While Tudor costume isn't strictly the work of a particular artist or designer, from a very early age I have been fascinated by it and feel that it has influenced my ideas in the past and has great potential to so in the future. I remember looking at pictures while at school - and it's a long time ago now so they must have been memorable! - and thinking how I loved the richness and variety of Tudor costume for both men and women. I also like Tudor architecture, so the whole era has potential for me.
I tracked down some books on the subject to provide specific food for thought, and have scanned some example photos to add here. The books I found were:
"The sixteenth century - a visual history of costume" Jane Ashelford, 1983 [ISBN 0 7134 4099 6; class 646.094205A]
"Costume of the western world: elizabethan and jacobean 1558-1625" Graham Reynolds, 1951 [no ISBN; 646.09R]
"English Costume in the age of Elizabeth, The Sixteenth Century" Drawn & described by Iris Brooke, first printed 1933, last reprint 1973 [no ISBN; 391.0942] (I found an ex-library copy of this in a charity book shop which cost me the princely sum of £1.75!)
The first thing that really stands out is how busy this woman's costume is, there is lots going on! In addition to the basic dress there are jewels, trims, braids, ruffles, gloves etc. Yet somehow it all goes together.
