Baroque Costumes To See In Vienna Austria

Clearly, the aristocracy and nobility favored heavily embroidered and brocaded fabrics such as silk, velvet, and damask. Moreover, women’s dresses featured low, square necklines, slim bodices, and wide pannier-styled skirts. 

The ladies of society wore pompous silk dresses in vibrant colours. The dresses boasted wide decolletés, laces and ribbons. On top, corsages achieved an ultra thin waistline, sleeves until the elbows or above, and bell shaped wide crinoline skirts to the toes. Later on, the ladies would tie padded sausage-shaped leather rolls around their hips to accommodate to the baroque ideal of the curvaceous woman.

Many rich ladies additional wore a wide coat (manteau) nested on the back, and a precious undergarment.

In the winter, the ladies would wear little fur collars, called flea furs. As they didn’t wash, they believed the fur would attract those nasty fleas and keep them from their bodies. They would wear silk shoes with a small heel, and drape their hair around a high wire frame on top of their heads.

Furthermore, both men and women wore large, curled powdered wigs decorated with ribbons. Accessories like fans, gloves, masks (for balls), and jewels also showcased one’s status.

As for the gentlemen they usually dressed a wide flowing jacket, a linen shirt and waistcoat (justeaucorps). Not to be missed were colourful silk stockings, wide knicker bockers bound under the knee (‘culottes’), and gaiters. In the early baroque, the waistcoast would be padded and pointed on the belly. Mostly, men would shave their heads to comfortably wear white-powdered curly wigs, the ‘allonge’ wigs, topped by a cocked hat. The buckled shoes would be stubbed, with medium heels.