Chemise
Female peasants generally wore a chemise, which can be of three different lengths. One can wear a chemise that is constructed basically like a full shirt, and ends at the waist. One can also wear a thigh length chemise, or a full length chemise, which looks very much like a nightgown. The plus side to purchasing a full length chemise, is that it can be used as your underskirt, and saves you the money of purchasing or making two skirts. Peasant chemises were particularly humble garments, usually made from the most commonly available fabrics in Elizabethan England, namely flax or linen. Broadcloth, cotton lawn, muslin or any lightweight, solid colored fabric of natural fiber can pass casual inspection if linen is too pricey for your budget. You may see merchants selling ones made of 'bubble' gauze, which is a wonderful fabric for use at Faire. It's light enough for comfort, dries quickly, never needs to be ironed, and hangs well.

Bodice
A bodice is worn over the chemise, like a vest, but it laces up. Bodices are usually made from a heavy, sturdy material like canvas or a heavy wool. Other fabrics that can work are very fine whaled corduroy, cotton chamois cloth, or indeed any heavy, durable cloth of a solid color made of natural fibers. Brocade, tapestry and velvet would have been beyond the means of a peasant. You will probably want the bodice to be boned for support, much like a corset, so that it holds your body into the Elizabethan shape. Boning in bodices should be heavier than the flimsy plastic type that you find in women's lingerie, and a suitable type will probably not be available in your local fabric store, so if you choose to sew your own you may be interested in the websites listed in the sewing section which sell heavy corset boning. Since the bodice is by far the most difficult item of peasant clothing to construct, you may simply want to purchase a pre-made one and save yourself the work.

Skirts
Peasant woman also wore two skirts (or one, if your chemise comes to your ankles), one over the other. Generally, the top skirt was pulled up slightly and tucked into its own waistband, to keep the hem of it from getting dirty. Skirts can be made from a wide variety of materials, including linen, wool, or any solid color natural fiber fabric that approximates the look of one of those, including cotton broadcloth, lawn, chamois cloth, flannel, or bubble gauze. For anyone with sewing experience, these skirts are very simple to make. Gored skirts tend to look much more flattering than skirts made with a simple drawstring, however.

Cloaks
A cloak can also be worn, if you wish, though it is not absolutely necessary. Opt for a simple design in a heavier natural fabric, without ruffles or satin lining. Peasants would not have been able to afford velvet, though a wool cloak would have been very common.

Underpinnings
You will most likely want to invest in a pair of tights to wear beneath your costume. Cotton tights are of course preferable, and there is an online merchant called The Faire Pair that sells them in nearly any color. If you wanted to be truly accurate, you could wear a pair of bloomers, which Amy swears are quite comfortable, and can be finished off with extremely period cotton stockings held up with simple garters at the knee.

Hat
All Elizabethan women wore a hat when out in public, all the time. There are a number of different choices available. Muffin caps are simple circles gathered near the edges, while coifs are close-fitting caps that cover the top of the head, which could be worn alone, or underneath a wide-brimmed plain straw hat.

Shoes
Shoes are, without a doubt, the most difficult item of clothing to procure for faire. They are difficult to produce at home, and often extremely uncomfortable to wear all day if you do. The few pairs of reproduction period shoes available tend to be extremely expensive. If neither of those options appeal to you, there are a few other options available to you that will suffice, as most people will not be spending an awful lot of time inspecting your footwear. Chinese slippers and "kung-fu" shoes are fairly serviceable, and can be found in many shops and online at The Pillaged Village. The soft variety of Irish dancing shoes also make an interesting option for peasant footwear, and are something like a ballet slipper that laces a few times over the arch of your foot. Leather moccasins, such as you can construct with a leatherworking kit, also suffice, though avoid any design that has fringe or silver accents. Only the poorest peasants wore sandals, and any shoe with high heels would likely be inappropriate.

Accessories
A belt was a common accessory for Elizabethan peasant women, either of simple leather or strips of braided cloth. You will most likely also want to purchase a pouch which you can hang from the belt, and will take the place of your purse and store your ID, money, car keys, sunscreen, and so forth. Many peasants also hung their drinking tankard from their belt, and some even hung wooden bowls, bells and other personal artifacts as well. Tankards, bowls, and other feast gear can be purchased at phenomenally low prices from The Pillaged Village. Generally, peasants did not have costly jewelry, perfume oils or makeup, though a few items of string, ribbon, clay or carved wood would be acceptable, as would a few fresh flowers. If you wish to wear makeup, it should be kept as natural as possible. If you can't live without a fragrance, you might want to consider one of Demeter Perfume's natural scents, like "Dirt" (which smells just like that rich scent of fresh-turned earth), "Grass", "Woodsmoke", or something along those lines. Demeter perfumes can be purchased at Sephora.com.

When purchasing fabric or pre-made garb, keep in mind what colors would have been available to Elizabethan peasants. Peasants would have worn clothing in shades of earth tones, such as browns, beiges, greens, russets, deep oranges, and saffrons, as well as medium to dark blues. Pure, snowy white was not commonly available, and neither were bright, vivid shades like scarlet, royal blue, or bright yellow, or black. Very pale pastel shades like petal pink or baby blue were also uncommon. Also, do not wear purple! Purple was reserved for royalty and should never be used for a peasant costume, or any costume other than that of a king or queen. You can refer to the sumptuary laws listed elsewhere on this website for further restrictions if you have an interest.

Additional Information:

Book: Elizabethan Costuming (For The Years 1550 - 1580), Janet Winter
Book: Patterns of Fashion : The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620, Janet Arnold