- Cloaks trimmed with Leopards were only worn by Baron's sons, Knights and Ambassadors and their wives
- Cloaks trimmed with Wolf were only worn by Baron's sons, Knights and Ambassadors and their wives
- Cloaks trimmed with Foins (Fur of the beech marten, a weasel-like animal ) were only worn by courtiers
- Cloaks trimmed with Budge (Lambskin from North Africa and Spain) were only worn by courtiers
Elizabethan Furs
A variety of furs were used in Elizabethan clothing, often used in a cloak called a Fur-Pilch, and described by the Society of Skinners as follows: “Ermine, foine, sables, martin, badger, bearre,
Luzernne, budge, otter, hipponesse, and hare,
Lamb, wolf, fox, leopard, minck, stot, miniver,
Racoon, moashy, wolverin, caliber,
Squirrel, mole, cat, musk, civet, wild and tame,
Cony, white, yellow, black, must have a name,
The ounce, rows gray, ginnelt, pampilion,
Of birds the vulture, bitter, estridge, swan:
Some worn for ornament, and some for health,
All to the Skinners’ art bring fame and wealth.” Elizabethan Cloaks - a comment dating back to 1583.
During the Elizabethan era pamphlets were printed and distributed commenting on life in Elizabethan England. A writer of one such pamphlet was a well travelled Londoner called Philip Stubbes. He was believed to have been born c1555 and died c1610. He was well educated and attended both Oxford and Cambridge University. He was also a strict Elizabethan Puritan and held firm views on any social practices which, in his view were, unfitting true Christians. He named his work " The Anatomie of Abuses " in which he strongly criticised many of the fashions and clothing worn during the Elizabethan era. It was entered in the Stationers' Register on 1 March 1583. This pamphlet includes his view and some valuable information about Elizabethan Cloaks. "They have clokes there also in nothing different from the rest, of dyverse and sundry colors, white, red, tawnie, black, greene, yellowe, russet, purple, violet, and infynite other colors: some of cloth, silk, velvet, taffetie, and such like, wherof some be of the Spanish, French & Dutch fashion: Some short, scarcely reaching to the gyrdlestead, or waist, some to the knee, and othersome trayling uppon the ground (almost) liker gownes than clokes. Then are thei garded with Velvette gardes, or els laced with costly lace, either of golde, silver, or at leaste of silkethree or fower fingers broad doune the back, about the skirts, and every whereels. And now of late they use to garde their clokes rounde about the skirtes with bables, I should saie Bugles, and other kinde of glasse, and all to shine to the eye. Besides al this, thei are so faced, and withal so lined as the inner side standeth almost in as much as the outside: some have sleeves, othersome have none;some have hoodes to pull over the head, some have none; some are hanged with points and tassels of gold, silver, or silk withal, some without al this. But howsoever it be, the day hath been when one might have bought him two clokes forlesse than now he can have one of these clokes made for, they have such store of workmanship bestowed uppon them." |
