During the high Renaissance of the sixteenth century, fashion was splendid and bizarre. The exploration of the New World brought great wealth to Europe. This was mirrored in the beautiful fabrics, laces, precious stones, and furs of the time. Gold thread was often woven into fabric, making it extremely stiff and the garments less fluid. Jewels were often attached to the garments and lace added as a finishing touch. These were no fashion leaders in this century; all of the countries took turns establishing new fashion looks.
The Farthingale was invented by the wife of Henry V in an attempt to hide her pregnancy from then an impotent husband. The farthingale, a metal cone-shaped article worn under the skirt, although invented in 1470, was most popular during the sixteenth century. A wheel-like version of the farthingale was developed by princess Marguerite of Valoish camouflaged her wide hips. This style of farthingale became popular in the French and British courts. Lack of comfort was the price paid for beauty during this century. To achieve a breastless look, women wore iron cages called vasquines (vas-keenz). The vasquines acted as corsets and were held together by bolts. Below the vasquine, the women wore a long pointed apparatus called a stomacher, which flattened her stomach.
Perfumes, scented oils, and pomanders were popular because of a lack of running water. Simple lace-trimmed collars gave way to the ruff, a circular face-framing collar. The starched creations became so large that people had to use special elongated eating utensils to get food into their mouths.
The ruff also hindered movement of head, so only the higher classes could wear it, thus giving rise to the term "white collar worker." Two great Queens of the century of this century influenced fashion. They were Elizabeth I of England and Catherine de Medice of France. Both popularized the bell silhouette by wearing farthingales. Medice boasted a sixteen inch waistline added padding to her hips and sleeves to emphasized her wasp waist. She also inspired the medici collar, a lace ruff that showed much cleavage. Elizabeth I owned over 3000 dresses at the time of her death. She popularized the cartwheel farthingales in England, all tall-crowned bonnets with small brims. She also popularized wigs due to a loss of her hair. Accessories such as masks, fans, rings, and handkerchiefs were important.
During the sixteenth century, menswear began to take on the appearance of the garments that men wear today. The pourpoint (poor-point: a forewarner of today's shirt) was the major men's garment. It featured a high standing collar, set-in sleeve, centerfront closure, and a short full peploin. Men usually wore a doublet over the pourpoint. Slashing was common on all men's garments. Men hosiery began to change in the middle of the century when the upper and lower hose became separated and more clearly defined. The lower hose were now knitted and close fitting while the upper hose were padded and slashed. Pumpkin breeches were well padded upper hose and were so named because they resembled pumpkins. Cenetians, another style of upper hose were introduced in Venice. They were loosely fitted knee length breeches resembling the knickers that are worn today.