Ever wondered how to make your LARP costume look more like your characters clothes? Check out this tutorial on smart layering and upgrade your garb now!
The Under Dress Freya is based on the cut of undergarments found in the excavations around Haithabu. Made of a sturdy, unkempt cotton fabric with a linen-like structure, this women's undergarment is almost too good to be hidden under an overdress and can be worn just with a belt and accessories, especially in summer. The coarse structure of the fabric gives the dress an authentic look, and thanks to the material, it is still comfortable to wear on the skin. Classically worn as an undergarment, it enhances any garb and will not let you down, even on colder days.
Update: a common problem after one have finish those hosen, is that the waistline increases due to wear and tear unless you add a piece of extra straight cut strip of linen between the layers aroun…
My finished Kampfrau gown project, with hemd (chemise), wustlhaube (head wrap-y thing) and tellebarrett (ginormous hat). At Atlantia's Kingdom Arts & Sciences Festival. RH patterns for gown and hat, not for hemd and wustlhaube.
The Under Dress Freya is based on the cut of undergarments found in the excavations around Haithabu. Made of a sturdy, unkempt cotton fabric with a linen-like structure, this women's undergarment is almost too good to be hidden under an overdress and can be worn just with a belt and accessories, especially in summer. The coarse structure of the fabric gives the dress an authentic look, and thanks to the material, it is still comfortable to wear on the skin. Classically worn as an undergarment, it enhances any garb and will not let you down, even on colder days.
The Under Dress Freya is based on the cut of undergarments found in the excavations around Haithabu. Made of a sturdy, unkempt cotton fabric with a linen-like structure, this women's undergarment is almost too good to be hidden under an overdress and can be worn just with a belt and accessories, especially in summer. The coarse structure of the fabric gives the dress an authentic look, and thanks to the material, it is still comfortable to wear on the skin. Classically worn as an undergarment, it enhances any garb and will not let you down, even on colder days.
Mildly terrifying but also very informative tumblr thread about medieval beekeepers.
Ultimate Kirtle Pattern Lady Asrune Russtikus-dotta Pennsic [email protected] Kirtle: (Kyrtel) is a fitted tunic-like dress with variations found from the 1350s all the way up to 1650s. It was a staple of the medieval wardrobe.The Kirtle was worn by all different classes of women all over Europe. Typically, a chemise, or underdress, is worn underneath. An overdress such as a “houplandie” or “cotehardie” would be worn on top when needed. The kirtle acts like a bra. The body of the dress can be 2, 4, 8 or more pieces. They can be lined, or not. They can have long, short, or no sleeves. They can have a waist seam, or not. They can be laced or buttoned, on the side or in front. They can be elaborate or simple, heraldic or plain. In short, there are a lot of options to work with when it comes to Kirtles that are all “period,” and can be made with just one pattern! The Pattern (Draping method) Fabric- Linen (most common), Silk, or Wool. Leather is also period, but rare. Avoid synthetic fabrics. You will need 3-8yds of fabric to make a kirtle. You will need 1-3yds to make the pattern. American Size Yards for dress Yards for pattern Size 2-6 3-4 1 Size 8-14 5-6 2 Size 16-24 6-8 3 Before you start- Make sure you have · Lots of pins! · 1-3yds of linen (the lighter the color the better, so you can write on it) · Scissors · A sharpie or fabric marker · A friend to pin you up · And a good bra on Step 1: Take your measurements Bust (A) Waist (B) Hip (C) Sleeve (H) Upper Arm (O) Wrist (N) Waist to floor (K-M) 1. Divide you Hip measurement (C) by 4, add two inches and cut 4 rectangles of fabric of that width. This should make four large bits of fabric, that combined are large enough to cover your back and front. They should be long enough to cover your bottom. Hip/4 + 2in = Rectangle width 2. Pin 2 rectangles together to form the back of your pattern. Pin the other 2 together to make the front. 3. Get a friend to center and pin the back and front pieces together at the shoulders on you. 4. Have you friend pin the sides closed, being careful to keep both sides even. You should look like this: 5. Pinch the fabric on the pined “seams,” to tighten the fabric around you and re-pin. Work slowly, be careful to keep the sides even, and the front and back centered. 