💘 5 Swoon-Worthy Pieces of Elizabethan Men’s Fashion We Wish We Could Revive

5 Pieces of Elizabethan Men’s Court Fashion We’re Secretly SORRY Were Left Behind.

On May 31, 1588—while the Spanish Armada was sailing toward England and utter destruction loomed on the horizon—what was Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, doing?

Taking stock of his wardrobe.

Yes, really.

While England braced for war, the Elizabethan bad boy was itemizing his doublets, breeches, and boots. Here’s just a taste of what he left us:

• 10 nightgowns

• 14 short gowns

• 5 capes

• 19 long and short cloaks

• 6 pairs of slops (riding breeches)

• 28 pairs of breeches and hose (man in tights)

• 12 cassocks

• 48 doublets (many silk or velvet)

• 37 hats and caps

• 27 pairs of boothose and stockings

• 20 pairs of buskins

• 58 pairs of shoes, pumps, slippers, and boots

• 28 rapiers and daggers

• And much, much more...
  

Personally, I wouldn’t trust Leicester further than the length of his—jewel-handled rapier—but when I say the man looked good, I mean very, very good.

So in honor of that walking Renaissance lady trap, and to complement our earlier post, 5 Pieces of Elizabethan Ladies’ Court Fashion We’re Secretly Glad to Leave Behind! 🎀, here are 5 Pieces of Elizabethan Men’s Court Fashion We’re Secretly SORRY We Left Behind.

5. 🕵🏻‍♂️ The Cloak and the Cape

“A silken doublet, a velvet hose,

a scarlet cloak, and a copatain hat*! O, I am undone!”

Vincentio, The Taming of the Shrew, I.i

*a hat with a high, pointed crown

Does anything say “mystery,” "drama,” and “don’t ask me about my past” quite like a sweeping cloak or cape?

Whether stalking foggy alleyways or cutting a fine figure at court, Elizabethan men understood the power of fabric in motion. Cloaks were long, layered, and dramatic. Capes were shorter, more fashionable, and just as capable of a flourish. Bonus points if dyed scarlet or lined in silk. They made a man’s shoulders look broader, more powerful, more . . . well . . .

Call up the cloak and the cape. Men deserve a little mystery.

4. 👢Shoes and Boots Worthy of a Courtier

“And his boots, very smooth, like unto the sign of the leg.”

—Falstaff, Henry IV, Part II, II.iv

Let’s talk footwear.

Forget the soul-sucking monotony of mass-produced sneakers and clunky work boots. Elizabethan noblemen rocked soft leather shoes for dancing and smooth knee-high leather boots for striding confidently across muddy roads on the way to hunt, duel, or flirt outrageously in the Queen’s garden.

The best-dressed gents had a closet that would make Imelda Marcos proud: slippers, pumps, boots, buskins. (Leicester owned 20 pairs of the calf-high, lace-up, soft-soled boots called “buskins” associated with theatrical performances. Did he perform on stage to entertain his Queen at court in his theatrical troop, Leicester’s Men?)

But, the shoe makes the man. Or at least, makes him impossible to ignore.

3. 🗡️ The Leather Jerkin: Dangerous, Delicious, and Durable

“And is not a buff jerkin a most sweet robe of durance?” 

—Prince Hal, Henry IV, Part I, I.ii

Short. Sleeveless. Slightly dangerous.

Fine Spanish leather jerkins were the go-to outerwear for noblemen with swagger. Close-fitting and sleeveless, worn vest-like over a silk doublet, the jerkin showed off the benefits of those sweaty hours of swordplay and horsemanship. It smelled like adventure. What lady doesn’t want to be gently crushed in an impromptu embrace against her man’s supple jerkin behind a pillar at a candlelit feast? Especially when it showed off his slashed and detachable sleeves, his rapier, and that fancy gold chain of office from the Queen?

Rescue the jerkin, my Lords. For history. For romance. For us.

2. 🦵🏼Hose & Stockings: Because Yes, Legs Matter

“With a good leg

and a good foot, uncle,

and money enough in his purse,

such a man would win

any woman in the world.” 

—Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing, II.i

Men in tights? Yes, please.

In the Elizabethan court, a “good leg” was serious currency. And how better to show it off than in fitted hose? Silk for summer, velvet for winter for the nobility.  Baggy wool at the knees and cross-gartered was for commoners. Cross-gartered?  Yes, see what the Bard puts on poor Malvolio in Twelfth Night: yellow stockings, cross-gartered. (Sorry, not sorry.)

Strong thighs and shapely calves were in, especially under those broad-shouldered capes and jerkins.  Noblemen like the dashing Earl of Essex gave Leg Day the royal treatment. Don’t believe me? Look at his portrait. You're welcome.

Dig deep in those dusty Tudor chests. The hose await.

1. 🐟 The Codpiece: Confidence in a Single Garment

“Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces...”

—Biron, Love’s Labour’s Lost, III.i

“His codpiece seems as massy as his club”

—Borachio, Much Ado About Nothing, III.iii

We’ve arrived at the most audacious male accessory of all: the codpiece.

What began as a practical flap for modesty turned into a Renaissance billboard for male bravado. They puffed it, stuffed it, embroidered it, and wore it like a badge of honor. Or maybe more like a challenge?

Why does the codpiece deserve the top spot on our list?

Because there’s no clearer expression of self-confidence than a man willing to strut through court with literal padding where it counts. Want to know what a man thinks of himself? Just glance down, discreetly if you prefer. (We said what we said.)

For the love of history—and cheeky confidence—rescue the Cod!

Want More Elizabethan Swagger?

If you enjoyed this fashion parade of noblemen’s finery, you’ll love our other behind-the-ruff blog posts.

👉 Subscribe here to get your own missives from the less-well-thumbed pages of the Elizabethan court, where secrets, style, and scandal are always in fashion.

👉 And if your imagination needs further visual stimulation and pithy historical nuggets, come join the hunt for Shakespeare in obvious and not-so-obvious places on Instagram at:  @SeekingShakespeare  and @ddickerman01.

If you liked this post, use the buttons below to share!