Habit of an English Lady in Spring of 1641

by Thomas Jefferys

The compelling image below, created by Thomas Jefferys, represents the change of dress of an English Lady during the poignant season of Spring in the year 1641. On the verge of entering into the English Civil War, "the Habit" of the period showed the last, albeit brief, period of Caroline style elegance.

In Jefferys' rendering, one sees the attention to detail in the construction of the dress. As compared to the more structured dresses of the Elizabethan era, the dress here shows an emphasis on softer fabrics such as silks and laces in the form of collars and "falling" ruffs.