6. Tighten the shoulder until you feel “lifted”. You should look something like this: 7. Get a sharpie or fabric marker, and mark: l Your natural waist line. (An easy way to do this is hold a string around you, it will automatically go to the smallest part of your waist.) l Where you want your neckline(s) to be. High(neck), low(normal), and sexy (boobs) are the three I usually mark. TIP: if you leave the neck high, you can use this pattern for a doublet too! l The joint where your arm meets your shoulder. This is where your sleeve should start. 8. Trace all the pinned seams on both sides with your marker. Make sure you get front, back, sides and shoulders, both sides. 9. Remove all the pins. 10. Compare the two front pieces and the two back pieces by laying them out. There will be slight differences between them. Chose the front and back you like best, or try to mediate between them. This will be your final pattern. 11. Cut the pattern out, leaving 5/8in (or whatever you like to use) seam allowance. 12. Put your name, the date and your seam allowance on the pattern. Label back and front and viola! You’re done! The Sleeve 1. Make a “T” with your Sleeve measurement. One line horizontal. One line vertical. 2. Center your wrist measurement at the bottom. 3. Center your Upper arm measurement at the top. 4. Add seam allowance 5. Measure 1 in down and 2 in up from the top of your “T” and draw a curve OR… 6. Better yet, take a piece of string, measure the sleeve hole on your new made pattern and cut to the exact length on string. Then move the string to fit a curve like the one above on your horizontal “T” line. The Chemise Use the same pattern as you did for the kirtle, but cut it on the bias for more stretch and no closures. If you don’t have the fabric to do this, then add 1-3in to the width of the pattern. You may also want a slightly looser sleeve. Modifications: 1. You can shorten the sleeves, simply cut off the sleeve pattern where you want it. 2. You can add gores to make a fuller skirt. I usually add 4 gores; front, back, and sides, for the full “princess effect” 3. You can also make it into more pieces, this makes a more fitted garment and can help when you have narrow fabric width. It also serves to allow you to add more gores. (think princess seams) 4. Adjust the neckline shape. 5. Use buttons instead of laces, you’ve got a cotehardie! TIP: wrap pennies in bits of scrape fabric from your dress for the perfect buttons! 6. Try hand sewing your button holes by pushing a hole through the linen and working your way around, you’ll be surprised how easy it is! (on that note, try to avoid using metal grommets, they were not used on dresses in period) 7. Cut the pattern off at the waist and make a doublet! How you can use your kirtle pattern drawings by Heather Morgan for this class, all right reserved Kirtles in History (in broad sweeping terms, not an end all be all) Kirtles begin to appear in the early 1300s all over Europe. The fashion seems to have started in the north and worked its way south to Italy by 1400. Like all fashions Kirtles are first worn by the upper class only, but work their way down to the lower classes fairly rapidly. 1350-1400: The most commonly seen kirtle style from this time has short sleeves, a wide scoop neckline, no waist seam and closes in the front, usually with laces. Solid colors. (This style of Kirtle stays in fashion up until the 1450s with the lower classes of women.) 1400-1450: Long sleeves become more common. Wide scoop neckline, no waist seam, closes at the front usually with laces. They were mostly of solid color, but can also be found in heraldic styles (such as quartering), cloth of gold, and other patterned fabrics. 1400-1450: the neckline seems to narrow into a closed scoop or a “V” shape, and side closures become more popular. We also start to see the sleeveless kirtles, often with detachable sleeves. So you can “dress up” your look. 1450-1500+: brings the waisted kirtle into vogue. At first, the skirts attached to these kirtles were pieced skirts that were wider at the hem and narrowed into the waist. However, there is a rapid progression to gathered and then pleated skirts. The waisted kirtle is used in many forms, for many styles all the way into the 1650s. Kirtles in Action Front laced, classic Kirtle. Notice the fake sleeves. German style, the yellow kirtle is likely a side laced kirtle with a wide square neckline. The overdress or kampfrau uses the same pattern with a scoop neckline and a closed front lacing or hooks. waisted square neck sleeveless Kirtle, working class . Notice the wide lacing. Two