1600–1650 in fashion The silhouette, which was essentially close to the body with tight sleeves and a low, pointed waist to around 1615, gradually softened and broadened. Sleeves became very full, and in the 1620s and 1630s were often paned or slashed to show the voluminous sleeves of the shirt or chemise beneath. Spanish fashions remained very conservative. The ruff lingered longest in Spain and the Netherlands, but disappeared first for men and later for women in France and England. The social tensions leading to the English Civil War were reflected in English fashion, with the elaborate French styles popular at the courts of James I and his son Charles I contrasting with the sober styles in sadd colours favoured by Puritans and exported to the early settlements of New England (see below). Fashions influenced by royal courts [edit] Fabric and patterns The great flowering of needlelace occurred in this period. Portraiture and fantasy Gowns, bodices, and petticoats By the mid-1620s, styles were relaxing.
Understated Yet Rarity-Packed: Bath Fashion Museum - Irenebrination: Notes on Art, Fashion and Style Fashion exhibitions have turned in the last two years or so into the proverbial goose that lays golden eggs for many museums all over the world. Yet, while there are very important museums such as New York's Met focusing on major retrospectives and events, there are also smaller and less known institutions that are actually worth visiting because they do have some true gems in their collections. One of them is the Fashion Museum in Bath, located in the grand Assembly Rooms. The latter, designed by John Wood The Younger and opened in 1771, were mainly used by the fashionable Georgian society for dancing, card playing and dining. In a nutshell, this is one of the "not to be missed" locations for any Jane Austen fan visiting the town (Austen attended many balls at the Upper Assembly Rooms). Last summer it brought together a selection of award-winning and Oscar-nominated costumes from famous films, while at the moment the Fashion Museum galleries host an event entitled “What Will She Wear?
Everything Fabulous