What Girls Wore During the Renaissance
- During the Renaissance, what people wore told a lot about them. Clothing styles and materials were tightly regulated by royal decree. The finest fabrics and brightest colors were reserved for royals. Nobles were allowed to dress brightly as well, but commoners were required to wear only a single color. Young girls generally followed the clothing style of their mothers and were usually quite heavily dressed. Parents put a lot of effort and expense in dressing their girls as they would be judged harshly if their child's attire was lacking in some way.
- Long-wearing heavy cloth was used to make clothing for young girls. Parents were loath to use lighter fabrics as they wore out quickly and had to be replaced. Young children were apt to be more boisterous than adults and place more demands on their clothes. Their clothing was also less elaborate and brightly adorned than their parents because they would grow out of it quickly so spending time and effort on their clothes would be wasted.
- Common or peasant girls of the Renaissance era were allowed to wear only basic fabrics, such as linen, wool and leather. They often had to labor like their parents in the kitchen or stable, so their clothing was functional rather than fashionable. The colors were drab and monotone. The common type of clothing was a long-sleeved kirtle, with skirts and an apron as well as a simple headdress.
- Upper-class girls were naturally dressed in much finer clothes and, like their parents, were allowed to wear better fabrics and brighter colors. They would wear gowns with a deep "V" that reached down the abdomen over a kirtle or other garment. They would wear a headdress that allowed their hair to hang freely.
