Clothing

**Clothing Of the Elizabethan Era**
In the Elizabethan time, many factors went into what could be worn but the main factor was class. While the upper class was luxuriously dressed, the lower class wore simple, less expensive items of clothes. There were even laws stating that lower class people cannot wear the same things as the upper class. **//Upper Class Women//** -Smock, or underclothes, worn so gown would not be ruined by sweat or body oils. -Rolls, or bumrolls, were padded crescents that made the skirt spring. -Shoulder roll put emphasis on shoulders. Broad shoulders were considered attractive. -Corset made a smaller waist. -Farthingale were hoop skirts that created the desired shape. -Petticoats were layers of skirts that provided padding underneath gown. -Partlet was a shirt that is worn underneath the gown, but it shows. -Forepart, were designed piece of fabrics worn over farthingales when gown parts up the front. -Gown was V shaped to make the waist seem small. -Sleeves were often very puffy. -Ruff was a giant ruffle attached at the top of the gown

// **Upper Class Men** // -Underclothes. -Stocking or hose were used as pants but covered only the legs. -Codpiece was a piece of cloth attached to the pants to cover the space in between legs. It was often stuffed. -Coset. -Shirt. -Doublet was a tight jacket worn over the shirt. -Sleeves. -Belt. -Ruff.

**Makeup**

During Elizabethan times, the ideal face was pale, young looking skin, red lips, red cheeks, and bright eyes. Only the rich could achieve this look but although it was considered beautiful, it could be hazardous to women's health.

- To make the cheeks white, ceruse was applied to the face. Ceruse was a mixture of vinegar and lead. in the 1500's skin was not very cared for, and sunscreen did not exist so ceruse was used to hide all of the blemishes, freckles, and wrinkles. But because of the lead, it could worsen skin condition and cause skin to dry. To cure blemishes, it was popular to wash the face with mercury, which is also a dangerous substance. -To make lips and cheeks red, the favorite substance was vermilion, which is mercuric sulfide. It was applied heavily even though it was already a thick substance. -The eyes were lined with kohl to make them stand out, like eye liner, and drops of belladonna were put in the eyes to enlarge them. Belladonna is a plant that although it made eyes pretty, it can poisonous. It can cause sensitivity to light, blurred vision, inability to focus on objects, and rapid heartbeat. Continuos usage of the belladonna drops can lead to blindness, but back then, the effects were unknown.



**Hair**

// **Women's Hair** //

-Red or Blonde hair was desired. -Long hair for young women were signs of being unmarried and virgins. -Married women kept their hair long, but always wore it up in a bun. -Queen Elizabeth made frizziness popular and desirable.

// **Men's Hair** //

-In the beginning of period, men's hair was kept short. -When men have long hair, it must always be curled with hot irons. -Beards were often kept long, and starched to keep its shape.



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