Elizabethan Fashion

Elizabethan Fashion was very important to the rich. Materials were luxurious, skirts were large, and both men and women wore fancy ruffs around their necks. By the end of the 16th century, ruffs were so large that they used a round piece of card underneath to hold the ruff in place!

Ladies wore a corset, which was pulled tight at the waist. A frame made from reeds or whalebone gave the wide shape of the skirt. The gown was made of satin, silk or velvet. The sleeves were separate and attached to the gown with laces.