Read and translate the text. By the early 17th century, during the reign of Charles I, simpler fashion evolved both for men and women

By the early 17^th century, during the reign of Charles I, simpler fashion evolved both for men and women, with far less padding and hoping. At court, men wore plain silk doublets, knee breeches and matching cloaks, with large “falling” collars of lace. Wide-brimmed black hats were trimmed with costly ostrich feathers. Women wore plain silk bodies with square, lace-trimmed necklines and sleeves caught into two large puffs. Choker-style necklaces, which were worn round the neck like a collar, and drop earrings in pearls were fashionable.

A major development at this time was the breakdown of the old sumptuary laws controlling style in dress. The newly wealthy merchant classes simply ignored them or paid the fines. While the merchant classes tried their best to copy the styles of clothing and fabrics worn by their superiors, the mass of ordinary people still wore their simple home-spuns in styles that could be as much as 25 years behind the times.

As the sumptuary laws broke down, the aristocracy had to find a different way to keep their clothing ahead of that of ordinary people. They started changing the colors, cut, and accessories of their garments more and more often. Since the textiles and tailoring were very costly indeed, only the wealthiest could afford frequent changes of style. Even the lesser nobility could not keep up. The middle classes were left even further out of date.

This new process speeded up the introduction of new designs and thus cycles of fashion developed. By the early 18^th century in France the best luxury silk manufacturers were producing different ranges of designs for autumn and spring. Although it was the styles of fabric rather than the design of the clothes that changed, this marked the start of the biannual fashion shows that still take place today.

Another important development in the middle of the 17^th century in Britain was that clothing became an obvious symbol of the religious and political differences that split England during the Civil War. The Royalist side continued to wear elegant court satin, plumed hats and, even for men, long ringleted hair stiles. The Parliamentary forces, that were Puritans, adopted very plain clothes. The men wore plain linen collars, jerkins and breeches, and had short hair (which earned them the nickname “Roundheads”), while the women chose dark, plain dress styles.

It was the Puritan styles that were taken to America by both the Dutch and English settlers in the 1620-80 period. The clothes of the Pilgrim Fathers were adapted for the hard work and rough conditions they had to face. Pilgrim children dressed like their parents in heavy dark materials.

The Pilgrims who came later were often wealthy, well-educated people. They nevertheless still wore plain garments. The men wore a wool doublet, knee breeches, and dark stockings and tall, broad-brimmed felt hats. White linen collars and cuffs were a feature of their cloths. Puritan women wore simple gowns in dark tones, with the skirts often turned under and looped back to reveal underskirts of home-spun fabrics.

In Europe, from the 1660s onwards, French fashion became dominant. Courtiers copied the glittering style of the French King, Louis XIV. His court was renowned throughout Europe for its elegance and refinement. Fashions at court encouraged the development of the French luxury silk industry and the manufacture of beautifully cut clothes. They were made by an army of tailors and dressmakers in Paris.

Ever since this period the city of Paris has been the center of manufacture and sale of the most expensive, luxurious clothes in the world. By the 1680s, even the middle classes in Europe and North America were copying the cut of French fashions. As a result national differences in style began to disappear.

In the 1660s, wealthy men began to wear wide-legged breeches with short doublets, decorated with loops of ribbons. By the 1670s doublets turned into longer coats, with rich braid fastening and deep cuffs. Fine knitted silk stockings were worn with square-toed shoes with quite high heels. Following French fashions, men’s wigs grew longer and taller giving a thin, elongated look to styles of the period.

Styles in women’s wear also became markedly elongated by the 1680s, with tall, delicate lace headdresses and long bodices worn under dresses with long trains. Overskirts were open down the front revealing richly braided underskirts.

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