Elizabethan fashion was the beginning of fashion itself. It was the time of Christopher Columbus and other explorers who unified the world. International trade routes were discovered and global trade officially began. Before the 16th and 17th centuries, people wore clothing only for warmth and hiding. Dress was plain and simple; he had neither flair nor style. New fabrics and dyes were now readily available all over the world. The Elizabethan era was the first time that the wealthy began investing large sums of money and time into their clothing. Clothing distinguished the rich from the have-nots. Both sexes were very careful about their clothing; it was not just a female pastime. Monarchs around the world during the 16th and 17th centuries led this new desire for sumptuous clothing, particularly Queen Elizabeth herself. Sumptuary laws were passed to preserve certain styles specifically intended for monarchs and nobility. Ordinary people were forbidden to wear these styles. The exquisite designs and shapes of the clothing reflected the monarch's influence on society and the Renaissance Roman desire for a specific body shape; there were differences in clothing between people of different social classes due to sumptuary restrictions. Women of this period wore dresses, officially known as dresses, or skirts for everyday activities and formal occasions. The dresses of the 16th century are considered the most beautiful dresses of any era (Pendergast & Pendergast 469). Styles changed from year to year, but the basic style of a fitted upper body and a full skirt that reached the ankles remained (Hanson). Lower class women wore less tight underwear because they...were made of paper...back then. Flight. 4. Detroit: np, 2005. N. pag. European Renaissance 1300-1600. Rep. in Np:np, and Academic OneFile. Internet. March 1, 2014. Leed, Drea. “Queen Elizabeth's Influence on Elizabethan Fashion.” Elizabethan Costumes Page. Drea Leed, 1996. The web. March 16, 2014. Hanson, Paige L. “Renaissance Clothing and Sumptuary Laws.” » Umich.edu. University of Michigan-Dearborn, September 14, 2010. Web. March 3, 2014. Pendergast, Sara and Tom Pendergast. “Fashion, costumes and culture: clothing, headgear, body decorations and shoes through the ages.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale, 2006. The web. March 1, 2014. .Salisbury, Joyce E. “Clothing and Personal Appearance in England: 15th and 16th Centuries.” » Daily life throughout history. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. March 13. 2014.