Male Fashion in the 16th Century

How did male fashions accentuate different parts of the body?

Aspects of male dress in 16th century Europe exaggerated and deformed the body. Renaissance fashion rejected the body’s natural state and instead reshaped the body by emphasising or tightening its natural forms (Paresys, 2017). This served to display explicit gender differentiation, status, culture, wealth and political power. It was necessary for male fashions to portray ideals of masculinity, through the accentuation of perceived ‘manly’ body parts; dress was used to personify and embody these gendered notions. The extensions of the male body, both horizontally and vertically, conveyed a sartorial power which reflected the political and social power of the elite. Cultural rigidity and deference is also present in later fashions of the 16th century, with the emergence of more constraining fashions. Male dress therefore accentuated different parts of the male body throughout this period and with these accentuations displayed a plethora of cultural and social justifications. It must also be noted that this essay will only examine the fashion of the social elite, considering this was the only demographic able to afford commissioned portraits. 

A key function of Renaissance fashion was to differentiate and display gender identities. It was therefore deeply important to display the juxtaposing outlines of the male and female bodies; where female dress was bottom-heavy, male fashion was very much top-heavy in the early Renaissance period. Male dress proudly displayed legs in tight stockings and short doublets, whereas females did not openly display their legs until the 20th century, instead covering up with the rigid body contour of farthingales, hoop skirts and padding. Female fashion hid the body parts that men exhibited overtly, creating a gulf between the sexes. Sartorially speaking, only men had legs and the display of these body parts in fashion were placed securely within the realm of masculinity. (Vincent, 2009) In addition, the exaggerated breadth of shoulders in male fashion further accentuated the anatomical disproportion between male and female shapes. The juxtaposition of body shapes here, with female bodies presenting a bell-like shape and male bodies displaying a more triangular shape demonstrates the well-established separation of the genders. These contrasting silhouettes also reflected Renaissance belief in physiognomy, with the ‘aim of interpreting the (gendered) soul through physical appearance’ (Paresys, 2017). Galen, whose writings were highly influential in the Renaissance world, theorised that the sexes were governed by different humors. Men were physiologically characterised by superior humors associated with heat and dryness, whilst women were controlled by the inferior humors of cold and dampness. This created a scientifically justifiable and thereby fixed sexual identity (Jones, 2017). The contrasting silhouettes of early-mid 16th century male and female dress therefore served to reassert social order, in addition to perpetuating gender roles to which differentiating capacities and duties were attached. 

Further, this differentiation of gender served to accentuate masculinity during the 16th century. Male dress functioned to emphasise perceived ‘manly’ body parts, such as the thighs, legs and shoulders. As previously mentioned, the triangular shape of the clothed male body was achieved by padded shoulders contrasted with tightly fitting breeches and stockings. Vincent points out that every other item, apart from breeches, had been appropriated by female fashion: doublets, hats, jackets and ties were all translated into female garments, yet legs remained very much within the masculine sphere. She further argues that thighs and legs were an important part of 16th century court and thereby needed to be on display. The suppleness and agility of limbs were important for duelling, dancing, riding, as well as for performing the courtly arts of salutation and bowing. Legs were necessary for a plethora of elite manly performances and were a vital part of masculine identity. (Vincent, 2009) It can therefore be stated that the tightness of the hose and stockings in this period served to flaunt the muscular toning of these body parts because they served such a crucial cultural and gendered purpose. Further, the use of codpieces as an accessory was very popular, growing in size and elaboration until it reached its peak in the 1540s. Simons argues that the purpose of codpieces went ‘beyond the utilitarian or the decorous’, stating that they went beyond the symbolism of virility and encompassed political and misogynist assertion. (Simons, 2011) Seisenegger’s portrait of Emperor Charles V (1532) in figure 1 emphasises the codpiece through the central composition of it in the painting. Charles V’s attire serves to further accentuate the codpiece, with a short doublet, a tight hose and stockings. Furthermore, the broadening size of the puffed sleeves and fur cloak around Charles’ shoulders decreases the size of the doublet, which in turn again emphasises the codpiece attached to the bottom, as well as conforming to the fashionable masculine ideals of broad shoulders. His muscular calves are also very apparent; the stockings seem almost transparent in its tightness. Charles’ dress perfectly conforms to typical male fashion in the early-mid 1500s and serves to emphasise his masculine, patriarchal power as Holy Roman Emperor. Male fashion therefore served to accentuate and personify the ideals of masculinity.

