The Best Men’s Renaissance Costume
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Our Picks For The Top Men's Renaissance Costumes
- 1. WISHU Lace-Up Medieval Trousers Men’s Renaissance Costume
- 2. Scarlet Darkness Men’s Lace-up Gothic Vest Renaissance Costume
- 3. California Costumes Tavern Fellow Men’s Renaissance Costume
- 4. Bbalizko Men’s Ruffled Blouse Renaissance Costume
- 5. Zhitunemi Trousers With Drawstring Cuffs Men’s Renaissance Costume
These comfortable Renaissance costume pants are period-authentic and lightweight. They're made of a cotton blend, with full leg profiles and low crotches for ease of movement. They also have drawstring waists and buttons and ties as accents.
For Peasants and PrivateersYou’ll definitely look the part from the bottom up when you don these ankle-banded pants.
This v-necked sleeveless men’s lace-up vest is made from polyester, looks and feels like suede and comes in different colors. This vest is the perfect accent for your medieval-style outfit, whether you're planning to be a pirate or a nobleman.
It's Tied-In TightThis sleeveless, lace-up vest will slim you down for your Renaissance or pirate-themed cosplay.
If you’re looking for a traditional all-in-one Renaissance-style costume and aren't too worried about authenticity, this two-piece set has lace-up gold trimmed vest that’s attached to white, puffy sleeves and comes with matching pants. Bring your own grog!
Perfect for PartiesThis complete two-piece costume will make you the center of attention at any themed event.
If you’re searching for the perfect Renaissance shirt, this one is loaded up with ruffles on the yoke and cuffs. That makes it a perfect match whether you prefer to dress like a pirate, peasant, nobleman or even a vampire. It comes in different colors, too.
Fabulous and FloatyYou'll love the way you look in this ruffle-front shirt, whether you wear it plain or with a vest.
Buying Guide
The Renaissance period of history began around 1400 and lasted well into the early 1600s, ushering a period of intellectual, cultural, artistic, political and economic rebirth into Europe following the Middle Ages. It is a time associated with the rediscovery of classic philosophy and the development of art and humanism.
Renaissance-style clothing is popular for costumes, but can also be worn everywhere at festivals, clubs, plays, concerts and cosplay shows. Planning to buy a men’s Renaissance costume? It’s important to understand what was typical at the time and what costume elements you’ll need to be authentic.
Both women and men from that time period wore oversized clothes with wide, billowy sleeves; the larger and more flamboyant the clothing, the higher the social status. Other trends of the time included laced-up vests and doublets, laced-up but loose-fitting pants, knee-length pants with wide hips, decorative buttons and capes.
Men also wore tights back then because their pants were often shorter, so they needed additional leg coverage. Wide-toed shoes were popular, as were buckled boots. Many also wore carefully styled hair and brimmed hats adorned with large feathers to top off their looks (hats were mandatory in public in some areas). Hair was cut below their ears at chin length, and many paired this with bangs.
Towards the latter part of the Renaissance, some men started cutting their hair shorter and began sporting trim, well-kept (often pointed) beards. Today, we can see a blend of Renaissance, pirate and peasant styles in many costumes, since they share similar features. Look for anything that is laced up, has ruffles or puffy arms or legs and accessorize accordingly.
Prefer the pirate look? Every day pirates used to wear woolen breeches tied at the knee, round knit caps and loose collarless linen shirts with buttons on the wrists. They topped these with buttoned vests and fitted waist-length jackets. These sailors also wore woolen stockings and low-heeled, buckled leather shoes. Pirate captains, on the other hand, wore richly colored velvet waistcoats, shiny boots and those memorable tri-cornered hats.
What to Look For
- You don’t want your clothing to be too tight and uncomfortable, so look for drawstring waists on your costume.
- Lace-up vests and tops should not be too tight, either. Otherwise, they will not be comfortable or look like they fit suitably.
- Read the product descriptions to check the sizing and take your own body measurements to determine whether a clothing item runs large or small.
- Men definitely wore lots of jewelry during the Renaissance period. Add some statement jewelry to complete your look, like a large, heavy brooch on a thick chain, or some impressive rings.
- Feel free to make your Renaissance costume outlandish, because doing so makes your costume even more authentic. Jewelry, velvet, large capes and even codpieces were worn to increase the wearer’s status back in the day.
More to Explore
Many people are prone to mixing up the Renaissance and medieval periods of history. The medieval period actually includes the Renaissance; it lasted from 600 to 1500 or 1600 C.E. and included early medieval times, the high Middle Ages and the late middle/Renaissance. In many ways, the Renaissance is considered more of a movement than a historical era. Its social, economic and religious advances allowed humans to transition from the Middle Ages to the modern period of history.
However, historians disagree on the Renaissance’s exact dates, which apparently leads to quite a lot of overlap in time periods. To add to the confusion, the clothing styles for each period varied by country and even more by social class. Peasants were not able to afford the same kind of finery as the upper classes and had to wear garments that were coarser and simpler, but the styles were often generally similar.
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