Renaissance Clothing Colors Part 1

Color played an important role in renaissance clothing. Social hierarchy, culture, and economic activity all played a role in the color of clothing. For the status conscientious nobles, merchants, and peasants of the renaissance period, clothing colour was particularly important. It is fascinating to note that the importance placed on color continued beyond the renaissance period and resulted in significant changes in chemistry during the mid-1800s; changes that continue to impact nearly all aspects of modern-day life. The importance of color during the renaissance should not be underestimated; neither for the role it played during that period nor for its continuing impact today.

Sometimes there is a perception that the color of clothing during early periods of history, like the Renaissance period, was not very good; that the colors were not bright, were not of very many hues, were mostly greens and browns, and that they faded quickly. In fact, this is not universally true. Give the ancients some credit here! Look around outside – all of the colors seen in nature are the colors which were produced from natural dyes in the past. Dyeing was well developed by 2000 B.C. [1] By the time the Renaissance rolled around, dyeing had been going on for at least 3000 years, and probably longer. That is 3,000 years of experiments and improvements and fine-tuning to the art and craft of dyeing.

Also, consider how long people have been making cloth. In his book, Indigo Textiles: Technique and History, Gösta Sandberg talks about linen “woven with over 330 weft threads per inch (130 per centimeter) as was being done in Egypt thousands of years before our era began” and cotton cloth “woven so thin as that of the bare-footed weavers of Madapalam and Calcutta, who made it all by hand in what we now call undeveloped India” and thread “spun so fine that one kilometer of it weighs scarcely more than a gramme, as they once did with little distaffs.” He continues, “We say that machines and mechanisation give people more time. Yet never again will anyone have the time, and be able to afford to devote two years to weaving, say, a double ikat in Gujarat or a batik for a bridal cloak in Java.” (pg 9) Some cloth and clothing during the Renaissance, like that of peasants, was undoubtedly primitive and made with poorly dyed colors. (I could say the same of some of the clothing in my closet today). However, dispel the idea that all cloth and all colors of clothing during the Renaissance era were roughly made and poorly dyed.

Many resources and books describe natural and ancient dyes and the colors that are achievable with these dyes. Here are some of the clothing colors available with natural dyes:

Reds	light to dark red, bright red, crimson, rose, pink, reddish-orange, reddish-brown, reddish-purple, red-gray
Oranges	light to dark orange, orange-brown, rust, reddish-orange, yellow-orange, gold-orange
Yellows	light to dark yellow, bright yellow, gold, yellow-gold, gold-orange, yellow-green, yellow-orange, golden-tan
Greens	light to dark green, bright green, yellow-green, sea green, olive-green, gray-green
Blues	light to very dark blues, teal, blue-gray, blue-black
Purples	light to dark purples; reddish-purple, purple-gray, lilac, violet
Browns	light to dark brown, reddish-brown, light tan (honey), tan, golden-tan, fawn, rust, orange-brown
Grays	light to dark gray, blue-gray, red-gray, gray-green, purple-gray
Blacks	black, near-black, blue-black

* Note that the words used to describe the colors listed above are generally modern descriptions of natural colors. For example, the words ‘olive green,’ when used today, describe a green-yellow hue of medium lightness. [2] During the Renaissance, the same words, if they were used, may have described a different color. However, the modern descriptions used above, even if they are not the words that might have been used during the Renaissance, describe the colors achievable using natural dyes available during the Renaissance.

Books with color pictures of materials dyed with natural and ancient dyes:

Bolton, Eileen M. Lichens for Vegetable Dyeing (Newton Centre 59, Mass.: Charles T. Branford Company, 1960).

Kramer, Jack Natural Dyes Plants & Processes (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1972).

Liles, J.N. The Art and Craft of Natural Dyeing: Traditional Recipes for Modern Use (Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1990).

Van Stralen, Trudy Indigo, Madder & Marigold: A Portfolio of Colors from Natural Dyes (Loveland, CO: Interweave Press, 1993).

Weigle, Palmy Ancient Dyes for Modern Weavers (New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1974).

