17th century baroque dress - Essay Example

Baroque Dress The term baroque was a term that was initially used to mean something that lacked order and that was chaotic. The term however later came to mean diversity in expression and individual genius. One of the elements of the baroque culture was the baroque dress. The dress is well known for having colors that are rich, and materials that are used for the creation of the dress are expensive. The dresses also had patterns that form an easy female figure. Colored ribbons and ornaments were used to accessorize the dresses. The number and kind of ornaments were however dependent on the region and religion. The ornaments were also dependent on the geographical type of the baroque fashion of the 17th century. This period is also known as the neoclassical period that saw the fashion return to more traditional dresses. The emphasis of the baroque clothing was on simplicity of the dress. Emphasis was also the comfort of the clothes, and on functionality. The 17th century baroque dress can be seen as one of the most versatile dress because of the numerous changes and transformations that the dress underwent. The baroque dresses initially consisted of bobbin lace, and had falling collars. The patterns continued to evolve and get bolder. By the middle of the 17th century, the laces in the dresses had become straight edged, and they had patterned flowers. The flowers were arranged in a symmetric way. The designs of the baroque dress were to continue to change and evolve through the century. During the last quarter of the 17th century, there was the development of lighter lace. The lace had more scrollwork and smaller flowers. It also had an abundance of frothy points. The women’s clothes during the late 17th century period mostly resembled the one piece gowns, although they mainly consisted of a skirt and a top that were sewn together at the middle. The design of the dresses was meant to ‘stuff up’ the female figure. The designers during this period begun to come up with elaborate dress textiles that changed depending on the seasons. The period also saw the constant creation of new and textured designs. The designs and textures of the dresses was underwent tremendous changes during the 17th century period. From the early 17th century to the mid 17th century, the high wasted baroque dresses that had characterized the earlier 17th century were replaced by dresses with long waists in the mid 17th century. The gowns were typically two piece gowns, with bodices and skirts. The bodice and the skirts were however in most cases sewn together at the waist. The gowns were also open at the front center, and had what was referred to as a stomacher at the front. This was a v shaped section at the front of the dress. An underbodice was worn beneath the dress, and the neckline of the dress was usually low and could either be v shaped or square shaped. The earlier stiff ruffs of the dress were replaced by gathered collars that were tied at the chin with a ribbon or a string (Campbell 17). The late 17th century baroque dress was characterized by a narrowing and lengthening of the bodice. The necklines were also edged by wide lace or linen collars. The dresses had sleeves that were set low on the shoulders. The dresses during the late17th century period were worn with petticoat breeches. The skirts that made part of the dress had a train at the back. These trains were often used to make the distinctions of the different ranks at the French court. The design and textiles used to make the dresses during this period were more restrictive. Female dresses were elegant and simple as opposed to male fashion during this period. Towards the end of the 17th century, the gown evolved to has a square neckline that was less revealing. This meant that the corsets that were worn underneath the dresses were visible at the front of the bodice of the dress. The corsets due to their visibility had to be heavily decorated. The late 17th century saw the baroque dress worn with a chemise that was also heavily decorated with lace as it was also visible above the bodice of the dress. The sleeves of the baroque dresses were also decorated with lace. The sleeves ere long, and the lace ruffles covered most of the arms to the wrist. The dresses were designed for comfort and for their functionality. The materials of the dresses were mainly silk, velvet, and brocades. The fabrics had bright colors which made them presentable, and which made them flattering to the female body. The baroque clothing was not only for the females, but for the men as well. In the early 17th century, the male fashion was inspired by the French fashion. The fashion was therefore rigid and ordered at the initial stages of its conception. The male baroque fashion changed in the mid 17th century, from the rigid militaristic style to a style that was extravagant. The man wore coats that had open doublets and had short sleeves that ended at the elbows. The coats were also very short and rested above the waist. The jackets also had breeches that were full and appeared baggy to the wearer. The male baroque fashion in extremity was men wearing trousers that had trousers that were extremely baggy and made use of excessive amounts of material. The baroque fashion for men during this period also saw the men wearing what was referred to as petticoat breeches. These petticoat breeches hung loosely at the hips. The linings of the male clothing were made of colors that were different from the outer color of the clothes (Saisselin 122). In the later 17th century baroque fashion for men saw the cut of the garments change. The coats were cut to figure and were fitting both at the upper body and at the waist. This made the garments appear more elegant that they had appeared before. The male fashion initially had lace collars that became smaller by the late 17th century. Most of the male clothing was inspired by the military clothing of the day. Changes in the military dress were seen to inspire change on the baroque male fashion. The male clothing was also made using fabrics such as silk, velvets, and woolens (Tierney 1). One can therefore conclude that both the male and the female baroque fashion was the most versatile fashion and were rich in the use of textiles and color. Works cited Campbell Gordon. The Grove Encyclopedia of Decorative Arts, Volume 2. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print. Saisselin, Remy. The Enlightenment against the Baroque: Economics and Aesthetics in the Eighteenth Century. California: University of California Press. 1992. Print. Tierney, Tom. French Baroque and Rococo Fashions. New York: Courier Dover Publications. 2002. Print. Read More