Getting Dressed as an Elizabethan Courtier

Under the rule of Elizabeth I, a new kind of courtier could be found in the royal court. Elite gentlemen trying to compete against each other to stand out for their queen. Men such as Robert Dudley, Robert Devereux, Walter Raleigh, and many others. Fashions moved on from the overt masculinity of Henry VIII's court where outrageous codpieces and shoulders indicated status. In the Elizabethan court, men's attire became more refined, with a focus on decoration... and a lot of leg.

In the lastest episode of our historical dressing series, our experts demonstrate how to get ready as an Elizabethan male courtier.

Image credits:

Robert Dudley, first Earl of Leicester (1532/3–1588), ca. 1565, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. c.1596-1601 © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
Sir Walter Ralegh (Raleigh). 1588, unknown artist. © National Portrait Gallery, London
Domenico Ghirlandaio (Italian, 1449-1494). A Legend of Saints Justus and Clement of Volterra, c.1479. London: National Gallery of Art, NG2902. Bequeathed by Lady Lindsay, 1912.
"The Standard BearerDate: c. 1500. Artist: Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528" Art Institue Chicago.
Archduke Ferdinand II, c.1548, Jakob Seisenegger © KHM-Museumsverband
Portrait of a Man in Red c. 1530-50 © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust
Henry VIII, c.1540-1547, Hans Holbein the Younger. Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Sir Thomas Winnie, c. 1615, Yale Center for British Art Paul Mellon Collection
Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer. Peter Paul Rubens. 1597. The Met.
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. c.1575, unknown artist. © National Portrait Gallery, London
James VI of Scotland, c.1583 © Historic Scotland
British School, A Man, called Sir Martin Frobisher Kt, 17th century, oil on canvas, 81.9 x 59.4 cm, DPG375. Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
Hieronimo Custodis, Sir John Ashburnham, 1593. Oil paint on panel; 30 5/8 × 23 1/2 in. (77.8 × 59.7 cm). Denver Art Museum: Gift of the Berger Collection Educational Trust, 2021.25. Image courtesy of the Denver Art Museum.
King Phillip II of Spain. Alonso Sánchez Coello. 1531/1532. Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester. c.1575, unknown artist. © National Portrait Gallery, London
Portrait of a Man in White. 1574. Monogrammist LAM. The Met.
Sir Walter Raleigh, 1603, unkown artist © National Portrait Gallery, London