Details
Henry VIII's wardrobe is set in context by a study of Henry VII's clothes, court and household. As none of Henry VIII's clothes survive, evidence is drawn primarily from the great wardrobe accounts, wardrobe warrants, and inventories, and is interpreted using evidence from narrative sources, paintings, drawings and a small selection of contemporary garments, mainly from European collections. Key areas for consideration include the King's personal wardrobe, how Henry VIII's queens used their clothes to define their status, the textiles provided for the pattern of royal coronations, marriages and funerals and the role of the great wardrobe, wardrobe of the robes and laundry. In addition there is information on the cut and construction of garments, materials and colours, dress given as gifts, the function of livery and the hierarchy of dress within the royal household, and the network of craftsmen working for the court.
The text is accompanied by full transcripts of James Worsley's wardrobe books of 1516 and 1521 which provide a brief glimpse of the King's clothes. '
Reviews & Quotes
"...Hayward's study would be an excellent library addition for museum professionals, costume designers, teachers - really any reader with a scholarly interest in dress of the Tudor period. The bibliography is exhaustive, up-to-date, and an excellent research tool on its own.'"
Nicole LaBouff
Costume Society of America (Spring 2008)
"Hayward...has written the first, and what will surely remain the fullest, history of early Tudor court dress.(...)Haywards painstaking research yields raw data that will be of interest to anyone studying Renaissance kingship.(...)...a meticulous, informative study of one aspect of court culture that all students of Renaissance monarchy will want to consult.'"
Dale Hoak, College of William & Mary
Renaissance Quarterly
()
"...a compelling collection of information and a useful reference.'"
Melanie Schuessler, Eastern Michigan University
Medieval Clothing and Textiles , vol 14
(2008)