Baroque fashion was extravagant, with rich fabrics, bright colors, and elaborate decorations. Women wore corsets to create a narrow waist, while men wore tight trousers and feathered hats. Grooming standards were low, with underwear only changed once a month.
Baroque fashion was extravagant, with large ruffled collars and oversized balloon sleeves. The clothing was made of rich fabrics, such as velvet, silk, and brocade. Bright colours, ribbons and beaded embroideries were typical of Baroque fashion. In general, clothing became looser than earlier styles to allow greater freedom of movement, with the exception of corsets worn by women.
The corset showed off the female figure by creating a narrow waist. Many corsets were decorated with embroidery, ribbons, and bows. There were no stretchy fabrics available like there are today, and when laces got tight, corsets were uncomfortable, with stiff supports. The collars in women’s clothing were smaller than those of men, since women’s necklines were lowered to enhance the bust.
Baroque fashion was very different from the clothing styles worn today in many ways. Women during the Baroque period hid their legs, while men showed theirs. The women’s dresses reached the floor, so that even their ankles were covered. Men wore tight trousers that ended at the knee and silk stockings that were often decorated with embroidery to draw attention to their legs. Breeches often had ribbons or other decorations at the bottom.
Men’s styles were generally more ostentatious than women’s, employing feathered hats, laced cuffs, and brighter colors. They frequently wore powdered wigs to demonstrate their wealth and position in society. The high-heeled shoes worn by men were often decorated with bows. Men’s hairstyles were long, reaching to the shoulders and sometimes down to the waist. Beards and mustaches were popular.
Women often wore elaborate headdresses or tied their hair into a wire frame to give it height. They also decorated their hair with ribbons and precious stones. As the Baroque period progressed, so did the height of women’s hair, with some hairstyles taller than 20 inches (51 centimeters).
Much of what is known about Baroque fashion was determined by studying paintings from that period. Since only the rich could afford to commission portraits, more is understood about the fashion of the upper classes. The color orange featured frequently in these paintings, and many women wore pearls and used them as beads on their clothing. Gold and silver embroidery was often used on the elaborate costumes worn by both sexes.
Although baroque fashion was glamorous, grooming standards during that time would be considered unacceptable today. Underwear was only changed once a month. People often wore fur collars so that fleas and other vermin would be attracted to the collar and not the person.
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