The document provides details about the rulers of three major fashion controlling countries from 1547 to the end of the Mid-Renaissance between 1558-1559. It begins by listing the rulers of France, Spain, and England from 1547 onwards. It then notes that just as the thrones of France, Spain, and England were left empty in 1547 with the deaths of their rulers, the same three countries will see a change in rulers at the end of the Mid-Renaissance period between 1558-1559. The document then moves on to provide descriptions of portraits and paintings, detailing the fashion and clothing depicted.

1. Kris Gone to KCACTF
McTier Steps In
To finish the 3 major fashion controlling countries’
rulers: All beginning in 1547: France: Henry II until
1559 then Frances II to 1574, Spain: Philip II to 1558
then Philp III to 1621, and England: Edward VI 1547-
1553, Mary I 1553 to 1558, and finally Elizabeth 1558
to 1603. Just as in 1547 when Frances I, Isabella, and
Henry VIII all die leaving their thrones empty, the
same 3 countries will change rulers at the end of the
Mid- Renaissance between 1558 and 1559.

2. 196: Swiss Guards in the Foreground
Long hair left from the Early Renaissance, the
garments from the inside out are the white chemise,
the sleeves (gold with a multi colored slashed lower
sleeve or red) are what we see of the doublet, the
sleeveless part of the big skirts are bodies, the organ
pipe skirts are the bases. Bases are long organ piped
skirts usually with an opening up center back as seen
in the next picture.

3. 197: Swiss Guards II
The previous painting was finished in 1511, this
painting in 1520. The largest shift in the Guard’s look
is the shortening of some of their hair (men’s hair is
cut short and shorter as the first half of the 16th
Century moves forward). The Swiss Guard’s costume
remained virtually unchanged for centuries after the
creation of this combination. Here the white is the
chemise. The doublets are visible at the v of the neck
on the man on the left, the shoulders and back on the
center guard and all 4 men’s sleeves. The bodies
(what the bases are attached to) cover the chest area
of the doublet. The bases opening up center back is
emphasized by the foreground man’s leg reaching
behind him. We also see his white hose and black
foot shaped shoes.

4. 198: Young Queen Elizabeth
On top of her head she is wearing the French hood- a
horseshoe shaped headdress with a black hood attached
that covers the back of the wearer’s head. The hood can
come snug to the nape of the neck or it can be fashioned
as a long veil attaching to the front headdress.
Her gown consists of a bodice (the part of the garment
that covers the torso) that is built separately from the
skirt. When both are completed, they are attached. Note
the top of the skirt fits smoothly against the bottom of
the bodice- this type of smooth fit is particularly popular
during the first quarter of the century, slowly moving
towards skirts that have to be pleated to fit the bodice.
When a gown’s skirt is open from near the waist to the
floor and pulled back to reveal a frontlet, it is referred to
as an open gown. The frontlet is a half gown- from waist
to floor later known as a petticoat, that was made with
expensive fabrics on the front half and cheaper fabric on
the back.) The frontlets usually matched the false sleeves
of the bodice as seen in this portrait.
The gown is worn over a Spanish Farthingale (the
Verdigado gone under the skirt becomes this first hooped
undergarment to create a bell shape to women’s gowns).
Her bodice’s sleeves are made up of a short tight fitting
sleeve with a flaring lower sleeve stitched to the bottom.
Tied in to the seam where the these two sections of the
sleeve meets is the false sleeve. The false sleeve is usually
made of stiff fabric roughly in the shape of an elongated U
with slashing along the outer seam.
Her chemise is visible at her wrist.

5. 199: Lady with Fur Sleeves
This lady has the French hood, bodice with false
sleeves. Her gown is an open gown with Frontlet. Her
girdle is tied along the seam of bodice and skirt. Note
that her skirt as flat pleats where it joins the bodice’s
waist. This adds additional fullness to the gown. All is
worn over the Spanish Farthingale. Also note the
square neckline- the most popular neck shape of the
period for women.
Necklaces cover the base of her throat and slide into
the front of her bodice. A brooch is attached center
front of the bodice.
It should be noted at this time that during the 17th
Century and beyond portraits were “sat” for by the
subject. The long hours that were needed to sit still
where grueling. To relieve some of the time need to
complete some of the portraits, artists would prepare
the entire pose, complete with all the garments and
then have the subject sit for the completion of the
head on the portrait. This particular dress, hood and
jewelry can be seen in a number of portraits from the
period but with different faces. As the Century moves
forward some of the distortions of head and body can
be attributed to this practice.

