ABSTRACT
Sumptuous apparel for the elite was made from expensive materials including luxurious furs and silk textiles with large or complex pattern repeats. The prestige associated with these materials was related to their high cost. This in turn was linked to their limited availability because of the small quantities being imported into England and the constraints imposed by the acts of apparel. Equally, there was a certain cachet associated with wearing imported materials because foreign, silk fabrics had the appeal of the exotic as they were imported from Europe and beyond. However, not everyone could wear them and a wide range of materials, including locally produced fabric and cheaper imported goods, were required to dress the whole population of Tudor England. This chapter will consider the selection of products on offer, both domestic and imported, that could be converted into doublets and hose, gowns and kirtles.
