Puritan Fashion – come vestivano i puritani

Puritans wore serious colours and modest cuts (=tagli) , avoiding (= evitando)  shiny fabrics (tessuti luccicanti) and ornaments.  
Women’s gowns (= vestiti) had high-necked smocks (= grembiule) and wide collars. Married women covered their hair with a linen cap. Sometimes they also wore a tall black hat over it.
Most Puritans and Calvinists did not wear black for everyday, because black dye (= tintura nera)  was expensive and faded (= svaniva)  quickly. Black clothing was worn by the elders (= più anziani) , the wealthier (= più ricchi) or for the most formal occasions, for example a portrait. For this reason we imagine that all Puritans wore only black clothing!
The typical colours were brown, dull green (= verde scuro), and tawny (=dark red). Their favourite fabrics were wool (= lana) and linen (= lino). Women  of rank( = rango)  wore modest lace (=pizzo, merletto) and embroidery (= ricamo): as the various ranks of society were divinely ordained (= ordine divino) clothing should reflect this blessing (= benedizione).
Some Puritans had long, curled hair, others refused them  as effeminate, and preferred to have their hair cut. They were called Roundheads and fought on the English Parliament’ side during  the English Civil war (1642–1651). These soldiers also wore a Yellow Ribbon around their arm to be distinguished from their enemy.