6. 200: Lady in Red
As with the previous portrait, this lady has a French
hood. Her gown has the false sleeves that match her
frontlet. Her skirt has heavy organ pipe pleating
across the back and sides- making this skirt heavier
and fuller than the two previous skirts. Her bodice’s
square neckline is filled with her partlet (an addition
to the bodice that covers the woman’s chest). This
partlet comes all the way to the base of her neck with
a short standing collar trimmed in gold and jewels
ribbon and a small ruffle attached to the top. This
ruffle will also appear on men’s chemises’ near the
middle of the century.

7. 201: Jane Seymour
Headdress is the English hood also known as the
Gable, Kennel or Pedimental headdress (the shape of
the headdress resembles the window treatment
popular at the time for houses. The black hood is
attached in the same manner as it was on the French
Hood). The small white tabs coming off of the
bottom of the front frame below the ears are the
lappets—left over from the lappets of the Late Gothic
hennin.
The front frame also has place along the front center
billaments—jewels place inside a headdress.
Note the square neckline of her bodice, snug upper
sleeve of her gown and full outer sleeve of a
contrasting color.
Below the sewn sleeves is the stiff false sleeve that is
slashed with lining pulled through the slashes. Her
chemise is visible under the false sleeve at her wrist
edged with lace.

8. 202: Anne of Cleves
This portrait was sent to Henry the VIII as a way of
introducing the king to a potential new queen. The
painter, Hans Holbein, flattered Anne, the king fell in
love, married her sight unseen and upon meeting her
never consummated the marriage, rather divorced
her and set her up on her own estate in England.
They became close friends. The gown is an excellent
example of the softer shapes worn in the
Netherlands. The high waist is left over from the Early
Renaissance but the heavy velvet that makes up the
bulk of the dress helps to make her fashionable in the
Mid- Renaissance. Her cap squares her face (an
important desire for the headdresses of the period).
No name that is agreed upon. The sheer fabric at the
neckline trimmed in lace is her partlet.

9. 203: German Women
The Germans maintained a rounded waist set at the
natural waist line. The fabric, heavier than the Early
Renaissance is organ pipe pleated. Multiple slashing
is occurring on all of the upper class women’s sleeves.
The flat saucer like headdresses are indicative of
German high fashion of the period. The peasant
woman tending the feet of the seated woman in
wearing a chemise, bodice and skirt that is rolled up
to protect it from getting dirty. Fabric chains adorn
many of the dresses.

10. 204: Salome holding JB’s Head
This depiction of a Bible story shows Salome wearing
German clothing of the Mid Renaissance. Her flat
saucer like headdress, tied in sleeves, chemise
showing at elbow shoulder, and center front of her
bodice emphasizes the idea of many fabrics utilized in
the creation of the period’s style. The reddish orange
and long wavy free hair is found in many German
portraits of the Mid Renaissance— The free hair and
abundance of chemise helps to soften the heavier
fabrics popular for main garments. German styles
never go to the stiffened extremes of England, France,
and Spain.

11. 205: Another German Woman
Note the fullness of the over gown’s sleeves at the
wrist that ends in a wide open funnel style of cuff.
This over gown emphasized sloping shoulders of the
wearer and a slightly raised waistline. It appears to
open center front. Her gown is visible only just below
her necklace.

12. 206: A Pair of Bodies
This metal cage was an early form of corset. The
flattening of the woman’s chest and abdomen were
essential for the elongated flat fronts in the English,
French and Spanish courts.

13. 207
The chemise of this lady is held in place by tight soft
pleating at her neckline with a small amount of fabric
left free above the base of the throat to create a low
ruffle. The base of the neckline is smocked (a hand
stitching technique used to pull fabric tightly together
using decorative stitching). The bodice of the gown
has the popular square neckline. The sleeves of the
gown are short puffed sleeves with a long full sleeved
tied in to the armhole on the inside of the garment.
On top of her head she is wearing a veil over a mall
diadem shaped roll of fabric.

14. 208: Queen of France
Note her hair is parted in the middle and controlled in
a bun behind her head. The square neckline of her
gown is modified to raise upward towards her chin at
the center. Her sleeves are heavily slashed reveling
the ling of the sleeve. At her wrist the white ruffle
that is part of her chemise is present. (The sheering
nature of the fabric told to us by the artist is why we
can tell that is the chemise not part of the gown’s
sleeve.