short sleeved working class kirtles. The left is a looser pull over gown, the right kirtle is front laced with a wide scoop neckline. You get a good look at the Chemise here too. Waisted Kirtle Waisted Kirtle with short sleeves and box pleats Split Skirt Wide front lacing and cloth of gold underskirt with metal eyelets Heraldic Kirtles Bi-colored Kirtle. Alternative Pattern theories: The Quick and Dirty Geometric Method-Some people will swear by this method as the “most period” due to its simplicity, and there are some extant examples....but there are extant examples of other styles as well. It is a perfectly wonderful way to make a early period kirtle, it is NOT however form fitting enough to be a bra substitute. In my opinion it's a less flattering method as a result, but great for looser wear-around-the-camp dresses. 1. Fold you fabric lengthwise. 2. Divide your Hip measurement by 4 use that for width of rectangles 3. Cut either 2 large rectangles (leave the fold), OR 4 smaller rectangles (cut on fold)* 4. Cut 4 gores, the height of your waist to floor (W-F) measurement, and width desired. 5. Cut 2 rectangular sleeves the width of your arm-2 +1 in. 6. For long sleeves, make sleeve as long as arm-1 + 1in, and narrow to wrist + 1in 7. Cut 2 diamond shaped gussets 2-4in across. *if you would like a front lacing kirtle, you must cut at lease the front into 2 pieces. Measure and draft Method 1. Patterning the good old fashion way! Instead of draping, take all of your measurement form the first chart and plot them out on graph paper. Continue as before. This method is great if you don't have a buddy. If you measure very carefully, you'll get something very close to the form-fitting Kirtle like you would get from draping. I find that this method doesn't always produce the support that I want, and generally has more wrinkles but they still look nice!
Als ich letztes Jahr auf der Mittelalterwoche in Visby zu Besuch war, fielen mir die vielen Landsknechte auf. Da ich diese Roben sehr inte...
Smock, Tudor Kirtle, Loose Kirtle, Loose Gown – Margo Anderson patterns So…shortly after our PARF season passes arrived, I found out that I was going to be a mommy. Then, I ordered the…
Despite temperatures hovering in the 20's this afternoon, David was still obliging and took some photos of my finished dress so I can share them with my dear readers and fellow costume enthusiasts. A layer of linen and a layer of wool may not seem very warm, but I was actually far more comfortable being outside than I had anticipated. I still need a big heavy cloak though. :) So this is my first kirtle. I was inspired by many costuming sites and will list the ones I found most helpful at the end of this post. I would like to encourage anyone who is thinking about making a dress in this style to just do it! I was intimidated at first because I have heard it is not possible to fit this kind of dress on oneself. I do not have a sewing buddy and my husband is rather . . .well. . .less than helpful with pins and fitting. ;) The fit is not perfect and the bustline is not as high as I may have been able to achieve with the help of a fitting buddy, but for a working class, active impression I think it will work nicely. The fit is not all that different than fitting for a corset. The support of the bust is gained purely from the cut of the bodice and the natural stretch and molding abilities of the wool outer layer and linen (for the bodice) inner layer. The critical areas to fit are the neckline, shoulders and underbust. The bust is supported by the tight fit of the underbust and the bosom is pushed as high as it can go and held in place by the cut of the armscye, neckline and shoulders. To accomodate the resulting mounds of flesh, the neckline is cut away so as not to compress or flatten the shape. This may seem immodest, but after experimenting with several mock ups, it was the only way I found to get this shape and as this dress is meant to be, for full dress occasions, worn beneath an outer gown or kirtle, it is not really so bad. Since the bust is lifted as high or almost as high as it can possibly go, there is no danger of "falling" out of your bodice. I find the fit very comfortable and supportive and secure, similar to a sports-bra. The kirtle is made from four pieces cut as rectangle, shaped above the hips to fit the torso/bust. Four gores were inserted at the sides and the front and back to add fullness to the hem. Since this is technically an under-dress it does not need to be as full as an outer gown. The hem on this one measures about 140". The Medieval Tailors Assistant calls for a