Beginning in Italy during the 1300s, the Renaissance is one of the most famous times in history because it represented such a huge growth in humanity. The term Renaissance even means “rebirth”, and that's exactly what it was, a birth from the Crusades and years of war.

Europe was burgeoning into time of development in literature and the arts. The Catholic Church was in turmoil from the Crusades and then Martin Luther which split the Church into many factions.

With this newly burgeoning style came the emergence of styles of clothing, all affected by the influx of new materials brought home from the Crusades. New trade with the Mideast continued the creation of new forms of fashion. This is probably why there is such a huge fascination with fashion and art from the Renaissance period.

Fashion, during the renaissance, was a statement of class. While there are traditional clothing stores online, many people may be unable to afford a costume which can cost up to $300.00 for all pieces.

I've dedicated this hub to finding more reasonable costume prices here. You can find other costume ideas on my websites.

There are some cool medieval Renaissance costumes and adult Renaissance costumes below. I've also got a special place in my heart for the renaissance princess costume, which I include in its own area.

Depending on how you were dressed during the Renaissance period, the public knew what class level you were. There were significant class differences among the peasants and gentry. And in fact there were laws governing how much certain classes could spend on clothing and which materials they could wear.

The village wench was not a peasant, per say. They were low on the class status scale, however they had money and traditionally made the ale in the back room. Unfortunately, the tavern wench as we've come to know them, did not actually exist. Most likely the tavern wench we know of today was a prostitute that worked in the taverns =D.

I really love the thought of dressing up as a lady in waiting. After watching taped Merlin episodes from the UK, I'm kinda hooked on the idea. Dunno that I like the significance of being a lady in waiting, but I think the costume is pretty, even prettier than some of the queen and lady costumes down below.

The lady in waiting was the assistant to the queen or princess. A noble position in and of itself, the lady in waiting was actually chosen from the lower ranked noble women of the court. A lady in waiting typically chose the clothing for the queen or princess she attended and was not ever considered a servant.

Ladies in waiting were often friends with those they attended and rich influences on the court. Some notable ladies in waiting became mistress to kings and princes.

Ladies in waiting were often required to have training in music, dance, languages and embroidery.

The male commoner wore lose pants with a chemise, just like the women. Commoner men usually wore big blousy shirts over leather. The cloth was typically low grade, no cotton as it was extremely expensive during that time. Its appropriate to wear linen and wool and leather belts and boots. Absolutely no embellishments were on peasant clothing.

The nobleman wore loose fitting trousers with tights or puffy pants with slits cut in the sides to reveal the fabric underneath which was sometimes embellished and almost always a separate color or style from the pants themselves.

Noblemen also wore wool hose and high hats. The higher the hat the more class status. Rich Men ultimately were noticed class-wise because of the fabrics of which their clothes were made. Noblemen were allowed by law to wear cotton, silks and velvet. Peasants were not permitted to wear any of those fabrics.

Queens and princesses dresses were the most adorned during the renaissance period. Typically made from rich reds, purples and golds, they were embellished with jewels, and embroidery. The dresses were made of cotton and velvet, the most expensive materials available. Sleeves were often soft satin and silks.

Hats covered both hair and head in the early renaissance period and were worn in public. Veils were in lace and silk and embroidered. Dresses were often slashed to show fancier materials underneath.

And now for the adorable!

Children in the renaissance times were subjected to the same rules of dress as peasants. Peasant children were allowed to wear only linen, wools and leathers. Most often it was linen, which was easily loomed. Peasant children had to work in the kitchens and stables as well as the adults and were often sold as servants.

Being a child of a noble family wasn't much better. Little girls were expected to learn musical instruments, languages, etiquette, court intrigue and embroidery. They attended these lessons all day. The noble boys were expected to learn swordsmanship, economy, law, jousting and all manner of knightly fighting skills.

Noble children were often promised in marriage at very young ages and then married as young as 14.

Knights begin as young children and are contracted to serve.

Though a tough life, its still fun to dress up.

Costumes are great for all ages and can be used for many occasions. Check out some of my other ideas for plus size adult costumes.