Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd

This book has rapidly become the standard when it comes to information about Elizabethan clothing. The focus is on the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth I, with a listing of her clothing and personal wardrobe inventories. It includes detailed photos of extant garments and photos of paintings, both those seen in other books, and some seen only here. There are photos of grave monuments, with details of the clothing depicted there, so there is a wealth of information that can be applied to non-royal garments of this time, as well. Anyone doing Elizabethan re-enactment, making clothing compatible with this time period, or simply wanting to understand what it meant to be Queen from a material point of view needs this book.

Note: The mostly black & white portraits in the book can be found in color on the web at Luminarium's "Portraits of Queen Elizabeth The First," organized in three groups/links by her age.

This detailed guide to how Elizabeth I's wardrobe was conceived, sewn, transported, tracked, the gowns "handed down" to others, etc. is scholarly and obviously a work of love by the author. I find it fascinating as a novice, although the book was written both for professionals and amateurs.

Some of the most increadable examples of cloth and garments I have ever seen. Then again, she WAS the Queen...