How to Dress in Renaissance Fashion
Figuring out how to dress in Renaissance fashion can seem pretty confusing at first. When I first started to look around for costumes to wear to the Renaissance Faire, I didn’t know what to pick because there were so many different looks and styles that I’ve seen and I was never exactly sure if what I was looking at was considered Renaissance or not. It turns out that there was a reason for that. People of different societal classes were only allowed to wear certain types of clothing. So I did a little more digging to make it just a tiny bit easier for the rest of you to choose an outfit for your next Renaissance Faire.
Upper Class
During the Renaissance period, there were Sumptuary Laws, meaning that there were rules that dictated what types of clothing, fabrics, and even colors that certain classes could wear. The middle and lower classes were banned from wearing certain fabrics that were rarer like silk, lace, fur, velvet, and such. Also, the upper class or nobility were able to wear richer colors because dyes were very expensive. You would see bright reds and rich deep purples on nobility. Ruffs or high collars, like the one you see on the Queen Elizabeth costume, conveyed a high status. Upper class men and women also wore layers and layers of clothing because they could afford it and it showed off their wealth.
Upper Class Women
 Queen Elizabeth Adult Costume |
 Baroness Adult Costume |
Upper Class Men
 Deluxe Henry VIII Adult Costume |
 Henry VIII Adult Costume |
Middle Class
The middle class of the Renaissance Era were quite wealthy, sometimes even wealthier than the nobility. However, because of the aforementioned Sumptuary Laws, they wouldn’t dress quite as luxurious as the upper class. The middle class did wear nicer fabrics, better cuts, and richer colors than the lower class. They could wear certain silk, satin, brocade, and damask fabrics.
Middle Class Women
Middle class women also wore layers but were unable to wear quite as many layers as the upper class. Their dresses would have nice trimmings and embroidering.
 King’s Mistress Adult Costume |
 Guinevere Adult Costume |
 Medieval Maiden Adult Costume |
Middle Class Men
Middle class men wore doublets with sleeves. The clothes of the middle class were much more fancy than those of the lower class. Their doublets could have embroidery, padding, or boning. Their clothes also had a tailored fit because the middle class were able to afford it.
 King’s Coat Adult Costume |
 Leonardo Da Vinci Adult Costume |
 Nostradamus Adult Costume |
Lower Class
Lower Class Women
Working women would wear simple dresses. They also wore aprons. Every woman always had at least one apron that would be used while working and another would be worn when they were more dressed up.
 Tavern Maid Adult Costume |
 Tavern Wench Adult Costume |
 Tavern Maiden Adult Costume |
Lower Class Men
Even lower class men would at least wear a shirt and a doublet in public. However, their clothes were not as decorative as those of the middle class. Sometimes if a man was out working, he would wear only a shirt.
 Captain John Smith Adult Costume |
 Renaissance Peasant Adult Costume |
 Medieval Man Adult Costume |
Accessories
Accessories are always the best way to really make your costume believable. So make sure you give your look that extra something with a few fun additions.
Head Coverings
During the Renaissance Era, women were always expected to have their heads covered when they were out in public so make sure you are not seen as inappropriate by being caught without a hat of some sort. Often times, men wore hats as well.
 Felt Bonnet |
 Bonnet |
 Mob Cap |
 Henry VIII Hat |
 Tricorn Hat |
 Pilgrim Hat |
Cloaks
As mentioned previously, the upper class could afford to wear layers of clothing. So throw on the layers and add some depth and personality to your costume.
 Medieval Maiden Adult Cloak |
 Medieval Warrior Adult Cloak |
 Women’s Faux Fur Trimmed Cape |
 Winter Lord Cloak Adult Costume |
Other Accessories
 Medieval Belt |
 Drinking Horn |
 Buccaneer Boot Cuffs |
 Royal Goblet |
I hope I’ve made your Renaissance costume shopping just a little bit easier. If you’re going to the Renaissance Faire this year, let us know how you liked it in the comments below!
Lisa
Lisa plays the role of the Fairy Godmother on the Pure Costumes team.
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