Costume from 1500 to the present day Author:Cally Blackman Costume and clothes are the most visible means we have of expressing ourselves. For hundreds of years they have been used to signify status, power, political messages and wealth, while for ordinary people they have been adapted for various trades and professions. At the period when this guide begins, the 16th century, fashionable dress was the ... more »preserve of the privileged few. Only the wealthiest in the land - that is, royalty and the court - could afford to purchase the luxury fabrics, furs and jewels that cost many times more than the annual earnings of a working man. Conspicuous consumption was the most important ingredient in fashion.« less