Color Guidelines

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We have a fair bit of documentation on the colors of clothing written in  wills, inventories, and supply orders. In addition, paintings from the  period can be a resource if used judiciously. While there certainly were  painters active in England during this period, the English did not have  a tradition of genre painting such as we find in the Netherlands. When  used carefully, genre paintings from the Netherlands and Flanders, which  often portray common people in their daily lives, can be a helpful  resource to verify written descriptions found in English sources.

Linen/Hemp
Linen and hemp are normally white or their natural color (greyish or  light brownish colored). These fibers bleach white in the sun when wet,  and very white linen was highly desirable. There is not much evidence  for colored linen, although occasionally we hear of it used for linings.  Linen does not take dye particularly well and when dyed would have a  tendency to bleach out over time when exposed to light.

Wool/Silk
Wool and silk, on the other hand, dye very well and can produce rich  colors. Using natural dyes and mordants, almost any color available in  the modern world can be created (including pink, turquoise, and lime  green). The cost of raw materials for natural dyes affects the cost of  the fabric and the colors that require extra labor are also more  expensive. Ninya Mikhaila and Jane Malcom-Davies of the Tudor Tailor  have created an extensive research database of colors of garments in 16th century English will and probate inventories and the 6 most popular  colors are red, tawny, blue, violet, black, and “sheep’s color” (natural  colored wool as it comes from the sheep).

Red was often used for kirtles, petticoats, waistcoats, and hat  linings. It was believed to be healthful and warming, which made it a  favorite for underthings. Red can come from multiple sources; the most  common is from madder root. It can come in many shades of red to orange,  and can make pink. Cochineal is made from insects and is much more  expensive, more of a scarlet color.

Tawny was a popular English color. It is an orangey-tan or golden brownish color.

Blue, made from woad or indigo dye, was a common color for household  livery. “Blue coats” was a term that is used to refer to servants. It  can come in shades from very pale to deep blue.

Violet is an overdye of madder and woad, or may use lichen, and was  closer to what we might call maroon. It is not “purple,” which was an  expensive color subject to sumptuary law regulation.

Black was a very fashionable color, but pure, deep black was  expensive, as it requires a lot of over-dyeing. It was a color much  favored by the middle class as a subtle way of showing status without  appearing extravagant. The portrait of Edward Winslow, which no doubt  inspired the folk belief that Pilgrims always wore black, is typical of a  very prosperous, conservative, middle-class person. Ordinary people had  “poor black,” which is more of a very dark brown color.

Yellow, made from weld, was another inexpensive dye. There is a funny  popular ballad from the period, “Give me my yellow hose again,” that  suggests that wearing yellow hose is a sign you are looking for love. Or at least a good time.

Green generally requires overdyeing with blue and yellow, and is  therefore a bit more expensive. It is associated with springtime,  festivity, and youth.

High Status Colors – Among the elite, the preferred colors,  judging from portraits, were black, white, and red. Deep black and  bright white take a lot of work, a subtle sign of affluence.