Renaissance Costumes for Women

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Peasants wear colors but the fabrics from which their clothes are made is much less luxurious to the touch than that of nobility. You may have a velvet (or something that looks velvety), satin, or brocaded vest, dress, skirt, or jacket that you could wear with a noblewoman's costume.

Bodice, chemise, dress

Consider the Renaissance colors that compliment you, of course. Now, how to adapt what is in your 20th century closet to the 14th century.

For the top of a lovely dress, look for a blouse that has a collar that you can stand up. Finish the outfit off with a long skirt and a sash at your waist of a complimentary or matching color. Do you want a lacey look? Remnants of cloth from a fabric store might be just what you could tack onto the shoulders of a blouse, draping the extra material over the front of each shoulder! How about mutton sleeves? (Those puffy sleeves that you see in paintings from our time.) Find a blouse that is much too large for you, push up the sleeve and hold them in palce at the elbow with scrunchies in a color that will blend in well - or with rubberbands that aren't too tight.

 

 

Accessories

My, yes, ladies, accessorize! Look for ribbon that would make a lovely necklace. Costume jewelry that looks like a brooch that can be worn on the bodice or a cape - or even on a hat. And we ladies do wear earrings. Remember - colors are key to our time and station in life!

 

 

Hats and hair

"Everyone wear hats except the Irish and the Scots. Proper hats include the muffin cap (It does look like a muffin! Poofy at the top with a wide, tight headband.), biggins (a close-fitting cap worn by children), flat caps, felt and straw hats. Women wore hair pinned up or braided under their hats."

 

 

Shoes and hose

"Bare feet and legs are inappropriate - unless you're an Irishman or a Scot! Most earth-toned shoes will work: wallabies, Minetonka mocassins, closed-toe Birkenstocks. In a pinch, use black kung fu slippers" or even brocaded slippers. If you only have those althletic shoes I see on your feet - whoever thought of those? They look so cumbersome! - take a remnant of cloth that is earth-toned and cover the tops of your shoes, taping or pinning each around your ankle.