File:Målning, akvarell. Två män och en kvinna i 1600-tals kläder - Nordiska Museet - NMA.0031343.jpg

17th century fashion shows many similarities between male and female dress. During a period when the world was seen as a theatre - teatrum mundi - when identities were not considered as fixed but rather performed as roles, cross-dressing and playing with gender roles were creating constant fascination. The performative closeness between the sexes is reflected in dress. As obvious in the image, male trousers could have the width of skirts and both sexes show the combination of wide sleeves with laced white undergarments softly flowing and swelling from underneath. Except the femininity of lace and ribbons in both sexes even the hairstyles resembled each other in the ideal of long curly hair for both men and women. As shown the fashionable gentleman was expected to have high heels, preferably in red, and the pose of three models is typically elegant and self-conscious not least in case of the male fashion lions.