Childrens English Renaissance Dress
Children's English Renaissance dress generally followed the same style, and used the same materials, as the adults of the class the child was born into. All children wore swaddling bands until they were six to twelve months old; the only difference being the fabric of the bands. Most peasant infants were swaddled in bands torn or cut from cast-off clothing from their siblings or parents, that had become too worn to be mended or cut down for use by another family member. Children of the upper-classes and the nobility had their bands made from the finest, softest linen, and sometimes even silk. Parents of the time thought the swaddling bands would help the child's limbs to grow straight; they believed that it was not good for so young a child to be free to kick its legs, and flail its arms.
The next stage in children's English Renaissance dress, was the tunic or gown. Peasant children often wore tunics handed down from siblings, or cut down from the tunics of older siblings or parents. This garment was most often made from a coarse, uncolored linen. Children of the upper-classes wore, what we would think of today as a gown. It was often made from fine fabrics, such as the softest wools, linens, and velvets. Although the fabrics might have varied, the purpose of the poor child's tunic and the wealthy child's gown was the same; to allow the child freedom of movement to begin crawling.
English Renaissance dress for boys and girls was much the same until the boy was deemed ready to be "breeched". At this time, the boy had what was known as a "breeching party", and was given his first pair of breeches, along with other items of male attire. This ceremony took place whenever the child's parents and nurse decided the time was right; so a boy might be "breeched" as young as three, or as old as seven. A fine example of a young boy in a gown is depicted in the middle portrait above. It is of Lady Katherine Grey and her son; not her daughter as one might think from the dress the child is wearing.
The sumptuousness of dress for English Renaissance children of the nobility can be seen above. The portrait on the left is Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VI. He looks very much a miniature version of his father, Henry VIII. The portrait on the right is of Arabella Stuart, who in later life became an important noblewoman of the English Renaissance.