At the end of the 15th Century, as Gothic fashion reached its peak in Burgundy, Italian Renaissance started to develop. In Florence, dominated by the immensely rich Medici family, art unfolds as in Venice and Urbino. Scientists and artists began to observe and depict humans and nature, giving rise to a new form of realistic art. Clothing is an expression of human personality and the formation of individual taste.
Building up on ancient styles, all parts fit seamlessly together in a harmonious whole. At the same time, people appreciated the freedom of movement provided by clothing. Materials remain sumptuous and precious. Italian silk weaving increasingly unfolds; elaborate brocades and velvets, woven with gold and silver and oriental patterns, take centre stage. Italian Renaissance Men's clothing is dominated by the giornea, mostly featuring deep tubular folds and very ample, puffy sleeves.
In addition, men wore tights and, over the whole set,the most typical garment of the Italian Renaissance: the Zimarra, an open front, coat-like outer garment usually provided with a fastener. It was invariably lined and often embellished with fur. Headgear varies widely, ranging from the simple cap to the prominent beret. As regards women's clothing, current cuts finally separate skirt and bodice, that is, the - usually laced - bodice is connected with seams to the - often very ample - skirt while the waist is slipped up. The dress train is completely omitted, and quite often the sleeves too. Instead, these are separately laced to the shoulder or the elbow, revealing thereby the wide puffed sleeves of the undergarment. Having several, interchangeable sleeves per garment attached greater importance to its features. Ulrich von Lichtenstein, for example, owned 30 pairs. As the Renaissance progresses in Italy, sleeves appear increasingly buttoned - as opposed to laced - and open towards the middle. Women's outer garments are cut away at the front and partially at the sides, so that they - as for men's clothing - form a coat-like garment and reveal the richness of the petticoat. Regarding headgear, women rely also on berets but also wear hairnets, garlands, and veils. Initially, sleeves were slitted at the joints and especially the elbows, mostly ​​for convenience. Soon, however, slits spread to all clothing components and became a purely decorative element. In the 16th Century, this fashion saw its golden age in Germany. Renaissance fashion was strongly influenced by the clothing of lansquenets (mercenaries): flashy, colourful, tight, and especially slitted over and over again.
Beak shoes (medieval poulaines) were an inseparable part of Gothic fashion. The Renaissance began in Germany in 1510, at a time when it was slowly winding down in Italy. Interestingly enough, the Church and clothing followed parallel reform paths. As in Italy, focus was on consistency of proportion and function albeit Germany, fragmented and haunted by the chaos of war, did not achieve Italy's splendour. Velvet and silk were so expensive that e.g. a Swabian noblewoman had to sell a whole village to buy the desired blue velvet dress for a celebration. German Renaissance As regards men's clothes, the most characteristic garment was the "Schaube" or chamarre, which developed from the 15th century coat-like overcoat and contained a larger wealth of material, often reaching up over the shoulder of the collar, and wide bulky sleeves so that, like the Italian Zimarra, it became a representative as well as comfortable garment. At the elbow, sleeves often featured a second opening for the arms, while the lower part of the chamarre sleeve hanged loose and empty. This sleeve form is already known from the Middle Ages. Like all parts of clothing, doublets fit excessively tight. Sleeves were the most important item by far: billowed, puffed, slitted, embroidered and provided with a diversity of ornaments, they were a fashion favourite during these decades. On the other hand, trouser design shows the same variety as doublet sleeves. As regards headgear, beret-like items reigned supreme and nearly displaced all other options. On happy occasions, a medieval chaplet - the real or artificial wreath - was used to hold the headgear in place. Over these decades, women's clothing resembled men's fashion to such an extent that - apart from its specific forms - most of it has been already said. Clothing items such as berets and chamarres are identical. On the other hand, women's clothing becomes more comfortable, the waist is not as tight as in medieval fashion, trains disappear entirely, and skirt and bodice are separated from each other, often featuring a belt between them.

Garment sleeves, essentially similar to those of the giornea, grow sometimes so long as to cover the fingers entirely. Women also wore chamarres as outerwear, reaching to their feet and commonly featuring slits instead of sleeves. The Heuke, a wrinkled jacket similar to those of the 15th Century, was absolutely required for Church. Apart from long robes, larger Goller or Koller collars became fashionable, which drove a luxury quest: noble women had them made in gold fabric and filled with ermine, and female citizens enriched them with as many beads and embroidery as possible. Next to hairnets and hoods, women wore berets shaped as men's berets, except that the former often carried a skullcap underneath to hold the beret in place.