Landsknecht Guild

I have seen there are a few sources just published or about  o be published over the next couple of months of note for 16th century costume and Renaissance life. I will post a list later, but I am hoping to read through them as they become available to see if they are of use to us. The first one I just received todaymDressing Up by Ulina Rublack. It seems quite interesting just from the introductory pages, and already there is a reference of some pertinence to our recent discussions.

A chronicler notes of King Henry VIII, who spent 200 marks on a lavish feast with twenty-four young men all dresed in the Almain[German] fashion:

'Their Vitter[outer] garmentes all of yealos satyne[satin], yealow hosen, yealow shoes, gyrdels, scaberdes and bonettes with yealow fethers, their garments and hosen all cutte[slashed] and lined with white satyne.'

Apparently at least King Henry wore colored feathers on his hat.

I will see what else the book has to offer, the only criticism I have heard of it thus far it that it spends an “unfortunate amount of time focusing on German Renaissance fashions rather than the whole of Europe.”  Yes, how unfortunate for us. 

And in another spot they talk of “black dyed ostrich feathers tipped with gold”

Yeah, I get the feeling colored feathers are totally period. I mean, not colors they couldn't get of course, but feathers take color at least as well as silks if not better.

Well, so far the references I have are for people with a fair amount of money, such as Henry, but not all indoor noble rich people. However, yes, it could be based on wealth and environment. Which means, you might still be able to keep your feathered hat as long as you had another one for rain days.