kirtle hem of about 103" so mine is fuller than that - just because to me, that amount seemed so skimpy. The length is ankle length, for active wear. Fashionable ladies would have had longer, trailing hems. I plan to cook over a fire and chase children in this, so ankle length is the most practical for me. I used a combination of machine and hand stitching. All the main seams are done on the machine but all the finishing work and any stitch visible from the outside is done by hand. The lacing cord I braided from four strands of brown wool yarn. It laces the fifty-three eyelets up from neckline to hip. I use a bobby pin to lace the cord up and have to almost fully unlace the dress when putting it on or taking it off. So far, it takes me about fifteen minutes to get this dress on and laced and everything arranged properly. The sleeves are narrow but not tight. They are slit for about six inches up from the hem and close with six handmade ball buttons and buttonholes. A more fashionable lady may have many more buttons on her sleeves than these. The buttonholes are worked close to the edge of the sleeve and the buttons sewn directly on the edge, so there is very little overlap. I made a simple and quick kerchief to wear based on instructions in The Medieval Tailors Assistant. It is basically a 32" square of white cotton (I had no linen light enough and TMTA recommended sheer cotton or semi sheer cotton to use in place of linen for headdresses) knotted at the neck and with the ends brought up and pinned around the face. It was very easy to make and it easy and comfortable to wear. Even in blustery winds, it did not come off my head. :) My next accessory will be an apron. I definitely need an apron if I want to do work of any sort in this dress! Then I will be making a dark gray surcote to go over this dress, hopefully to be finished before January 8th. A hood would be nice too, for winter wear. Here are some of the links I found very helpful: Dame Helens Site Jessamyn's Closet Costly Thy Habit From the Skin OutHistorical Life La Cotte Simple The Medieval Tailor Robin Nethertons Site Love, Sarah
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(BEING CONTINUED FROM 17/06/12) Figure 18- The Roman copy of the Suicidal or Ludovisi Gaul from the victory monument erected by Attalus I at Pergamum soon after 230 B.C. (Attalus Suicidal Gau…
Well, well, well. Here we are again, staring into the murky recesses of my noggin. Yep, its that time again. I've got some interesting things to share this week, so lets go! What looks to be part of this white and black evening dress is in fact a piece of jewelry. The gold plated aluminum piece is a huge sculpture that frames the model's face in the way that a vast hat might on top of her head. I love the fact that the piece is created to look as though it was caught in mid motion. You can practically feel a breeze. As a side note, do I think that's the right garment to pair with that amazing jewelry? Nope. There are just enough design elements in it to distract from that collar. Plus, the plunging neckline doesn't help. I would have preferred something in a single color, even a very dramatic one, with a high neckline. But none of that stops this collar from being amazing. This is one of those design mash ups that I find intriguing. There are hints of early medieval tunics in the placement of the belt low on the hips, but also whiffs of the 1970s, when belted sweaters were a thing. The broad expanse of man cleavage, framed by that gathered shawl collar takes it to a sexy place, yet the bulk of the sleeves keeps it from going sleazy. Its an interesting concept garment, but probably only for someone as young as this model. I won't be giving this a try, myself. In 1925 Cartier made this remarkable object. Its a vanity case, so it was meant to hold powder, lip rouge, eye liner, and blush. Its made in gold with extensive inlays of mother of pearl in the Chinese Deco design. The black enameled bars separate panels of undulating lines in white enamel, and the twinned ends are domed shapes of coral flowers with pearl and diamond centers, and a scattering of emeralds between. What envious looks the lady who owned this must have gotten in the powder room when she pulled this little item from her bag. Sometimes its technique that takes center stage. In this case Rosie Assouline took the classic methods of chair caning, and translated them into this amazing gold skirt. Trust me when I say there is some pretty impressive math going on here to make this possible. The doubtless hundreds of yards of gold passementerie strips are perfectly