Spanish fashion in the age of Velázquez: a tailor at the court of Philip IV

Abstract

Spanish Fashion in the Age of Velázquez is an archival study of dress at the court of Philip IV, as told through the life and work of royal tailor Mateo Aguado. Tailor to the queens of Spain from 1630 to 1672, Aguado designed the dresses that gave the Spanish court its distinctive look in the Baroque era. Aguado was responsible for creating the dresses that appear in some of Diego Velázquez's court portraits. The long-lost garments and accessories that the court artisans made for their royal employers are reconstructed here. Aguado's creations played a role in domestic and international politics by shaping the royal image, and his dresses took center-stage in political events during Philip IV's reign.