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The ladies in these designs are definitely of the leisured classes. Anyone doing manual work would have been much more simply dressed in Elizabethan times. A court lady would need assistance to dress.
Over her undershift would go a whaleboned and padded bodice in up to 3 pieces that would be laced or hooked together. Sleeves and cuffs came in separate pieces that would have to be fastened to the bodice with rolls of fabric called pickadills fastened on the shoulder to hide the joining tapes.
To make the skirt hang in a wide bell shape, around the waist would be tied a wire or whaleboned frame called a farthingale, or alternatively a large roll of cloth called a bum-roll.
Over this would be placed an embroidered petticoat and the skirt that was attatched to the bodice. Both bodice and skirt could be heavily embroidered and decorated with precious and semi precious stones. Blackwork and whitework embroidery was popular for decoration on shirts etc Stockings were made of woven cloth or knitted silk and shoes of fabric or leather.
Pleated ruffs were worn around the neck but later in the reign there was a fashion for the high backed open fronted gauze ruff which was wired and attached to the back of the bodice.
Caps were small and worn towards the back of the head but some court ladies used false hair or wigs to supplement their own hair The effect must have been gorgeous but these were not clothes that allowed for ease of movement.
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