15. 209: The Red Dress Woman
This is an example of an Italian style of the period.
Rich velvet fabrics tightly cartridge pleating (ask them
to ask me next Monday what that is—too hard to
write the description) and short puffed sleeves that
are tucked help to create a heavier fabric than the last
period but still give a hint of softness. Her hair is close
to her head. Black sleeve are tied in to her bodice
under the red sleeves. The square neckline is filled in
with a sheer partlet. Note- necklaces in the mid
Renaissance frame the neckline and can come down
onto the bodice. Multiple necklaces, brooches, and
rings can be worn together.

16. 210
The slight squaring of the woman’s head is done with
the veil that is stiffened of the top half.
This woman is wearing the Barbe on her neck. A
Barbe is a pleated frontlet worn either over the edge
of the gown or tucked into that same edge.

17. 211
Bourrelets of the Late Gothic period can turn into
Turbans of the Mid Renaissance. This woman’s Partlet
has a small ruffle on the neck edge and opens down
the full center front. Her sleeves are tucked as they
were on the woman in red’s gown a few slides back.
She is holding what looks like a mink.

18. 211 B: Queen Mary
On her head, she is wearing the French hood. Her
gown is high necked and has what was known as the
Medici collar (The Medici’s where a wealthy Italian
family that included Popes, Queens, etc.) This
particular collar, one that opens center front of the
woman’s neck and flares out like a tulip, is seen in
many Medici women’s portraits.
Her gown skirt is open from the waist to floor
revealing the Frontlet. The frontlets usually matched
the false sleeves of the bodice as seen in this portrait.

19. 211 C
This woman is wearing a gown with sleeves that have
large puffs and the top and slim sleeves
Below. The forearms are slashed. The chemise is
visible at the wrist. The bottom of this gown’s bodice
(the portion of the dress that covers the upper half of
the torso) has a peplum. Note the squared neck line.

20. 212
This gentleman’s hair is still long like the previous
period. His chemise is visible at his neck and his
doublet sleeve is large with lots of small slashes. The
heavier fabrics make the sleeve full without pleating.

21. 212 A
The young man’s sleeves of black and orang/red are
from his doublet, the solid black along his torso is his
jerkin. You may have to look at your print out to see
the wrinkles caused by the fuller fabric of the jerkin.

22. 213
This gentleman is wearing all of the garments that a
well dresses aristocrat would wear on his torso. From
the inside out: His white chemise- controlled at the
base of his neck by a wide gold ribbon encrusted with
pearls and probably closed with hooks and eyes- note
the bare skin of his chest visible in the slit that is the
opening for his head down center front of his
chemise. The slashed golden brown garment is his
doublet. Visible only near his chemise on his left side
and at his right shoulder is the jerkin. On top of those
three pieces is his gown (the patterned garment) This
gown has a collar that folds down from the neckline.
The man also wears a flat cap (no special name) and
gold chains around his neck.

23. 214
Early in the Mid Renaissance long hair to the shoulder
and beyond might be found on gentlemen. Flat caps
were often cocked to one side. This gentleman from
the inside out is wearing a white chemise that has the
black embroidery called Spanish work.
The checked garment is his doublet. The outer
garment is his gown lined in fur- like the previous
picture, this gown’s collar folds down from its wide
neckline. His jerkin is not visible but was probably
worn.

24. 215
Beards become extremely popular during the 16th
Century. This gentleman has a flat cap, hair coming to
just below his ears (Hair was cut increasingly shorter
as the period moved towards the middle of the
century.)
From the inside out- his chemise visible at his neck
and wrist, his orange/red doublet, black V necked
jerkin with a long to the bottom of the thigh peplum,
black fur lined gown with short puffed sleeves, black
hose and black shoes.

25. 216: The field of the cloth of gold
This painting shows Henry VIII dressed in his silk costume that was woven with a great many
gold metal threads ( the meeting of Francis I and Henry VIII had both kings and their courts
dressed in garments made with so much gold thread that the meeting in June of 1520 was
named after their dress. This meeting was in the middle of a peaceful period between the two
countries (a rather rare occurrence throughout history until the 19th Century). Because
clothing manufacturing was a major portion o f a country’s economy, this 18 day festivity was a
major economic commitment by both courts.
See if the students can pick out a few of the garments Henry is wearing (281 and 218a are of
him in his typical dress as he is in this painting)

26. 217: Frances I of France
Hair if below ears, bear is well trimmed. On top of his
head, he has a flat cocked (angled)hat. From the
inside out – his chemise with Spanish work, doublet-
the black stripe and gold on off white decorative print
striped fabric, the gold V necked jerkin- visible next to
the doublet- it has a gold ribbon edging the top of its
neck. And finally, his solid gold gown with a turned
back collar edged with black and gold embroidered
ribbon.