connected and woven. this is masterclass stuff. And its one of the few times that the see through thing is not only intentional, but appropriate. Brava! Okay, so this image is a trifle silly, I get that. But what this brought up for me is how potently this image speaks. Its the individual apparel words that drive this picture to the destination it gets to. If not for the combination of elements, from the 18th century styled wig, to the low slung tighties, this would simply be a pretty picture of a pretty man. But layer the disparate messages of each of these apparel words onto him, and there is instantly a great deal more. Its a rather absurdist example of what I mean when I talk about the power of the Attire language to communicate. Dimaneu sent this down the runway recently in their nearly all red and black, profoundly stark collection. Though in other parts of this collection the white Noh theater inspired make up is jarring and overplayed, here it is the perfect, if operatic finishing touch. This is an image that is powerful and fascinating in its impact. The model is an enigma, yet looking away is almost impossible. Working your brand is nothing new. Yves Saint Laurent knew exactly how to forward his work. He wore it himself. This picture, taken at his salon in Paris has him with Betty Catroux, who was his principle muse and one of the house models was done in the 70s, right when he produced a collection of safari inspired clothes that was an enormous hit for the house, and was the beginning point of his clothing moving into all levels of production. Here's another one of those looks that could easily be classed as gender free. Isometric put this out for their 2015 Fall/Winter collection. The pants and shit are of no real note; been there, seen that. Its that oddly dome shaped cape that kept me coming back to this, and finally resulted in my including it here. In particular, I want to know what that cape looks like closed, with that drawstring pulled tight and tied. I would also like to see that same shape and design rendered in another few textiles to see how adaptable it might be. Sometimes an image is so powerful that, even though I don't understand the meaning of the apparel words in play, I am riveted. This 1954 portrait of a woman was done in Nazare', Portugal. I do know that she is wearing the traditional Portuguese widow's cape, so that takes us part of the way there. The severity of the nearly featureless surfaces make her wonderful face stand out so that we are drawn right into her thoughts and emotions. And, I suppose that is what takes us the rest of the way on our journey with her. This is a very well done costume, referencing the style points of the Elizabethan period. In especial the widespread fashion for slashing and pinking is very well rendered here. Slashing, by cutting regularly spaced slits in the surface fabric was meant to emulate the cuts to their clothing that soldiers got during battle. Pinking, the smaller cuts dotting the fabrics surface, was meant to copy the breaks created by swordplay. Modern pinking sheers get their name and purpose from this time and practice. Tailors and dressmakers had special scissors, with different sorts of shaped teeth, to create pinked cuts, and decorative edges to fabrics. These days only the zig zag toothed scissors remain in use. When I clapped eyes on this I gasped at the outrageous amount of material in use here. There have to be a couple of hundred yards of silk chiffon in this layered, ombre', ruffled skirt. Of course, such levels of extremity can only exist within the couture. And I gotta say, pairing it with a 40s inspired head wrap and cap sleeved blouse is cheeky, fun and makes the whole thing considerably less dead serious. Though the technical skill to create that skirt is jaw dropping. This last entry is another dip into our transformational thing. We love it. We love making ourselves over into something else. We love taking our normal real world persona, and subsuming it beneath layers of iconography. This is a Naga man, from the Chin state of Mayanmar. The meanings of all of the elaborate trappings he wears, beautiful and outlandish as they are, are opaque to me, as they would be to most Western viewers. What we do understand though, is that we are seeing something involving ancient traditions, probable rituals, and likely deep spiritual connections or origins. So even though we cannot understand all of the message here conveyed, we still get that part that belongs to the universals within us. Well that does it for this weeks Scatter; so go on out there and have a great weekend!
