulders with rolls. They were cut and
slashed, or criss-crossed with small puffs. In 1580 leg-of-mutton sleeves became popular. The
sleeves were sometimes padded or stiffened with embroidery or sewn on jewels. They had cuffs
of lace that were sometimes as much as six inches deep. Another type of sleeve had pinned back
bell sleeves or they were large and padded ending in lace cuffs or ruffs. One other type had
ground-length, open sleeves that had lace up to the armhole. Some other characteristics of upper
class Elizabethan dress were the heart shaped hood and excessive exposure of the breasts. Low
square cut necklines were popular. The heart shaped hood was worn until 1575. In England it
was common for a lot of cleavage, but it was very uncommon in other countries.
Men’s Clothing
In the 1560’s the suit of clothes was sober dignified. It included a doublet, cloak, and trunk hose.
In 1575 there was a less uniformed style, and greater originality. A large belly that hung over the
waist was also a common fashion during the 1500’s. One characteristic of the doublet was that
the belly part stuck over the waist. Whalebones forced out the belly. A stiffened Basque replaced
skirt. The skirt was attached to the waistline. Falling bands and cuffs, large ruffs and standing
collars were the style. Ruffs were tied around high neckbands. The trunk hose were smaller.
Elaborate buttons were also very popular. The cloak was shorter in length than in previous
centuries. It was about hip length and flared. It barely covered the buttocks. It was worn as an
alternative to the cape. One style was fully circular with or with out dummy sleeves. There were
three popular types of collars: the sailor collar, the reverse collar and the standing collar.
Stockings extended over the lower parts of the venetians. Canions were worn under stockings.
Stockings were kept in place with fabric crossed-gartered above and below the knee. Silk knit
stockings were very popular. A second pair of stockings made of
fine leather protected them.