King John often had to “struggle with his tailor like a bear,” as he described it in a letter dated 12th of October 1666. We all know how much importance he attached to his clothes. Of course, he was not alone in this. A special awareness of individually tailored clothing characterized every monarch, especially within the then culture of externality. The process of creating royal clothing, its storage and maintenance, the ritual of putting on and taking off, the history of discarded items of clothing – all of this was subject to strictly defined rationing.
Sobieski with family, court painter, after 1693; Museum of King Jan III's Palace in Wilanów, photo by Z. Reszka
At every court, an important role was played by the Master of the Robes (Latin: circa vestes), who supervised the process of creating and using the clothes, a court official who simultaneously administered the entire equipment of the royal apartments. In the years 1651–1667, the servant of this profession at the side of Queen Louise Marie was Charles Marchand, who, together with hairdressers (Mr. Champagne), wig makers (Stefan Dagobert), tailors (Caltian, Joachim Fysier, Jan Gilles, Krystian Kozlar), shoemakers (Jakub Aubert), took care of the fashionable appearance of the lady and her ladies-in-waiting, including little Marysieńka. Young coquettes especially snatched up French goods, arguing about lace, fashionable shoes, bow ties, bonnets, ribbons, etc. At the court of Maria Kazimiera, the function of the dresser was performed by Mrs. Franciszka Feudherbe (d. 1704), associated with the court since 1654, wife of Sebastian Taus from Toruń. During the studies of Marek and Jan Sobieski in Kraków, Mr. Zdarowski watched over the wardrobe of the students, the clothes were cleaned and helped to dress by Mr. Żurawski.
Henry III Valois, a lover of orange and yellow berets, used to starch and arrange his collars himself. Henry IV, called Vert Galant, supposedly had a weakness for silk shirts decorated with embroidery and lace and specially designed walking sticks. For the needs of his love conquests, he would put on elaborate, satin clothes and perfume his carefully cultivated beard, and on festive occasions he would appear in a white, satin suit, a black coat and a hat with a similar plume. He did, however, try to create an image of himself as a humble servant of the people, a former Huguenot who dressed simply, and often even slovenly. He fondly recalled that before entering Paris his stock of underwear consisted of only twelve half-worn shirts and five handkerchiefs.
He was able to use his wardrobe as an instrument of political pressure. One day he addressed Parliament: "I have come to address you not in royal robes, nor with a sword and a cloak like my predecessors, but dressed as befits a family man, in a caftan. [...] My predecessors gave you words; I - with my grey caftan - offer you deeds. I am grey on the outside, but pure gold on the inside." The creation of a new outfit for the luxury-loving Philip III on the occasion of the arrival of the British ambassador in 1605 is said to have cost 120,000 ducats. In opposition to his father, from the beginning of his reign (1621) Philip IV appeared in public most often in black or dark brown, following the thrifty recommendations of the court's "economists". According to accounts from the period, King James I's wardrobe was supposed to give the timid sovereign courage. The subject of his special attention was supposedly richly embroidered and lace-trimmed sleeping caps. Christian IV of Denmark personally took care of buying lace for his children, commissioning a tailor to sew lace collars based on a specific pattern. Charles I of England paid attention to the smallest details in matters of his own clothing, even in the dramatic moments of the last years of his life. In 1633, he spent over 26 thousand pounds on his wardrobe.
The royal wardrobe bills to the royal tailor Patrick Black illustrate the great attachment of the monarch, who was styling himself regalantuomo, to the issue of appearance. The cavalier King was attached to a loosely falling ruff for a long time – but he was unable to convince bishops and judges to follow his example. Jewels, especially pearls, played a special role in political propaganda. Among other things, thanks to the story of Cleopatra's pearl extravagances, they gained the status of a symbol of power (an attribute of royalty), wealth, ostentation and an essential component of tenue espagnole. The wedding outfits of the Polish king Sigismund and Constance of Austria cost 700 thousand thalers in 1605, mainly because of the pearl embroidery.
Louis XIII, who cared about his royal dignity, a lover of Milanese embroidery, English stockings and beaver hats with gold and silver bindi à cartisane, was able to spend over 1348 livres on a single set. However, his real passion was ballet costumes, which allowed him to transform into a war invalid, a singer from Granada, a Persian, or even a Fire Demon.
source - Museum of King Jan III's Palace in Wilanów, Jacek Żukowski
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