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At The SCA 50 Year War, a couple of women from Drachenwald (Sweden) were wearing Landsknecht Short Hosen. Several ladies here in Meridies (Tennessee/Alabama/Georgia) expressed an interest in makin…
The Under Dress Freya is based on the cut of undergarments found in the excavations around Haithabu. Made of a sturdy, unkempt cotton fabric with a linen-like structure, this women's undergarment is almost too good to be hidden under an overdress and can be worn just with a belt and accessories, especially in summer. The coarse structure of the fabric gives the dress an authentic look, and thanks to the material, it is still comfortable to wear on the skin. Classically worn as an undergarment, it enhances any garb and will not let you down, even on colder days.
After studying the various looks of the character Clare in the series “Outlander”, comparing them to the fabrics from my stash I decided to go for the simple laced up jacket and skirt t…
The Under Dress Freya is based on the cut of undergarments found in the excavations around Haithabu. Made of a sturdy, unkempt cotton fabric with a linen-like structure, this women's undergarment is almost too good to be hidden under an overdress and can be worn just with a belt and accessories, especially in summer. The coarse structure of the fabric gives the dress an authentic look, and thanks to the material, it is still comfortable to wear on the skin. Classically worn as an undergarment, it enhances any garb and will not let you down, even on colder days.
Kirtle of antique violet damask, 2011 This project started with a vow and a tablecloth: I would finally make a boned kirtle in 2011–or give up costuming! Happily, I did not have to give up co…
A reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon woman based on a grave find in Dover dated to circa 575-625 AD. This was the conversion period and although the woman was buried with high status grave goods she may have been a Christian as the practice of burying grave goods persisted for several generations. This woman was buried with her jewelery, keys, a glass beaker and her weaving tool. Dover Museum, Dover, Kent, England.
Last week, we took a look at the bottom layers shared by all French women in the early 15th century, the skin layer of chemise and chausses, and the supportive or base layer of a cotte or tunic. This week, we'll begin to take a look at the third layer- the fashion layer. Source When it came to the skin and base layers, the class groups of women were not particularly distinguishable from each other, except that the loose tunic was nearly always worn only by women in the indentured class or by older women. For the third layer, however, the groups begin separating out from each other even more. Before we get into it, I want to mention that there can be a considerable amount of blurring between the social groups. They aren't hard and strict distinctions. A woman's social group at this time was as much about her community and local situation as it was about her money and title (or lack thereof). The point of this, therefore, is more about the distinctions between those on one end versus the other, rather than between adjacent groups. Indentured/Poor Source A woman at the bottom of society would have had fewer options for a third layer, but that doesn't mean it wasn't possible for her to have one. The gown may have been reserved for colder weather and/or special occasions. Or it could have been very outdated. Women in this group could have had access to hand-me-downs, or could have purchased second-hand clothing from peddlers or simply inherited clothing items. Some indentured women could have also had a gown (or at least the cloth for one) included in her contract every year. (See #3 and #20 in my list or References if you're interested in the interesting topic of clothing that changes hands in these manners.) Source The style of the third layer would have varied widely among these women, from cuts that were fashionable not that long ago, to garments that were never considered fashionable. It all depended on what she had access to, and what she did. For example, in the two images above, the turbaned scarf headdresses of the two women indicate a low rank, but both are in service to women of considerable rank. The woman just above wears an out-of-date but once-fashionable bell-sleeve gown. The other woman, at the loom, wears an obviously fitted gown (over her red cotte). In both cases, these women are not wildly out-of-fashion. Their situation accounts for that. Contrast that with the woman below. Source Here we see the same woman, a slave in the service of a wealthy family, in two instances from the same miniature. We can see that she's wearing a third layer on the left. On the right, with her arms out of the way, it's revealed that her third layer is a loose dress, rather than a