Weekly Research
This week we covered three major and influential time periods in art (Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo). Personally, I am a fine arts student by nature and have always been drawn to artists like Carvaggio and Vermeer, which were both well-known in the Baroque era. So it was interesting for me, instead of hearing art history specifically designed around these artists, to hear about typographers and designers instead. I was especially interested in hearing about the original typefaces (Garamond, Plantin, etc.) and how/where they originated from. This allowed for me to value typefaces such as these a lot more.
Baroque Fashion
In the early 17th Century, a new era for fashion, music, and art began to gain popularity in Italy. Originally, Baroque was developed by the Catholic Church to take action against Protestant Reformation and to improve its image. But it ended up being adopted by the high courts as a fashion inspiration to exhibit power and wealth (“Baroque Clothing and Fashion”). The Baroque era in fashion displayed a new sense of colour, movement, and exuberance. Like the centuries before, the trends were defined by the nobles, as they were the ones able to afford the expensive attire, and also designed to separate the social classes (“Baroque Clothing and Fashion”).
Fashion was important to especially men during this era, and was an important expression of prosperity. However, Baroque fashion can be best visually described through the clothing women donned during this era in both the early and late centuries.
Women In Early Baroque
Fashion for women was expressed through ornamentation and expensive gowns. The gowns were primarily made of silk, linen for inner layers of clothing and occasionally velvet. They were also decorated with elaborate patterns and dark colours, often accompanied by a black cape worn over top the gown. During the Renaissance, women had worn hard corsets which were replaced with flexible stays in the Baroque period, which softened the look of silhouettes. The following are more examples of what defined Baroque fashion in the early centuries:
- low necklines and lace collars for decoration
- Virago Sleeves (fig. 1)
- curled hair and wigs were very popular in the 1600s, “… the craze for curls and wigs is… something that… added the body to manipulate shape, colour and appearance” (Paullicelli 42)
- simple shoes
(“Baroque Clothing and Fashion”)
(FIG. 1: Example of virago sleeves, Early Baroque women’s fashion)
Another accessory that became popular in France especially was the addition of beauty spots (fig. 2). As writer Eugenia Paulicelli states, the beauty spots were “women’s way of attracting attention to certain areas of their face and body” (Paulicelli 45) and was often used as a seduction tool.
(FIG. 2: Example of cosmetic beauty spots)
Women In Late Baroque
Late Baroque style was very similar to the early style, but had a few significant changes. Similarly, women dressed in gowns, however they were now decorated with simpler and, in some cases, monochromatic designs. They were also, once again, worn with tight corsets that pointed towards a v-shape waist. Some more examples as follows:
- extremely low necklines with emphasis on shoulders (fig. 3)
- loose sleeves ending above the elbow
- hand fans
- simple shoes with a small heel
- curly hair
The emphasis on “exuberant outfits for exhibiting wealth” was especially emphasized in France during this time period. This was due to the rise of Louis XIV who defined fashion for the upper class in a big way.
(FIG. 3: Example of Late Baroque women’s fashion)
(“Baroque Clothing and Fashion”)
Conclusion
Baroque fashion was defined by wealth and power, or in other words, the more exuberant and expensive the costume, the better. This was best displayed in women’s attire.
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Works Cited
“Fashion, Gender and Cultural Anxiety in Italian Baroque Literature.” Romance Notes, vol. 50, no. 1, Jan. 2010, pp. 35–46. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.capilanou.ca/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lfh&AN=64447823&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/baroque-fashion-history-style-characteristics.html