Summary Of Carole Collier Frick's Dressing Florence

Carole Collier Frick in her 2005 book Dressing Renaissance Florence: Families, Fortunes, and Fine Clothing, Frick examines the ways in which members of Florentine society adorned themes adorned themselves. Despite being time consuming to produce, many of the elite families of Florence, purchased large amounts of clothing and textiles to maintain their social standing and family honor, for their families and households to aid in distinguishing themselves from their counterparts. Notable tailors of markets created lavish clothing for many of the noble families in Florence who would commission various articles. In her chapter titled “The Making of Wedding Gowns” explains how in addition to the elaborate marriage rituals, there was special practices in place in commissioning a wedding gown for a prospective bride.
Special articles of clothing or jewelry were required for each stage of the marriage ritual in which the bride was involved. There is substantial emphasis on the materials and design of the wedding gown; and Frick details how these textiles were viewed and perceived by audiences as a manifestation of the groom’s wealth. In her chapter “Sumptuary Legislation and the ‘Fashion Police”, Frick explains how sumptuary laws were in place to monitor the strict surveillance of bodies in which there were regulations that limited persons from wearing articles of clothing or jewelry based on an hierarchy of birthright. Colors, textiles, and design played integral roles in the perception of the man and/or woman within contemporary Italian society. Examples of sumptuary laws included stipulations regarding ornaments, shape, style, and coverage of necklines, use of metals, luxury silks, sleeve shape and design,