TUDOR FASHION TIPS

From farthingales and ruffs to codpieces, ten ways to achieve the styles of the Tudor court

- Emily Staniforth

Imagine you find yourself at the centre of the Tudor court as a minor member of the nobility. You are one of many. You want to be noticed, you want to make a fine marital match, you want to advance your position and you definitely want to please the monarch. So what do you wear? Well, English high fashion was ever-changing throughout the 118 years that the Tudors held the throne. During the reign of Henry VII (1485-1509) slim silhouettes, fur-trimmed outfits and gable hoods were the height of fashion, but by the time his granddaughter, the last Tudor monarch Elizabeth I (1558-1603) was on the throne, corseted waists, voluminous skirts and ornate decoration were the preferred style. The royals themselves were at the heart of these trends and were the fashion icons of their time.

Much of what we know about high Tudor fashion is taken from royal and household accounts of the period, and the large number of portraits. While it's hard get a truly accurate idea of the many aspects of fashion at court, we can paint a fairly good picture through these sources and the work of fashion historians. So how do you dress like a Tudor?

1 OBEY THE RULES

Life at the Tudor court was not an easy ride: the turbulent nature of the monarchs and the scheming of ambitious courtiers made it a dangerous place. It was important to follow the expected rules and customs, and the rules of fashion were no exception. Clothing has a long history of being regulated by the monarch, with the first law defining appropriate apparel made in the 13th century. These laws were known as sumptuary laws, and were not only used to dictate acceptable fashion choices but also governed what a person could eat and the furniture they could own in their home.