the rebirth

the renaissance period started about 1450 in italy and ended about 1600. the word renaissance came from the Italian word "renascrere" meaning to be re-born. many would say it was the age in which intellectual and creative energy was re-born. in the 15th century fashion was re-born and beauty of the human body was discovered once again. 

Lady Gaga in Alexander McQueen

renaissance dress makers considered the human form in two parts - hips and shoulders. the clothing was made to fit the wearer, yet on the outside it was padded to show the body in a completely different form than the natural one. a person's wealth was shown in the jewels sewn in the cloth, fabric, and layers of clothing. 

Italian Renaissance gowns

toward the later renaissance, fashion began to reflect mannerism. sumptuary laws decreed that commoners only to wear clothing of one color. in order to circumvent the sumptuary laws, men and women cut open the outer surfaces of their clothes to expose the contrasting color beneath, which was called slashing.

during the early renaissance, the necklines varied in cut and height. little changes in necklines, waistlines, sleeves and such help identify the dress to the different time periods and different rulers. with the change of rulers came a change in what was considered fashionable depending on what the queen or king wore.

image from freewebs

women's undergarments were also important in the renaissance when it came to being fashionable and distinguishing status and social class as with other, more visible fashions, such as outer dresses, head dress and footwear. 

the main women's undergarments was the chemise, or as it was also called, camicia or underobe. the role of the chemise was to form the shape of the dress and in the later years was shown at the neckline and sleeves of the dress, and therefore had to be decorated and fashionable. fashions of the renaissance were very complicated and elaborate and undergarments, even though rarely seen, were no exception.

women's hair and head dresses were the most elaborate, ever-changing and time consuming parts of women's fashions in the renaissance. women spent hours plucking hair from their foreheads and side of their face to achieve a high forehead, which was considered fashionable during the Renaissance. They pulled the remaining hair into a tight bun or braid and then covered their heads with some kind of head dress, depending on what was fashionable, which went from to turbans to veils and was always elaborately decorated with jewels, embroidery and rich fabrics. 

in the later renaissance, venetian women would arrange their hair into twin buns that resembled horns at the front of their head. sometimes these horns would be up to half a foot, and with the combined height of hair and shoes, women could appear to be up to a foot and a half taller than they really were. what was considered fashionable for women's hair and head dress changed considerably many times throughout the renaissance. 

Gable or Kennel headdress

close to the turn of the century, women wore what was called the gable or kennel headdress. these were very elaborate head dresses, consisting of many different parts to complete the style. the hair was center parted, and fell loosely down the back, and a white under cap was worn directly over the hair and was tied under the chin. pinned to the under cap was a stiffened tight fitting cap, or coif, with the front and the lappets, or loose flaps, were covered with black material. the front edge of the coif was decorated and rigid with use of metal. pinned to the coif was placed a semi-circular black hood, decorated around the front, that was like a veil, covering the top of the chest and back. women's hair and head dress during the renaissance most likely were as influential in determining status and social class and being fashionable as the outer dress. thus women spent a lot of time doing up their hair and arranging their head dress and most probably took great joy in creating their elaborate styles.

the shoes were very extravagant as was the rest of the outfit. the platform could add height to the wearer and came in a height of up to thirteen inches and jeweled ornaments adorned the leather. although very fashionable, these high shoes were never actually seen in public, as they were covered by the long skirts the women wore. during this period the gracefully curved heel became known as the french or louis XV heel. 

Louis XV heel

the change from platforms to heels changed the whole idea of shoemaking. walking became considered an art with wearing heeled shoes and a hoop skirt moving forward and backward. hemlines were hiked up to the ankles and thus the costly foot attire was shown off to the public. 

the renaissance period caused fashion to change forever. it was a period that set the stage for years to come. elaborate details, along with colorful fabrics and expensive jewels were just a few elements of the renaissance fashion. people went to any length to outdo each other in their garments. as the period went on the decorative details got more and more elaborate leading up to the elizabethan age. the italian renaissance influenced all the countries around them. many countries copied the renaissance "look", because of the elegance and beauty of the clothing. the fashions of the italian renaissance were so influential that, when italy was conquered by spain, france, and austria, the fashions in europe changed and were never the same. the fashions of the renaissance period were truly in a league of their own.

fash'on... BAM!