During the Renaissance, the wealthier and more successful members of a city, township or neighborhood often wore luxuriant and highly decorated renaissance clothing that was hand crafted from a variety of rich and costly cloths and finishes. In fact, the wealthier a household was the more costly and ornate their Renaissance clothing was, as this was one of the measurable ways of signaling stature and riches during the Renaissance period of time.
Interestingly enough, as there was little chance for financial investment, the Renaissance clothing of the ruling classes was not only seen as indication of riches, but a form of investment. If a family were to require money in the future, the clothing could be resold.The materials that the prosperous and their designers favored during the Renaissance were cloths that were the hardest to develop and therefore the most expensive and exclusive. This included cotton, velvet, silk and brocade. At the time, each of these was labor intensive and/or produced a great distance away from Western Europe, such as in Egypt for cotton. Luxuriant finishes such as ribbons, seed pearls and golden/silver thread were also liberally embroidered on the Renaissance clothing of the day.
During the period of time, Medieval clothing for women ebbed and flowed from more simplistic pieces, such as underskirts, bodices and gowns, to more involved article of clothing that included skirts, petticoats, bodices, over bodices, hoops and collars. Men’s Renaissance clothing on the other hand, was often designed to accentuate the body shape, allowing them with a more rounded look. Made out of the same rich colors and fabrics, their renaissance clothing often included padded shoulders and breeches, as well as hats, adorned with the same embroidery and fancy finishes that completed the Renaissance dresses for women.
