Renaissance Clothing for Men

There were different fashions of clothing for men that differed according to countries. The padding, sleeves, doublets and stockings that distorted the natural figure were fashionable in the Northern European countries. People of England and France wore clothing that were similar to the more medieval styles of Italy. Germans wore more elaborate patterns.

Clothing for men in Germany consisted of large puffs on the head, shoulders and thighs. They wore smaller puffs on the chest, back, arms, legs and feet. Feathers were a part of the costume, from everything head to toe; on the wide-brimmed hat to the knees.

Medieval clothing consisted of long tunics that went down to the knees. Kings and noblemen also wore these tunics during parties and ceremonies. The Germans were the ones who introduced the idea of pants, that caught on with others, as men had to travel long distances on horses.

In cold climate, pants made a better clothing option than skirts. Noblemen wore tights under their tunics. In winter, men wore woolen cloaks to protect themselves from the cold, winter winds. It also included leather shoes with square toes. They even had a curve up at the toes to make them look a bit more fancy.

There were many styles and fashions introduced in clothing patterns. Older men wore corsets to control their bulging stomachs. The female skirt gave birth to the paned slops or pumpkin pants for men. The clothing focused on heavy materials, large sleeves, close body garments, large hip garments, heelless shoes and heads covered with hats.

The patterns eventually became more 'square' and then later turned more like a 'barrel'. The vest or coat was widened at the shoulders and padded to give the square look. Clothing also included pants that were padded breeches and hosiery with wide-brimmed hats.

When the 'barrel' look came in vogue, the clothes were made on just two lines, the shoulders and hips. The heavy pad in the middle of the vest was modified to look like a barrel. They used horsehair for padding and the embroiders would charge money for the thread.

The men's clothing consisted of stand-up collars or ruffs added to their necklines. There were men who also added metal stays called 'attices' to their collars. Padded buttons also came into fashion during the renaissance.

Clothing for the young included short suits that were in lines with the tunics of medieval costumes for men. These tunics were modified with added sleeves and many accessories. These garments reached the knees and sometimes were even shorter and worn with pants of different colored fabrics.

The fabric material like brocade, velvet and damask cloth were popular and were sewn in symmetrical rounded folds, so that the pattern of the rigid fabric was not lost. There were other clothing styles like the men's raincoat with sleeves and wide collars. These were folded in a rich manner that flowed towards the ground.

This type of men's clothing became a signature costume for intellectuals, scientists and elderly people. You can see this old style still been adorned today, during the different official ceremonies of universities.

Of the most notable renaissance clothing was the jerkin. It is a short and sleeveless velvet or leather jacket that is similar to today's vest. The upper hose or full trunks extended from upper thighs to waist and the nether hose that were stockings covered the lower edges of the legs. These were rolled up above the knees and secured in place with garters.

The 'simarre' was a robe that was derived from chimer and had a neck part that was more on the double-breasted line. It had no collar at the back and the front edge of the robe had wide revered that turned back from the front. It was worn ungirded or a narrow silk scarf was knotted with one loop and two ends at the waist.

A chain of office that was worn by men across the chest and the neckline as decoration. The heavy chain often showed the organization to which a man belonged.

Men wore elaborate clothes just like women and took great pains to enhance their personality. It was a new era of men's fashion and every country flaunted their preferred styles.