Have Fun for The Holidays With Renaissance Clothing
Women used to set the trend during the Renaissance period when it came to fashion. If they could afford it, they had their clothes were adorned with great symbols of wealth. The outfits of women could contain many pieces and usually included an underskirt, a hoop, skirt, bodice, collar and vest. Both women and men wore collars which were stiff, with the clothing of women evolving with the fashion of men. As the dresses put on by men became more barrel-shaped, women added pleated skirts, larger hoops, and sleeves that would balloon on the arm and tightened on the cuff.
The Popular Renaissance Clothing
When you think about clothing for holiday parties, you usually think about formal cocktail dresses and tuxedos but sometimes this tradition gets stale and you can switch up by having the guests arrive at this year’s holiday party dressed in Renaissance clothing. This type of clothing was popular during medieval times and it represented sophistication, subtlety and grace. During medieval times women wore highly decorated outfits that were a forerunner to the Victorian way of fashion in the 1800s. Many of these outfits were designed with pricey fabrics so the poorer residents did not have easy access to this style of clothing.
Corsets and Bodices
If you really want an authentic Renaissance look for the holiday party, you should purchase a corset or bodice to wear underneath the medieval-style dresses. Long before Spanx arrived in our stores, women generally wore corsets or bodices to assist them with attaining an hourglass shape as they attended social functions. Some costume stores sell corsets in various colors and sizes and they are fun to wear. You may also find these at vintage clothing stores since some women wore bodices between the 1930s and 1940s.
Don’t Forget Hats
In medieval times women often wore fancy hats with their outfits and this added the extra femininity to their overall look. Many of these hats were large and beautifully designed with lace and sometimes jewels.
Renaissance Clothing for Men
During Renaissance times the men wore lengthy feathers with their clothing and they often wore clothing in dark colors that were made of velvet fabric. Men’s clothing during this era was also elaborate and reflected the wealth that characterized this era.
How to Find Affordable Renaissance Clothing
Online retailers are the best sources of this type of clothing because of the numerous independent retailers that exist online. Another place to go is the local strip mall because you may find a costume shop that has a few medieval costumes available. If you like garage sales you can visit a few of them to look for a decent outfit and occasionally the flea markets may sell medieval costumes.
Dressing Your Kids in Medieval Clothing
If you are throwing a medieval-themed party for the kids near the holidays, you can dress them up like the characters from classic fairy tales and novels that were out during this era. You can also decorate the Christmas tree with medieval-inspired ornaments made of brass or wood.
Go Classic Goth
We know about the modernized goth clothing that is punk rock-influenced but there is also the classic goth look from the Renaissance era that also focused on very dark colors but outfits at that time were more sophisticated and elegant. Some examples of classic goth include long black lace or linen dresses, black corsets or bodices and black dressy gloves to go with the outfit.
Conclusion
Some people have rightfully complained that people do not dress as formally as they used to at social gatherings and you can bring this tradition back with a medieval-style holiday party for your guests. To make it even more interesting, you can also serve meals that were popular during this time at the party and play soothing classical music. You can even hold a “best-dressed”contest for the guests and give prizes to the top three winners.
Another idea is to research the dances that were popular during the medieval area and do these dances at the party. Overall, this should be a memorable party for everyone that attends.
The Popular Renaissance Clothing
When you think about clothing for holiday parties, you usually think about formal cocktail dresses and tuxedos but sometimes this tradition gets stale and you can switch up by having the guests arrive at this year’s holiday party dressed in Renaissance clothing. This type of clothing was popular during medieval times and it represented sophistication, subtlety and grace. During medieval times women wore highly decorated outfits that were a forerunner to the Victorian way of fashion in the 1800s. Many of these outfits were designed with pricey fabrics so the poorer residents did not have easy access to this style of clothing.
Corsets and Bodices
If you really want an authentic Renaissance look for the holiday party, you should purchase a corset or bodice to wear underneath the medieval-style dresses. Long before Spanx arrived in our stores, women generally wore corsets or bodices to assist them with attaining an hourglass shape as they attended social functions. Some costume stores sell corsets in various colors and sizes and they are fun to wear. You may also find these at vintage clothing stores since some women wore bodices between the 1930s and 1940s.
Don’t Forget Hats
In medieval times women often wore fancy hats with their outfits and this added the extra femininity to their overall look. Many of these hats were large and beautifully designed with lace and sometimes jewels.
Renaissance Clothing for Men
During Renaissance times the men wore lengthy feathers with their clothing and they often wore clothing in dark colors that were made of velvet fabric. Men’s clothing during this era was also elaborate and reflected the wealth that characterized this era.
How to Find Affordable Renaissance Clothing
Online retailers are the best sources of this type of clothing because of the numerous independent retailers that exist online. Another place to go is the local strip mall because you may find a costume shop that has a few medieval costumes available. If you like garage sales you can visit a few of them to look for a decent outfit and occasionally the flea markets may sell medieval costumes.
Dressing Your Kids in Medieval Clothing
If you are throwing a medieval-themed party for the kids near the holidays, you can dress them up like the characters from classic fairy tales and novels that were out during this era. You can also decorate the Christmas tree with medieval-inspired ornaments made of brass or wood.
Go Classic Goth
We know about the modernized goth clothing that is punk rock-influenced but there is also the classic goth look from the Renaissance era that also focused on very dark colors but outfits at that time were more sophisticated and elegant. Some examples of classic goth include long black lace or linen dresses, black corsets or bodices and black dressy gloves to go with the outfit.
Conclusion
Some people have rightfully complained that people do not dress as formally as they used to at social gatherings and you can bring this tradition back with a medieval-style holiday party for your guests. To make it even more interesting, you can also serve meals that were popular during this time at the party and play soothing classical music. You can even hold a “best-dressed”contest for the guests and give prizes to the top three winners.
Another idea is to research the dances that were popular during the medieval area and do these dances at the party. Overall, this should be a memorable party for everyone that attends.