Research the Elizabethan period via history books at your local library. Alternatively, use a computer and Internet access to research the same information online via history websites. Gain an understanding of the different class levels of society during the time and what they were able and allowed to wear. Decide what type of role you want to play – i.e., peasant, lord, lady, serf, knight, vagrant.
Craft a long shirt that represents a medieval undergarment from cotton cloth sheets. Use enough material that the length reaches the knees for a woman and the thigh for a man. Cut the shape from a sheet of cloth with tailor’s scissors and stitch the sides with thread. Leave the neck split for a man’s undergarment and stitch it with basic rope in a shoe-string, "X" cross pattern to be opened or closed as needed when worn.
Craft basic pants for a man that trim at the knee. Use a canvas material and cut and stitch in the same method as Step 2. Close the pants at the top with rope or a button. Wear a big leather belt for waist cover. Cut a woman’s basic dress from wool so that it covers the body to the ankle or floor. Avoid tailoring the dress so that it is fitted – it should just hang. Cinch the waist with a colored rope or ribbon.
Cut a simple vest for the chest area of the man. Cover this with a close-fitting, one-layer jacket cut from two pieces of leather or wool and tapered at the waist. Stitch the jacket's front and back pieces together at the sides with leather strips to form the full jacket. Close the jacket with sewn-in buttons; do not use zippers. Find a dark-colored basic bodice or corset for the upper area of the woman. Wear a basic white blouse underneath the corset stitched at the front split with rope.
Match the outfit with riding boots for a man. Put on stockings up to the knee and use leather sandals or riding boots for a woman, hidden underneath the main dress.