Sources

[1] Sandberg, Gösta Indigo Textiles: Technique and History (London: A & C Black, 1989), 10.

[2] The Free Online Dictionary. "Olive green." Farlex, Inc. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/olive+green (Accessed 12 June 2009).

Thank you for reading my blog about Renaissance clothing!

Simple Renaissance Faire Costumes

Renaissance Clothing for Men and Women

Renaissance Fair season is coming up and it is time to start thinking about that perfect Renaissance Faire costume. Finding a costume can be as complex or simple as you desire. Of course, if you want a historically accurate Renaissance costume, then your search will be more complex as you delve through history to discover the subtleties of Renaissance clothing. On the other hand, if you just want to “look the part” without too much research, expense, or attention to accuracy, then finding a costume will be relatively simple. Putting together a simple costume is as easy as visiting the second hand store, finding an online costume store, or buying and making a pattern from McCalls (for example).

Renaissance Costumes for Men
For a shirt, wear a basic tunic falling to mid-thigh. Tunics slit and/or laced up beneath the throat provide extra style. Sleeves may be puffy, like that pictured, elbow length, or non-existent. Material can be cotton or linen, or another natural looking fabric. Although bright colors were worn during the Renaissance, your simplest choice will be the solid, subdued versions of cream, olive, brown, blue, burgundy, grey, black, or red. Wear a brown or black belt loosely around the hips over the tunic.

Some people are quite pleased to leave their costuming efforts with a tunic and just wear a pair of jeans for pants. This would indeed be simple. If, however, you are looking for a more complete costume, then wear basic, baggy pants made of cotton or linen. The pants can have an elastic (non-existent during the Renaissance period) or drawstring waist. Again, use solid, subdued colors like black or brown.


Wear solid, brown or black colored shoes. Accessorize by attaching a drinking mug or money pouch onto your belt. Though hats were common articles of Renaissance clothing, one is not required for the basic Renaissance costume. Overall, the basic Renaissance costume for men is pretty comfortable.

Renaissance Costumes for Women
A simple costume for women traditionally begins with a white chemise or smock usually mid-thigh or mid-calf length with billowing sleeves to the wrist or elbow. However, given the realities of a hot fair day, some people choose to wear a simple, white tank top. It is optional, although common, to see a chemise with an elastic or drawstring neckline drawn down off the shoulders and resting right above the bicep. Material can be linen, cotton, or another natural looking fabric.

At this point, there is a wide variety of choices concerning skirt and bodice combinations. The simplest is to wear a full-length skirt with attached sleeveless bodice over the chemise. The bodice laces up the front, side, or back through eyelets and is similar to a vest. It can be as low cut as desired. A square neckline is common. Material can be cotton, linen, or any natural looking fabric. Like with men’s clothing the simplest color choices are solid versions of olive, brown, blue, burgundy, black, or red. For additional styling, wear two full-length skirts of different colors with the top skirt tucked up on one side to show the underskirt. Another option is for the full-length skirt to have a slit down the front to show the chemise underneath. In this case, be sure to wear a full-length chemise. The bodice and skirt colors can be different if desired.

Solid colored shoes are good, although with the full-length skirt, they probably will not show much.

So there you have it, two simple Renaissance faire costumes. They are not necessary authentic, but they are close enough for fitting in and looking the part. In addition, they are fairly comfortable and with a creative visit to the second hand store, not too expensive to assemble. Thank you for reading this post about simple Renaissance Faire costumes!

Tips for Renaissance Clothing Research

Finding out what historically accurate Renaissance clothing looks like can be a bit difficult. There are thousands of resources available on the internet and no doubt thousands of books on the subject as well. Knowing which of these resources are accurate can be difficult. This post includes some things I have learned while trying to find information about clothing worn during the Renaissance period.

