tudor fashions


The Tudor period marked the beginning of the Renaissance in England,and fashion (especially after 1509) reflected the change.

Henry VII,who usurped the throne in 1485, was extremely frugal, and fashion changed slowly during his reign.

Henry VIII inherited the throne with a large treasury at the age of 18, and the court blossomed.
He was insecure, aggressive, blatantly masculine and suddenly extremely rich.
All of which reflected in the opulent new fashions, especially for men.

During Henry's reign, styles for both sexes combined elements of German, Spanish and Italian fashions, with heavy French influence overall.

As befitted their role in society, woman's fashions were somewhat less flamboyant then the men's.

The kirtle was almost identical to a cotehardie , with the addition of cuffs.

The skirts started to be cut separately from the bodice, with the cut of the bodice neck line becoming square.

The adoption of tight corsets and Spanish farthingales early in Henry VIII's reign.

The style developed into the silhouette of a small cone inverted into a larger one.

To allow more variety, the underskirt and under sleeves we not sewn to the gown.


During Henry VII's reign, the houpelande became a robe or gown, opening down the front, soon left unbelted and open.
This was worn over a skirted doublet, shirt and hose .
Slashing became popular, and the modest codpiece became a grotesque brag.

As Henry VIII aged he favored short full gowns to hide his increasing bulk, thus creating a square silhouette.


Men's clothing gave them a square shape.
They wore short doublets over their hose and the shoulders of their coat were cut wide.
It was fashionable for their sleeves to be slashed and their flat hats were often decorated with feathers.

Women's clothing gave them a triangular shape.
Their corsets were tight fitting while their kirtles and gowns were very full.

Their head-dress consisted of a coif that fitted closely round the face, to which was attached the cornet, a long piece of black material that often hung down the back.


The men's fashion had not changed as much as the women's.
However, the square shape was replaced by a sleeker look.

Men still wore doublet and hose, but the coat had been replaced by a short jacket.
Men also wore ruffs around their necks.
The style of dress had changed considerably.
The bodice was longer, and the skirt was worn over a farthingale (a circular frame) to give it its unique shape.

The head-dress had been replaced by jewels in the hair and an elaborate ruff of lace was worn around the neck.


In Tudor England, social class was everything.
As merchants grew in wealth and influence, Henry VIII enacted strict laws that allowed him to know at a glance who a person was by regulating what clothes they could wear.

Middle-class merchants could now afford many of the luxurious fabrics once only worn by nobles, a trend indicative of a much broader social change that could threaten the king's own position.
Clothes controls, first introduced in medieval times, helped maintain the old, familiar status quo.

Cloth of gold or silver and purple silk were restricted to women with the rank of countess or higher.
No woman was allowed to wear fabrics embroidered with silk, pearls, gold or silver except baronesses and those of higher rank.
Enforcement of these laws was lax but heavy fines could be extracted from those caught in violation.