Cromwell's Wardrobe Secrets Unveiled: Challenging 17th-Century Fashion Myths

As of November 16th, 2025, a new exhibition at the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, England aims to challenge the persistent stereotypes surrounding the fashion choices of the 17th century Roundheads and Cavaliers during the English Civil War. The display features rarely seen items of clothing that have been loaned to the museum by some of Oliver Cromwell's descendants, including a baby's gown and a pair of gloves.

Curator Stuart Orme explains that for both the Roundheads, who supported Parliament, and the Cavaliers, who backed King Charles I, "wealth and status is about conspicuous consumption" as revealed through the high-status items they wore. The exhibition hopes to address the common misconception that the Roundheads, led by Cromwell, dressed in dour black suits, while the Cavaliers were known for their floppy hats, feathers, and lace.

In fact, the fashion trends of the time were already evolving, as evidenced by the story of Cromwell's daughter Frances' wedding in 1657. At the event, her husband was spotted wearing a long, curly wig, which the famously practical-joking Cromwell promptly "nicked" and ran away with, much to the amusement of those present.

The exhibition features a range of rare, hand-crafted clothing items from the mid-17th century, a time when all garments were painstakingly produced by hand. These include an original set of women's corsets, a Flemish lace collar, and a pair of beautifully tooled leather gloves, some of which are believed to have been worn by Cromwell himself.

The "Stitching the Nation: Fashion in Times of Turmoil" exhibition runs until April 12th, 2025, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the sartorial world of the English Civil War era and challenging long-held stereotypes about the fashion choices of the Roundheads and Cavaliers.