Soft Silhouette of 17th Century

Fashions changed relatively slowly in the 17th century; but with the demise of the rigid farthingale petticoat, the trend in the mid-1620s to mid-1630s was toward a more bulky, soft silhouette. To allow for easier movement, waistlines on doublets and women's bodices rose higher, and the padding on both doublets and bodices was removed. The starched ruffs and whisks that once encircled the neck were replaced with the softer, more comfortable falling and standing bands. Women's sleeves began to rise, showing first the wrist and then the entire forearm. During this period dresses could be made up of three separate parts: a bodice, a petticoat, and a gown  over the top (which might be gathered up to reveal the petticoat below). Another style was to wear the gown hanging from the shoulders.

>> 17th Century Dress


As with men’s fashion, the ruff gave way to the broad falling collar edged with elegant handmade lace. Only in the Dutch United Provinces (now the Netherlands) was the ruff retained as the neck wear of choice. Men's breeches lost their bagginess and became slimmer and easier to move in.

People continued to value rich materials and exquisite design, but they set aside the rigid formality of earlier years and didn't add ornament for ornament's sake. Overall, the trend through the first sixty years of the century was toward looseness, comfort, and elegance.

The fabric used in European fashionable dress in the 17th century was produced in many countries, with silk satin and velvet designed and woven in France and Italy, and linen for shirts and smocks made in the Netherlands and Germany.