Smelly Spaniards...

The Renaissance Faire is a peculiar event that sprouted from a high school history project in Southern California during the early 1960’s. It has grown into a sub-culture that spans across the United States, Canada and Europe. Some events are solid historically based events, others are hysterical spectacles of flesh and fantasy, clinging to a thread of Renaissance history…

Phillip II, King of Spain (and England for a bit), Sofonisba Anguissola, 1573

Ah...the Spanish Empire of the 16th century.  So vast that the Sun never set upon it…so rich that a bridge of silver could be made from South America to Spain from the riches taken…wealth so vast, that the treasury of Spain made other European kingdoms and principalities look like cheap, "dime-store" imitations.  Is it any wonder how Spain ruled over and influenced the European continent with silver and gold?  Charles V even got the title "Holy Roman Emperor", despite being neither Roman or holy.  The Pope understood the concept of money talks...and BS walks.

Spain was the center of the known universe, and fashion was no exception.  From doublets to farthingales, across Britain, Russia and everywhere in between, the fashion of Spain was the dress of the day.  Aside from those sweaty fat chicks at Faire who dress all in black, trying to imitate the Iberian Court on the hottest damn day of the year, Spaniards of the 16th century were more than just heavy, perspiration soaked velvet.  Outside of Court and Cathedral, Spanish folks dressed in beautiful colors and fabrics.  They were the cutting edge, no pun intended, and they knew it.  There is an exception...as always.  Spanish fashion change slowly, especially in the overseas colonies like Mexico.  What you would see in 1550 was probably not all that different from what you saw on a Spaniard's back in 1580.  That does not take away from Spain's dominance of the fashion runway (Englishmen and Italians still donned swanky Spanish threads), but as the Renaissance came to a close eyes began to look France for the latest and greatest in Saturday night duds.  Nevertheless, for a reenactor portraying a 16th century impression at the local Ren Faire, Philip II is still "da bomb"...

***

Let's have look at some prime source visual documentation of Spaniards in the last half of the 1500s and early 1600s…

Crafted in the 1550s, the Codex Kingsborough was meant to document Spanish abuses against local Indians.  It also captured a snapshot of Spanish Renaissance dress in Mexico with enough detail on the clothing to make it worthwhile and interesting.  Here are all the colorful Men's clothes presented in this resource...

View the Illustrations

***

Ana de Mendoza de la Cerda y de Silva Cifuentes, Princess of Eboli, Duchess of Pastrana (1540-1592)

Reputed to be a portrait of Ana de Mendoza...I'm not so sure...but, it is a visual of a very well dressed Spanish lady from the period...

***

16th-century Spanish Ladies

***

Antonio Perez (1539-1611) Secretary of Felipe II

***

Juan de Mal Lara (1524-1571)...the engraving was created by Francisco Pacheco, 1599.  Notice his hat...even Spaniards wore the flat cap/bonnet!

***

A Spanish book from 1615 Peru shows a multitude of garb for what is essentially the Elizabethan period. Remember, fashion at this time was Spanish and even if you are a heretic from Albion, you can't run from that. The Guaman Poma, Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno was meant as a tirade and testimonial against Spanish injustice and cruelty towards Indians and Blacks in the New World. It went not to the King's hands, but into oblivion. The suffering unchecked, continued, but those Spanish perpetrators were very well dressed. Here are all the relevant drawings from this book.  Even in line drawings, you can see cloth with embroidered or block-printed floral patterns. Not exactly the vision of the chunky funky fat girl all "Spanished up" with black polyester velvet...over in Phillip's Court.

View the Illustrations

***

Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza (1500-1561), imaged almost 30 years after his death

***

So yes, there is black, but there are a lot of red doors in Renaissance Spanish garb as well...and you can't paint them all.  A little color....and some anti-perspirant...that'll do the trick...

*****

OBEY!!!