27. 218: Henry VIII
Shorter hair than Frances, trim beard, cocked flat cap
form his head’s look. From inside out: the chemise is
visible as two small V’s next to his chin and at his wrist
as a ruffle. His doublet is slashed all over the chest
and long sleeves with white lining pulled out through
the slashes. His jerkin is U shaped across his chest
with a long full peplum to the top of his knees. White
hose are visible below the jerkin’s peplum. His large
codpiece pushes out throughout the peplum of the
jerkin. Codpieces gain size during the first half of the
16th Century and many included pockets built into the
sides that allowed the wearer to carry coins and larger
items in this protruding fashion piece.
Henry’s shoes are slashed (this will be called pinking
by the end of the period- slashing on shoes). Shoes
with this style of wide squared off toe are nicknamed
duck billed.

28. 218 A: Henry VIII, Jane Seymour, and
Edward VI
Henry is dressed with the same pieces as the last—ask
the class to identify. Edward: His chemise is visible at
neck and wrist, doublet with the slashed sleeves, the
red is his jerkin. Plus he has hose and shoes. Jane is
wearing the English hood on her head, an open gown
with false sleeves that match her frontlet. Her
chemise is visible at her wrist.

29. 219: Scholar
Wide cap on his head, hair to jawline, His chemise is
visible at his neck under his doublet that has the
round neck His gown has a wide shawl collar and
surplice sleeves Unlike the aristocracy, his gown
extends past his knees. He has hose on his legs and
duck billed shoes on his feet.

30. 220: Bearded Gentleman with Dog
Flat cap and a chemise visible at wrist. The jerkin is
the orangey tan slashed garment with a tall standing
collar. His doublet is only visible on his lower arm
where we see a white slashed sleeve. His gown has a
black fur shawl collar and short puffed sleeves. His
cod piece splits the center of the peplum of his jerkin.
This is the first picture of a new garment. Roughly in
the middle of the 16th Century the upper portion of
the man’s hose starts to be padded and stiffened.
Quickly man sees the opportunity to add more
detailing to the upper portion of his leg and the hose
will split into an upper hose and a lower (or nether)
hose. Once this occurs, the upper hose begins to
grow. In this picture the upper hose looks like slashed
thin knee length pants (a term that is not known until
the 19th Century- I am using it to describe the look to
a 21st Century audience). The nether hose or lower
hose will be long enough that they can fit under the
upperhose and be rolled over a garter to keep them in
place. It is important that no actual flesh is shown on
the leg. This man’s shoes are pinked but are foot
shaped (duck billed or foot shaped shoes dominate
the period)

31. 221: Red and Black-Clothed Man
Gold chains adorn the chest of his slashed black
jerkin. His doublet sleeves are visible as is the chest
through the slashed jerkin and are made of the same
fabric as his upper hose. The codpiece is also present.
His chemise is visible only at his wrist and the very top
edge of his jerkin’s tall standing collar.

32. 222: Peasant Boy
This young man has a flat cap on his head, and ill-
fitting doublet on his body—one can see it is padded
because of the rounded silhouette (shape it creates
on the young man’s chest. Is upper hose are worn
without a codpiece which leaves a gap in his groin
revealing the chemise underneath.

33. 223: Another Peasant
This man wears a short crowned hat with two bills-
one tied up, one left down to cover the wearer’ s
eyes, He is wearing an Early Renaissance double with
tied in sleeves, a chemise, red ill-fitting hose and large
shoes that look to be fashioned with lacings on the
sides.

34. 224: Even Poorer Peasant
He has a rag on his head, and old cote from perhaps
the Early Gothic period, chemise, hose that are torn
and holey, 2 different shoes and carries a hat that
would fit a variety of periods.

35. 225: Farm Laborer
Wide brimmed hat, short Early Renaissance doublet
over his chemise, braies and hose with short ankle
length foot shaped shoes.
Remember that the poorer people are wearing
functional clothing that will allow them to do
whatever work they are performing. Very poor people
wear garments that are whatever they can find.
Fashion is controlled by the rich, until much later in
history.