Saturday, July 05, 2025

Lady Greensleeves



The 16th-century song "Greensleeves" is a familiar tune, which you most likely know as the Christmas song "What Child is This?" The original was written in the year 1580, and the oldest surviving lyrics were written down in 1584. There are 18 verses, and they tell of a man who has a crush on a woman and showers her with gifts of clothing, which are described in the song. Together, they make a fine Tudor outfit. 

The Greensleeves Project has been working to decipher and recreate all the clothing mentioned in the song, which gives us a glimpse into the fashions of the Elizabethan Era. The longer documentary that was mentioned at the end is here. (via Metafilter

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