Wigs, Frills & High Heels | 17th Century Menswear
Historic Royal Palaces
@historicroyalpalacesAbout
We tell stories about the monarchs you know, and the lives you don’t. Historic Royal Palaces looks after six sites: Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, Banqueting House and Hillsborough Castle. Together these sites tell 1,000 years of history, from the royal families that chose these palaces, to the many lives of those that lived and worked alongside them. We are a charity, and your support gives the palaces a future, for everyone. Stay tuned for new videos on Wednesdays two or three times a month.
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Video Description
The late 1600s saw a peak in extravagance in mens fashion history. After years of Puritan rule under Oliver Cromwell, the Restoration brought Charles II back to the English throne in 1660. Charles was influenced by French styles, but was also a fashion leader in his own right, starting the trend for the three piece suit. The fashion of the time was excessive, impressive, and expensive. It was very different from menswear today – men even wore wigs and high heels! In this video, historical interpreters go through the stages of dressing in a Restoration ensemble fit for a king, from underwear, to golden silks, to accessories. Learn all about how a gentleman courtier would dress from these experts. Image Credits: King Charles II c. 1670 © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London King Charles II attributed to Thomas Hawker, oil on canvas, circa 1680 © National Portrait Gallery, London Charles II, c.1671-76 by John Michael Wright. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust The Financial, Nicholas Bonnart. C.1637-1718. Musée Carnavalet, History of Paris Elegant company in a distinguished interior, Eglon van der Neer. C.1678. RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628). Daniel Mytens, the Elder. © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection Young patrician couple, Bartholomeus van der Helst. C.1661. Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Jean Dieu de Saint-Jean, Habit Noir (evening wear), etching c. 1670. Pepys Library, Magdalene College Cambridge Gentilhomme et jeune élégant, 1670. New York Public Library. Carlo Ceresa (San Giovanni Bianco 1609 - Bergamo 1679) Portrait of a Gentleman with a Wig, c.1665-1670, Galerie Canesso Louis XIV, after 1701. Gift of J. Paul Getty Museum
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