Another key part in Renaissance fashion was the extension of the body, both horizontally and vertically. This allowed wealthy monarchs and noblemen to don fashionable looks made of spectacular and expensive garments, thereby displaying their obvious wealth and status (Paresys, 2017). This sartorial power reflects positions of power and cultural distinction and was therefore an important factor of fashion during this period. The extreme padding seen on King Henry VII, painted by Hans Holbein the Younger (1536-7) in figure 2, coupled with a short lynx-fur gown contrasts with the tightly fitting hose which proudly displays his muscular calves, creating a widening effect of his body. It is also vital to note Henry’s posture, with his chest puffed out and legs spread firmly apart, giving him an assertive and somewhat aggressive stance, further accentuated by his clothing. Henry’s body is imposing in this portrait and occupies most of the physical space in the painting, mirroring his power as the absolute monarch of England. Here, male dress served to horizontally extend Henry’s body in order to reassert his status as King.

Perhaps, however, the most striking bodily extension of Renaissance fashion came in the form of ruffs and large collars, which relied on vast amounts of linen and lace. This rose to popularity in the mid 16th century alongside rising necklines. Male fashion also began to evolve towards slender shoulders, accentuating a more vertical outline, rather than the previously disproportionate top-heavy bodies seen early in the century. Paresys links this development to the influence of Renaissance humanism, which brought a new literary ideal of beauty, which emphasised grace over physical strength (Paresys, 2017). As pictured in figure 3, the portrait of Robert Dudley by Van der Meulen (c.1564), the broad and imposing outline of the shoulder had been in the most part abandoned. The bodily extension here is seen as more vertical, with Dudley’s neck being elongated by a high collar and ruff. The accentuation of the neck here, coupled with a blackcap embellished with a feather and large jewel, vertically draws out the whole of Dudley’s body. Despite the portrait only capturing the upper three-quarters of Dudley’s body, the contrast to the portrait of Henry VIII by Holbein a mere few decades earlier is clear. These details also greatly emphasise the head, the ‘noblest part of the body’s high/low dichotomy’, in addition to the face which was considered to be the ‘window of the soul’ (Paresys, 2017). This links back to the idea of individualism in Renaissance humanism through this emphasis of Dudley’s facial features and head. Dudley’s political power and status is also extremely prominent here; the white satin and gold embroidery on his doublet allude to his status as part of the French chivalric order. Further, a gold chain with the medallion of the Order of the Garter sits in stark contrast against the white of his doublet. These additional details, coupled with the elongated silhouette of Dudley’s figure, create a noble and powerful picture of the Earl. Male fashion in this instance therefore vertically accentuated and lengthened the male figure to convey positions of status and power.

The cultural requirement for stiffness and bodily control is reflected in the male fashion of the latter half of the 16th century. As the century progressed, the accentuated aspects of the male body shifted; here arrives the prominence of the peascod belly and voluminous breeches. The lower half of the male body was enlarged by the artificial extension of the hips, buttock and thighs (Paresys, 2017). The peascod belly soon evolved into an overhanging paunch, which, as Paresys argues, created restrictive constraints to bodily movement. To be dressed this way was a performance; the social elite were put on display in court, public ceremonies, balls, as well as in the very portraits that have been analysed in this essay. Not only were these constraints symbols of individuals who did not have to undertake manual labour, but also symbolised the discipline of the mind translated through the body. Parseys argues that for the elite, the combination of bodily attitudes including standing, walking and speaking, defined the social being; therefore, it was crucial that body posture remained rigid and upright, as was perceived as proper. The portrait of Sir Francis Drake (c.1581), as seen in figure 4, reveals the enlargement of the hip and belly area through a satin, peascod doublet, as well as ballooning breeches which augmented his thighs. The ruff around his neck accentuates the head by removing the neck and thereby separating the head from the torso. This portrait conveys a stiffness and rigidity about Dudley through his upright and dignified posture, coupled with the clearly hindering peascod belly and ruff collar. Here, the ruff’s whiteness and breadth contrasts with the brightly coloured doublet, inevitably drawing the viewer’s attention to Dudley’s face. Returning to the aforementioned surge of Renaissance humanism, it is clear that the fashion in figure 4 serves to draw most attention to the face, the ‘window of the soul’. 

Throughout the 16th century, male body parts were accentuated in different manners and to different extremities. This essay has shown how the focus on male body parts shifted from the upper half of the body to the bottom half of the body, yet the exaggeration and deformation of the natural body remained constant throughout this period. It can therefore be confidently stated that despite the changing fashions across the century, male fashion served to accentuate and display Renaissance ideals of humanism, gender roles and political and social power. The language of the fashionable disfiguration of the natural body translates to promote certain virtues and ideologies present in the 16th century.