Womens English Renaissance Dress
Women's dress, during the early years of the English Renaissance was in a definite state of evolution; drawing upon recent trends developing in Italy and Spain. The bodice, or waist, which was actually more like a corset, was lengthened and came to a dramatic point in the front; thus drawing in the waistline in a decidedly unnatural manner. The portrait on the left, of Lady Eleanor Herbert, is an excellent example of the extremely elongated waist. The neckline was generally square-cut, and decorated with a stiff embroidered inset, or with the recent Italian invention, lace. Attached to the bodice by laces, the narrow sleeves were adorned at the wrist with elaborate spills of lace, or bands of fur.
Skirts worn by English
Renaissance women were very full, and were supported by an
under garment known
as a farthingale; which consisted of a
frame of hoops made from wood, whalebone,
or even iron
covered with a petticoat of fine linen. The farthingale was lifted
up and supported around the waist by a coarse linen band
referred to as the
bum-roll. After about 1530, another
under garment, the crinoline, appeared in
Renaissance
England. Originally developed in Spain, Queen Claude of France, who
at one time had been served by the very young Anne
Boleyn as lady-in-waiting, was
responsible for introducing
the crinoline to English ladies of the court. The
hoops of
the English crinoline became so large that edicts were passed to ban the
wearing of them. Most ladies, however, ignored these bans
and continued to wear
crinolines, even though they were
uncomfortable and inconvenient. The center
portrait of
Queen Anne, wife of James I, shows the exaggeration of the English
crinoline.
English Renaissance ladies
usually completed their dress with a surcoat. This
tight-waisted outer garment
was open in front, in order to
reveal the elaborate design and decorations of
the skirt
underneath. The sleeves, which were often floor-length, widened and
flowed down from the shoulders, ending with fur edging.
The surcoat was
sometimes lined with fur that overlapped
and trimmed the edges of its skirt. The
portrait on the
right is of Frances Sydney, Countess of Sussex, wearing just
such a surcoat. The garment was most often made of
velvet or satin, but the more
elaborate ones were made from
embroidered silver tissue, or cloth of gold.