Clothing in Renaissance

Renaissance current can be dated, in Europe, as starting around 1480-1490. Renaissance started in Italy and moved towards Hungary, Germany and England, on one hand, and to France, after the French invasions of the Italian Peninsula, on the other. A similar trend occurred in the fashion industry, but the exchanges were continuous and influences from Northern Europe to Italy were not unprecedented. The general characteristics of the initial period of Renaissance in Europe include the close-body fitting of the clothing and a detailed attention to ornamentation.

Both men and women in the upper and middle classes wore elaborate costumes, made of rich materials. The clothing, particular in the upper classes, as well as in the economically successful middle classes, aimed to showcase the individual's success and his or her position in society. As a consequence, in both Northern and Italian Renaissance, there is an attention to detail and to customizing the clothes depending on the occasion (a normal day, a reception, a meeting with a foreign emissary etc.).

As fashion evolves through the 16th century, the close-body structure is abandoned in Northern Europe in favor of wider dresses. This current is partially adopted in Italy as well. In terms of shoes, there are again similarities in that both Northern and Italian Renaissance promoted the flat shoe. At the same time, one can note a common preference for the use of hats.

While in the Northern countries, it may have also had an initial weather motivation, it primarily had a political purpose as well, to show the strength of the individual's position in society. It is interesting to note, however, that in some of the 15th or 16th century Renaissance paintings, Italian women are sometimes portrayed without hats. Perhaps one of the most important differences between the Northern and Italian Renaissance clothing was the Northern tendency to distort, through clothing and fashion, the figure and stature of the individual.

Primarily, this was done by padding that was added; particularly to the sleeves (including arms or shoulders) or to the thighs. Several of Henry VIII's portraits are eloquent in this sense. The padding was not entirely adopted in Italy, where the preference was for slender clothing that would show the shape of the body, in the tradition of the close-fitting previously discussed.

Even if this was not the primary reason, the climate could have also played a role: the warmer weather in Italy would not encourage such fashion extravagances and the Italian creativity went in a different direction. The materials that were used to make the clothes differed from Italy to Northern Europe primarily because of the weather conditions and the climate. Italy benefited from a milder, Mediterranean climate, so.