Codpiece Was a Weird Renaissance Fashion Trend – Design You Trust

Codpiece Was a Weird Renaissance Fashion Trend

The codpiece as a feature of male dress dates to the 15th and 16th centuries during the renaissance. Designed to cover the gap between the two legs of men’s hose, it is packed and shaped to emphasize rather than disguise the genital area.

h/t: sadanduseless

The origins of the codpiece lie in the triangle of fabric used to join the two separate hose legs in the late 15th century when doublets shortened. Soon padding was added and ended up as the codpiece–a prominent, suggestive shape filling the gap between the legs of the breeches.

It soon became a normal part of male clothing, in style across many countless and social levels until the end of the 1500s. Tailors became as creative with codpiece shapes as with other clothing details. The codpiece could hide a pocket or even be used as a pincushion.

With great size comes great decorative responsibility, and men of means rose to the occasion. They brocaded, damasked, bejewelled, embroidered, tasseled, tinseled, and otherwise ornamented their codpieces until they became like walking Christmas trees. Puberty was no prerequisite: boys as young as seven could engorge themselves with silk and satin.

Codpiece even found its way to warfare: suit of the king’s armor, boasting a bulbous codpiece weighing more than two and a half pounds, is still on display at the Tower.


By the close of the sixteenth century, the codpiece had become a canker-blossom on the male form, and it declined as suddenly as it had ascended.

If you enjoyed this educational post, you should will also take a look at violent rabbits depicted in medieval manuscripts and badly painted babies in renaissance art.

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Clay, Chaos and Urban Detritus Merge in Daniil Antropov’s Ceramic Sculptures
Original Jinglers: The Only Jeans You Can Hear Coming
Post Modern Architectural Cakes By A Fashion Designer Turned Baker
A Designer Assembled a Hundred Covers of Famous Music Albums from LEGO
Artist Made A Baby Yoda Doll Entirely From Materials That She Found At Home
The Surreal Trees Of San Francisco Shot By Kelsey McClellan
Every Penny Counts: This Artist Created a Clear Acrylic Structures to be Completed With Coins
20 Times Filmmakers Used Clever Tricks To Create Impressive Scenes
Quick Guide To Identifying Ford Pickups From 1948 To 1996
See What This Artist's Balloon Dresses Look Like A Month Later
Fantastic French Publicity Caravans Of Yesteryear
Korean Artist Goes Viral For Transforming Herself Into Mind-Bending Optical Illusions Without Any Photoshop
Luna: Bring the Moon Along with You
Stunning Diorama Table Features Pieces From Tabletop World
This Stunning Dragon Bench Was Birthed From A Chainsaw And Single Log
Artist Creates 3D Sculptures Of Ancient Deities And Mythological Creatures With A Modern And Surreal Twist
Perfect Doormats For COVID-19 Social Isolation
Designed By Nature: World’s Greatest Gallery Of Mushrooms That Look Like Butts
New Stick-On Soles Let You Forget Flip Flops And Go Barefoot
This Cat Table Gives Your Feline a Seat in the Table
New Yorker Creates The Funkiest Staircase Ever, And It’s For A Good Cause
These 80-Year-Old Wooden Escalators Become A Beautiful Sculpture
Bizarre Pair of Shoes Called “Soles” Ardèche From the Late 19th Century
Amazing Geometric Tattoos By Turkish Artist Okan Uçkun