Elizabethan Fashion for Men

For fashion history buffs, learning about Elizabethan fashion for men is a fascinating look down a fashion timeline into how men dressed during this era.

Naturally, there are big differences between how people dressed during the time of the reign of King Henry VIII through Queen Elizabeth I and how they dress today, from Europe to America. Much of what a man wore depended on his class standing in society, whose class lines regulated how people were allowed to dress. These rules on 16th century fashion were enforced through existing Sumptuary Laws, which dictated not only styles of clothing one was permitted to wear, but color as well. Heavy fines could be imposed for dressing out of your "class."

Some of the most notable hallmarks of Elizabethan fashion for men are divided into the separate classes.

The Elizabethan royal or nobleman who held a respectable title wore:

• Hats: While everyone wore hats in Elizabethan era England, nobles wore hats made of fine materials such as silk, expensive wool and taffeta. Brims were usually upturned and held in place with decorative brooches. Older nobles wore a "biggen" beneath their hats and the taller the hat a man wore, the greater his standing in society. Feathers were often secured onto hats as further embellishment.
• Shirts: Shirts were loose-fitting and gathered at the cuffs. Nobles enjoyed wearing shirts made of silk or fine, expensive linen, often decorated with detailed needlework.
• Breeches: These were pants that hit the knee and were usually very puffy, giving a noble an imposing air. Slashes were often cut into the outer layer, revealing a brightly contrasting color in the underlying layer.
• Ruffs: Worn under the neck or around the wrists, these frilly adornments could be quite large.
• Shoes: Men wore footwear similar to women's. Shoes were flat or low heeled slip-ons, but boots were also common. There were also a variety of protective shoe covers made of wood or leather. Velvet and silk shoes were for indoor wear, while leather was suitable for outdoors.
• Adornments: Elizabethan noblemen didn't believe in being understated. They loved wearing jewels -- the bigger, the better; this was a trend similar to men's fashion during the Renaissance. They also loved rich materials made of fur or lace or cotton, which was considered a prized fabric during this time.

Lower class men had a different set of fashion rules to follow:

• Hats: Working men and non-nobility wore low, or flat, caps (also called toques) that were made of coarser material such as wool. They also wore Muffin caps made of linen.
• Shirts: Men who weren't in the upper classes wore shirts made of rougher fabrics; although shirts could be quite costly, people in this era in history didn't have large wardrobes. A man might only own a couple of shirts at a time!
• Breeches: Again, lower classes had less selection when it came to fine materials. Whereas nobles wore breeches made of expensive fabrics, non-nobles wore breeches (or common French hose) that were round and broad, and made from cheap, coarse materials.
• Materials and colors: Non-nobility had to make do with less opulent materials, such as wool, cheap linen and sheepskin. Some finer fabrics were permitted as trimming. Lower classes were even restricted in the colors they wore. The upper classes indulged in deep, rich colors like purple, crimson and gold, but working classes were stuck with drab colors such as brown, beige and yellow.

Although there is a huge difference between today's styles and yesterday's fashion, it's always intriguing to take a look back. Fortunately, while people no longer have to stick to such strict rules of dress and are no longer hampered by class, it doesn't hurt to try to make a favorable impression wherever you go, even if you're not a king!

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