How to Dress in Renaissance Fashion - Pure Costumes Blog (2024)

Figuring out howto dress in Renaissancefashion 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 classwere 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 moredressed 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!

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