1642: English Theaters closed

  1649: Charles I of England Executed

  1649 -1660: English Commonwealth

  1635: French Academy Founded - Richelieu       

  Thirty years war in Germany

  The Thirty Years’ War, a struggle that lasted from 1618 to 1648, involved all of Europe, finally absolved the tensions between the Protestants and Catholics.

  A new cultural style, Baroque, had begun to develop in Italy around 1600 as a result of the attempt to renew the Catholic faith by using the arts as propaganda. This renewal of faith and upsurge of the arts came to be known as the Counter-Reformation. Germany was ruined by the Thirty Years’ War and was removed from the artistic scene until the eighteenth century. The new style emerging in the Baroque period was passionate, colorful, extravagant and theatrical.

  Opera was invented during this period – a rich art form that was a severe contrast to the previous period. Politically, England was entangled in a civil war, ending with the beheading of the King and a period of Puritanism that was not released until Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660, marking the end of this period.

  The colonies of the New World began to grow and prosper, becoming a source of money, a place for excess populations, and a market for goods.

The first ten years of this period witnessed the gradual

change from the stiffness of the Elizabethan period to the

relaxed, elegance and comfort of the Cavaliers and Puritans. 

The next change is to simplicity and excess went out

of fashion. Cavaliers and Puritans lived within the same society in different countries in different proportions.  England was heavily Puritan especially during the time of  Cromwell. France was heavily Cavalier.

  Women's gowns were more colorful and looser than in the past. Adapted exaggeratedly long waisted bodice to the prevailing fashion of a shortened torso.

  The dresses could be laced up the front. The manteau gown — was particularly stylish. This gown had a bodice with a decorated panel that ran from the neckline of the dress to the waist. Necklines could be low, but not indecent.

The dress would also include the robe or overskirt, and petticoat or jupe — or a cloak for their outerwear

  Women also wears doublet sometimes for riding

Ladies stopped wearing hoops and the skirt was only supported by many

petticoats and slips. 

Her gown splits in the front, revealing a decorative petticoat called a modeste.

Underneath the modeste, there would be at least one more additional petticoat--the secret. The number of petticoats

beyond the secret would vary based on personal taste and changes in the

weather. She might wear as many as eight petticoats under to push out her

skirt.

Underwear consisted of a linen chemise or smock and (optionally) linen drawers

worn under petticoats. The chemise could have a low, square neckline or a high

neckline; either style could be worn with ruffs (to 1625) or the newly fashionable

broad collars

Corsets were shorter to suit the new bodices, and might have a very stiff busk in the center front extending to the depth

of the stomacher.

Women gave up the high and starched collars of the earlier

periods.  The collar became flat and was used to hide the neck and the

bosom. 

Falling Bands — A collar of fine white lawn edged with lace, later developed into the pleated rabat. 

Rabatine — It is the wide collar spreading out over the shoulders.

Bertha Collar — Large feminine collar almost always made of lace.

Stomacher — is a decorated triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a

woman's gown or bodice. The stomacher may be boned, as part of a corset, or may

cover the triangular front of a corset. If simply decorative, the stomacher lies over

the triangular front panel of the stays, being either stitched or pinned into place,

or held in place by the lacings of the gown's bodice.

Lace cuffs, High-necked chemise (partlet)

Forearms become more visible through the period. It was the first time that a woman’s arms had been

exposed since the Roman times

Her sleeves are getting shorter, stopping a few inches from her wrist or right at the elbow and was

decorated with ruffles or sometimes lace cuffs.

Virago sleeves - This is a paned sleeve that is drawn into the arm creating small puffs

often decorated with ribbons/etc.

She shortened her torso by the addition of a sash coordinating with her sleeve decoration. This fashion anomaly is evidence that not everyone discarded favorite clothing pieces as fashions

faded, but adapted them.

Peplum — Flared shirt-like panels or ruffles below the waist that would conceal the top of

the skirt under the shirt.

Studied Negligence — To look as though have spent no time on your appearance but in

actuality there was great preparation to look unkempt.

Cavalier Hat—A wide brimmed hat often decorated with a large feather and one side either, front, back, left or right cocked up.

Farthingale is several structures used under Western European women’s

clothing to support the skirts into the desired shape

The wheel drum farthingale survives in a style of Spanish court attire given the

name guardinfante. It takes on an oval silhouette, rather than a round one,

however.

The wide stiffened peplum of her bodice is referred to as a basque

Pilgrims — shaped bodice, falling collar and cuffs, pinner - apron.

Puritan Hat—Tall conical hat with a large round brim often decorated with a buckle

and belt.

Falling collar

This plain dress lady wears a bodice and skirt combination as an alternative to a

gown. This back view allows us to effectively see the construction of her

sleeves--softly pleated into the armscye--and her coif.

Pecadils – small, square flaps just below the waist that creates the peplum. Her skirt is

gathered or pleated into a waistband.

  Women lost the high hair styles and cut their hair short on the sides, curled it to a frizz and tied the back into a bun/chignon. A short fringe or bangs might be worn with. Later ringlets took the place of the frizzy sides and the bun supported comes and fancy pearls. 

  Modish women ceased wearing caps and wore a disk, which was balanced by a veil and decorated by a feather. Married women wore their hair in a linen coif or cap, often with lace trim. Very fashionable married women abandoned the linen cap and wore their hair uncovered or with a hat with plumes.

  The peasant woman continued to wear the white caps much like the caps of European regional costumes.

Mantilla - a lace veil with the express purpose of covering the hair, and thus honoring God. This is a Catholic practice that is still practiced by some in modern times. Length of veil depends on status in society

  The collapsible parasol came into fashion, to protect the ladies' pale complexion from the sun & rain.

  Collapsible fans. Fan plates were painted beautifully, the sticks made from a variety of materials; woods, ivory and were intricately carved and elegant. It was a science by then how to 'talk' with a fan, different gestures, stances and movements having different meanings. 

  Necklaces always pearls, narrow around the throat. Either a couple of strands, but usually just one with big pearls. Sometimes a crucifix was worn, attached to the pearl necklace by a chain, letting the cross dangle.

  Face masks

  Low heel shoes. The ribbon tie over the instep that had appeared on late sixteenth

century shoes grew into elaborate lace or ribbon rosettes called shoe roses worn by the most fashionable men and women.

  Backless slippers called pantofles were worn indoors.

  The common shoe of the populace resembled the man’s shoe of heavy black leather with medium heels and latchets tied over the tongue. For dress, common women wore slippers similar to the dainty shoe of the aristocrat, but made of wood.

  Women were also making use of the wooden patten ‘high chopine’ worn to protect the pantofles /high heels from sinking into soft dirt, though not as in vogue as in previous times.

  There is evidence that light binding of waxed linen tape was used to make the feet smaller.

  Satin was one of the mainstay fabric with soft velvets as a close second. Baroque usage demanded soft, crisp, flowing fabrics that were neither limp nor stiff. Woolens and linens were popular – the former for the middle class and common people, the latter for collars, cuffs and shirts.

  The newest fabric used as a major costume accent was lace, both Venetian point and bobbin laces from Flanders Venetian point

Bobbin lace

  Colors of this period are dark rich hues like Burgundy, sapphire-blue, crimson, purple and brown and black.  White, sky-blue, almond-green, tan, rose and gray were fashionable for female garments and the contrast of dark and light occurred because of the white collar that accompanied many peoples clothing.

  Less use of tightly brocaded materials.

  Great appreciation for the highlights of silken folds and natural, crinkled surfaces.