In keeping with my last post on Italian Renaissance costume I thought we would take a look at something we didn't touch much on; hairstyles. They were extremely varying; up and down, braided, netted, entwined with silks and ribbons, even pearls, and, of course, dyed, bleached, and curled. The only thing in somewhat short supply seems to be hats, and really who would want to cover up what you had spent so much time constructing? "Do you have any idea how long it took me to get the curls placed?!" 1544 Portrait of Laura da Pola by Lotto Occasionally a small cap, or scuffia, was worn either with side curls, or with most of the hair stuffed up underneathe:- 1490 portrait by Ghirlandaio 1502 Betrothal 1510 Portrait by Araldi Another notable hair decoration was the reta, or hairnet. Some of these were beaded, some woven in decorative patterns, and some left very simple. 1505-1508 Siena 1545 Lavinia Under and around these ornamentations, o...
Oh, I love the 17th century! I think the real reason it is underrepresented is that we have so few extent costumes, and there was that dreadful trend for painting people in pseudo-classical billowing nightgown things, rather than real fashionable clothes.
ReplyDeleteTrue, though that trend continued for so long afterward, it's probably mostly due to the lack of extant examples. The dresses also aren't flattering on every body type; but then neither is the empire gown or the robe a la francaise.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's funy how unpopular this particular century seems to be- though I'm working on changing that. I think it has a rather unfair reputation on being dark and dull, but the more I dig in, the more I find that isn't!
ReplyDeleteI actually think there are a lot more extant clothes than are generally known, they just aren't written about much. For example, the Armory in Stockholm has a large collection of 17th century men's clothes. Most impressive is basically the whole wardrobe of Karl X (1622-1660). I saw it exhibited a couple of years ago and it was really interesting. His personal taste ran to the austere, but as a king he needed to dress in glam, and the wardrobe was clearly divided between the clothes he wore in more private circumstances- silk and velvet yes, but in subdued colours and very little lace and embroidery and the sumptous clothes he wore for kingly duties.
I would love to see the wardrobe of Karl X. It would be so interesting to see the differences you describe between personal and public dress.
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