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How did the Renaissance encourage clothing that displayed the human figure?

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Portrait of King Henry VIII of England wearing ornate 16th-century royal attire with a fur-lined cloak, gold jewelry, and a feathered hat, standing against a dark background. — Dress Henry VIII, painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1540.

The Renaissance encouraged clothing that displayed the human figure by shifting away from the loose, standardized garments of the early medieval period toward styles that celebrated the dignity and importance of human beings.1

This transition was driven by a revival of Classical concepts and significant advancements in tailoring, which allowed for garments that were cut to fit and emphasize the body's natural form. Key developments included:1

Fitted Silhouettes: Men began wearing close-fitting tunics and tights, while women’s dresses featured fitted bodices that extended to the hips.1
Visual Delineation: Techniques such as parti-colouring—where garments were divided into different colors down the center—were used to explicitly delineate the shape of the figure.1
Structural Necessity: As tunics became shorter, the codpiece was introduced to cover the opening between the legs, eventually evolving into a prominent feature of male attire.21
Fabric and Movement: The influence of Italian fashion emphasized an elegant, natural human form that allowed for a gracious ease of movement, further highlighting the wearer's physique.1