Baroque
Fashion
During the first two decades of the 17th century, Spanish fashion lived on in court ceremony, but when the Thirty Years War broke out in 1718, it brought about cultural changes that kicked off the early Baroque era throughout Europe. And for the first time, fashion was not led by the upper crust, but by mere soldiers.
Like the Landsknechts one century before, the soldiers modified and loosened up the stiff clothing with their dashing casualness. Both fabrics and colours got lighter, heavy pearl and gem trimmings wre replaced by ribbons and feathers, and stiff hats by large slough-hats. Men's hair was worn ever longer as the century progressed.
The doublet loosened and grew wide, full sleeves under which the shirt became visible. Often some of the buttons were left open. A half- or 3/4-length cape was worn over it and elegantly draped over the shoulders. The wire support was taken out of the collar ruffs so that the lace now fell onto the shoulders. Trousers also became looser and were bound with a ribbon rosette just above the knee. Later, they became tighter again, and longer. Trouser hem, doublet and sleeves were decorated with a changing amount of ribbons and bows, lace-trimmed boot hose peeked out from the flabby boots.
As can be expected, ladies' fashion also lost much of its stiffness. Hoop skirts were replaced by voluminous layers of petticoats; corsets lost some of their stiffness - for a while. The low and wide neckline was framed by full, even puffed sleeves. The fact that the upper half of the breast was visible led to much exasperation among the moralists, but the neckline travelled even deeper and became wider, oval.
Two countries did not quite follow that fashion: On one hand, the Dutch and Flemish who, sticking to protestant severity, went on wearing black and huge, circular collar ruffs. Spanish influence probably played a role as the Netherlands freed themselves from Spanish rule only in 1648, Flanders even later.
On the other hand, the Spanish themselves remained attached to stiffness and even increased it by wearig even larger, wide hoop skirts. Velázquez' paintings evokes the impression of absolute control of the shape, even over the hair.
France came out of the 30 Years' War ahead of the rest, becoming the cultural leader. During the absolutist reign of Louis XIV, the Sun King, the former soldiers' clothing was refined to the extreme, as were the manners. Pomp and splendour returned and were dedicated an unparalleled monument in Versailles. One of the reasons for this display was to show off, thus convincing everyone of the legitimateness of French supremacy - and it did not miss fire. Towards the end of the century all Europe whore whatever France wore.
Men's clothing now consistend of breeches, an almost knee-length waistcoat and a knee-length coat, the justaucorps. The name, "right on the body", hints at how tightly it hugged the figure. The back was narrow, the sleeves long and fitted with large cuffs, the skirts full. With this went high-heeled shoes with buckles or bows and long stockings. On the head sat the curly allonge wig, result of an overdone long hair fashion for which no man had enough own hair.
The ladies soon tired of the overly stiff corset and began to wear - at least off-court - loose, coatlike garments which was shaped to the figure only by folds held by a belt. However, the manteau did not lack elegance: The skirt was gathered up and back to reveal a beautiful petticoat and fell down in a long, carefully folded train. Along the neckline and on the sleeves were needle lace trimmimgs. The costume was topped off with a bonnet - the fontange - surmounted by bows and lace the were held by wire and piled higher and higher.
The late Baroque era, also termed the Goldern Age, lasted until the death of Louis XIV in 1715, as paralysed stylistically as the aged King was in his ways. The following era of the régence broke the spell and rang in the age of Rococo.