Introduction+Paragraph

Alexandra Whitt

Since time can remember clothing has represented much of who one is as a person; in particular the Middle-ages and the Renaissance are good examples seeing as how 1485, the year that //Every Man// was assumed to be written, is my focus. In 1483 Richard III came to power, but lost his throne in 1485 when Edward V took over. Edward V lost his claim to the throne two years later, as well - he was succeeded by Henry VII. Although England went through two kings in the span of four years, their clothing doesn't seem to resemble the changes. When Richard III came to power the styles changed from the clothing we typically associate with the Renaissance - men wearing pointy shoes with an elaborate tunic and tights to go with it and women wearing the steepled headdresses with a veil attached (think Shakespeare) - to, for the men, a tunic that now went down to their knees instead of almost to their waist and a petti cote, with wider and more square shoes. The women had started to wear The Hennin, which was a new style of headdress similar to the steeple of the previous style, except without the veil and not as tall, sometimes The Hennin was in the shape of a box. What i'm going to explore in this project is how clothing shapes the identity of the individuals who wear it as well as how it shapes the culture.