Laura Bedore, of Salt Lake City, dresses as Queen Elizabeth in a 25- pound dress during the Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire. "Jewels and decorations were a mark of nobility," Bedore explains. "The jewels were worn really long with pearls, gold and other jewels." • Gowns galore. All women of the Renaissance, poor or rich, would be wearing dresses, said Bedore, who has portrayed Queen Elizabeth for seven years at the Top of Utah fair. "A woman would never be seen in pants — never, ever, ever," she said. Other than the queen, of course, a woman's wardrobe was limited. "Fabric took so long to make that it was very precious," Bedore said,, and most women, except for the very wealthy, only had a couple of outfits to their name. "There was not a lot of variety," she added. • Trendy colors and fabrics. On this day, Her Majesty was wearing an elegant gold brocade gown, embellished with a multitude of pearls and glass beads. "The more elaborate the better — she's the queen," Bedore said. The wealthy women of the era would have owned gowns made of silk, velvet or finely woven wool, while the peasants would have been outfitted in linen or coarser wools. Rich and vibrant colors like red, blue or purple were worn only by the rich, Bedore said, because such dyes were expensive. Peasants typically wore dark browns and greens, earth tones and yellows. Also, "if you didn't have a certain standing, it was illegal to wear fur," Bedore said, adding, "If you were dressed above your station, you could get in trouble." • Bodice rippers. Dresses featured bodices with laces; the laces were how a woman put the garment on since there were no zippers, Bedore said. Even sleeves were sometimes laced on to the bodice so they could be removed and interchanged with various tops. A peasant woman's dress would lace up the front because she had to dress herself, Mathes said. A wealthy woman had servants to dress her, so her dress See FESTIVAL, Page C4