highly fitted gown like the weaving woman's above. Townswomen This group encompasses a very large collection of women, from those in the employ of noble or royal households, all the way down to wives or daughters of laborers or tradesmen. Interestingly, however, their third layer options are pretty pointedly limited. The primary fashion layer for this group was a fitted gown. As I said last week, this layer and the cotte layer are nearly identical. In the case of the fitted gown, however, a lining (mostly appearing to be fur) is often observable, such as on the woman below. Source Another distinguishing feature of this group was that they were often shown with the sleeves of their fitted gowns pushed or rolled up (seen in the example below). It's not exclusive to this group, but it comes pretty close. Styling the fitted dress this way reveals the sleeve of the cotte layer. It's possible that the showing off of her layers was the illuminators way of showing that a depicted townswoman was above the indentured/poor group. Girdling is also very commonly seen among this group, and may have served a similar purpose. Source The only other third layer option I've been able to pin to the Townswoman group is a fitted gown with a short streamer sleeve. The woman in pink below sports this type of dress. Since this particular dress type appears further up as well, it's possible that women with short streamers on their sleeves in this group may be considered to be at the higher end for whatever reason. The streamer is a frivolous detail on a gown, and frivolity in dress is only possible for women who could afford it. It's also possible that these women actually belong with the next group up. Source Bourgeoisie The term "bourgeoisie" generally applies to wealthy women without title, but women with low-ranking titles possibly found themselves in this same style group, even if they would never have associated with bourgeois women. This is one of those areas where my grouping is highly generalized, and should be seen as a level, not a true label. Source The fitted gowns we just looked at (long sleeve and short streamer sleeve) are worn among this group as well. In fact, the basic long sleeve fitted dress continues as a style all the way up the classes. Among the bourgeoisie, however, style of dress plays a much bigger and more important role. Women in this group were highly concerned with their position. Comprising the "middle", they were keen to not be confused for the lower townswoman, but would also avoid appearing above their means, which would land them in trouble, possibly even in jail, depending on the sumptuary laws that applied to them. In the late 14th Century treatise, Le Menagier de Paris, the narrator tells his bourgeois wife: "...You will consider and pay attention to our status and our means, attiring yourself with respect to the estate of your family and mine, amongst whom you will mingle and dwell each day. Make sure that you dress decently without introducing new fashions and without too much or too little ostentation." I think the most interesting thing to note in that quote is the phrase "too little ostentation." Source To really take advantage of their ability to show their wealth through their manner of dress, bourgeois women adopted the horned veil as their headdress of choice. While open hoods are also acceptable for many of these women, and the horned veil was not exclusive to this group, it does make it a bit easier to spot the Bourgeoisie in illuminations, once you get a handle on their context. In addition to their distinctive headdress, a third option of dress for this group was a fitted dress with long streamer sleeves. These streamers come in two basic formats. The sleeve could be just a long panel attached at the shoulder and open all the way down, or a sleeve that opened at the elbow into the floor-length streamer. In either case, the streamer is often lined in what comes across most of the time as fur. Source When we move to the end of the time period I'm focusing on, to the 1432 Le Decameron, we can also find bourgeois women in a very specific houppelande. The full gown has a v-neck where the fur lining pokes out as a trim, and large, straight sleeves. This style is a step along the way to the Burgundian v-neck. In the 1430's, however, it's not considered highly fashionable. It is, however, a sign of the times to come and the greater blurring of social class because women in the middle can afford greater ostentation than at any time before. I'm going to break here until next week, when I'll finish up the third layer by looking at the nobility and royals.
This garment, presumed to be a woman’s, was discovered in a bog in Moy, County Clare, Ireland in 1931. The age of the gown is not known, but it is presumed to be from the mid 14 th century to late 15 th century based on its construction./div There are at least two very detailed…
