Recreate History Through Renaissance Apparels

Thereafter began the rebirth, the renaissance, an era of classic refinement and elegance as we know it today when everything from music to writing to painting to arts took on a new shape and flourished from the 15th century onwards, inspiring later generations.  Renaissance costumes were encouraged by a resurgent textile industry. 
A typical renaissance costume for men comprised of short upper garment and tight fitting lower half. Women, however, outdid men in renaissance fashion, going in  for newer designs and styles every month in a bid to outshine each other. Nobility led the race in renaissance fashion. The costume signified an individual’s social standing and became a status symbol. Rich, dark colours became popular in clothing in order to show off the jewels they were studded with. The more a garment was embroidered and embellished, the more it contributed to a person’s status and the aristocracy spent a fortune simply on being properly accoutered.  Silk, brocade, cotton and velvet were the expensive fabrics of those times.
In men’s renaissance clothing the square and barrel look were quite popular. For the square look, tailors padded the shoulders of the coat and the breeches with square toed shoes aided by a wide brimmed hat. Tailors used horsehair to pad the middle of the vest to achieve the barrel look that became popular later on. Hosiery was popular and was initially made of flax and wool, later giving way to the popular silk stockings. Another embellishment peculiar to dresses of those times was the practice of having stand up collars and adding ruffs and padded buttons.
Popular renaissance shirts for men had ruffled collars and lace up fronts.  Women wore beautifully brocade-pleated skits, underskirts and hoops, used whalebone corsets, giving way to other developments in the 17th and 18th centuries. The currently popular pirate shirts and buccaneer shirts trace their origins to the shirts that came into vogue during this period. Medieval shirts comprised of surcoats, doublets and vests, different in design to the more contemporary renaissance dresses for men.
The accent of renaissance was on beauty, charm, elegance and fine art. This extended to weaponry, fuelled by the popularity of dueling and fencing. As opposed to medieval swords and medieval weapons, renaissance swords, rapiers and daggers were thinner, more elegant and refined, often used as clothing accessories.