In pictures: 16th-century fashionistas

The book also includes instructions from TONY award-winning costume designer Jenny Tiramani on how to make your very own 16^th-century outfit at home.

Here, we bring you a selection of our favourite images and the comments Matthäus Schwarz made about his fashion choices…

_{“In June 1518, I wanted to learn fencing. The doublet was silk satin from Bruges. Around 21 2/3 years old.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 32)}

_{“On 22 November 1499, I suffered cramps for nine hours, so that everyone thought I was dead. I was sewn in and carried to Sant Ulrich. Do the same as me – I moved one foot! Age: 2 years, 9 months.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 2)}

_{“In February 1521 – At a gathering at Steffan Veiten’s wedding – or rather the after-wedding. It was not from silk. Just 24 years old on 20 February.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 47)}

_{“In August 1518, the hose trimmed with silk satin. At this time I greatly enjoyed archery. Around 21 ½ years old.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 33)}

_{“20 February 1538 – When I decided to take a wife, the gown was made with green trims of half silk. 41 years old.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 113)}

_{“In March 1523 – An evening dress, the short cloak with taffeta, the doublet made from silk satin, the gray over-hose can be fitted over any hose. Hose with much green [...] small bells all around, with Matheus Herrtz, Andreas Koler, and Wolf Breitwiser. 26 years, ½ month.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 60)}

_{“In June 1524 – Three types of Prussian leather as hose and over-hose, everything as shown, without doublet, but three kinds of shirts. The middle one [has attached to it] an 8 minute hour-glass on the thigh. 27 years, 22 weeks.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 68–70)}

_{“30 July 1525, in Innsbruck, at Laux Schaller’s wedding in Schwaz. The bonnet embroidered with velvet. This is when I began to be fat and round. 28 years, 5 months, 8 days.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 72)}

_{On 2 June 1527 – In this manner: the doublet from silk satin, a riding gown from camlet, the bonnet edged with velvet. All of this [was] to please a beautiful person, along with a Spanish gown. 30 years, 101 days.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 88)}

_{In November 1529, during the ‘English sweat’, everything woolen except for the doublet, which was silk satin. 32 years, 8 ½ months.” © The Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum, Braunschweig. (Image 95)}

The First Book of Fashion – The Book of Clothes of Matthäus and Veit Konrad Schwarz of Augsburg is on sale now. To find out more, click here.