#1: Primary sources are always most important. These sources are first hand accounts by the people actually living during the period. Look at artwork, sculptures, and effigies created during the Renaissance period to see what people of the time were wearing. (1) Even original writings may refer to clothing, if you can decipher them. Keep in mind that artists may have added fantasy elements to the costumes their subjects were wearing. Thus, not all artwork will show historically accurate Renaissance clothing as it was being worn at the time. Keep in mind that the color of the clothing in artwork may not accurately reflect the actual color of the clothing worn. For example, Amy Butler Greenfield notes in her book, A Perfect Red, “Peasants sometimes appear brightly dressed in medieval and Renaissance works of art, such as the duc de Berry’s lavish Très Riches Heures. This is less a reflection of peasant wardrobes than of the fact that wealthy patrons could afford precious pigments and expected their artists to use them.”(pg 9)

So how does a person know whether an artist’s renderings are accurate? By looking at other paintings during that time period it is possible to see the trends in clothing worn. So if a particular style is depicted multiple times by different artists, then it seems more likely that it is accurate. Keep in mind information about colors, status, and social traditions.

Also, some knowledge of a particular artist is useful. Knowing the country and city where the artist worked and grew up may provide information about the elements and style of clothing in a geographic region. For example, say you want to know what men wore in the early 1500s in Florence, Italy. Then look at pictures painted by artists working in Florence, Italy in the early 1500s. In addition, knowing whether the artist frequently indulged in fantastical imaginings and depictions will indicate the trustworthiness of the clothing depicted.

Now the question arises of where to find and view these primary sources. The library is always a good place to start. Search in art history books and magazines, books about museum collections, and books about the Renaissance. They usually feature pictures of artwork completed during the Renaissance and thus show Renaissance clothing. Period artwork can also be viewed on the internet. Search for Renaissance art, English Renaissance art, or whatever area strikes your fancy. Searching for websites about Renaissance clothing will also result in references to period artwork.

#2: I’ve also found secondary sources interpreting the primary sources to be very useful. The reason is that once I started looking at the primary sources, I still didn’t really know what I was seeing. Are the people depicted upper class or lower class? How are their clothes put together? Is it a summer or winter fashion? Is it everyday clothing or party clothing? Interpretations are always useful. For example, in 1510 Vittore Carpaccio painted a picture called Two Venetian Ladies on Terrace. When I first looked at this picture I thought the sleeves were made of puffy white fabric sewn to the darker patterned upper fabric. It wasn’t until a week later when I actually saw a present-day renaissance costume showing the sleeves (http://www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/ghirlandaio/index.html) did I realize that the puffy white fabric is the separate underclothing or chemise and that the darker patterned sleeves were tied over the chemise. Suddenly, references about detachable sleeves that I had vaguely comprehended earlier in other secondary sources made perfect sense. What gives me confidence about the costume’s accuracy at festiveattyre.com is how the Renaissance paintings from which the dress is designed are shown as well. A good secondary source will refer back to the primary source from which assumptions are drawn.

Evaluating the accuracy of secondary sources can be interesting. One method of evaluation is to review the opinions of other people about a source, while presuming in a hopeful manner that they know what they are talking about. For example, many books on the subject of Renaissance clothing have been reviewed by consumers at amazon.com. I would be inclined to trust most of the information in a book with twenty opinions giving the book a top rating over a book with three mediocre opinion ratings. Also, popular books that are referred to by multiple costuming sources as accurate increases my perceived value of the historical accuracy of those particular books.

The websites for re-enactment organizations, like that of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (www.sca.org), contain links to pages about Renaissance clothing and other historical costumes. A source referred to by the SCA gives me greater confidence in the accuracy of the information. As with all research, viewing a large variety of sources will improve the researcher’s ability to evaluate information accuracy.

Secondary sources are pretty easy to find. Again, go to the library and look for Renaissance clothing, historical clothing, and historical costumes. Run an internet search on the same key words. If you are looking for a particular type of clothing, then run a search on that topic specifically.

That’s all for now and as always – thank you for visiting my blog about Renaissance clothing.

Notes:

(1) In this case an effigy is the sculpted likeness of a person placed on the top of his or her grave.

Sources:

Amy Butler Greenfield A Perfect Red (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005).