How did ordinary men and women dress in the early modern period? Did they rely on cost-effective alternatives to the silks, jewellery, and ornate decorations favoured by the wealthy elite? Or did those with modest means find innovative ways to express their fashion sense? Refashioning the Renaissance provides new perspectives on early modern clothing by investigating the meaning of fashion among the ‘popular’ classes. Combining archival and pictorial evidence, historical reconstruction, hands-on experimentation, and scientific textile analysis, the book explores how men and women of artisan rank created a fashionable look and adapted to the evolving dynamics of the day. Offering a close examination of the materials, craftmanship, and cultural significance of both new and traditional fashion itemsavailable to a broad group of consumers, Refashioning the Renaissance challenges conventional assumptions that suggest the everyday dress of ordinary early modern families was limited to a narrow selection of garments made of coarse textiles, often produced at home and resistant to change.
