V Neck Gown of the mid to late 15th century
The following is the dress diary for my first attempt at a 15th century V Neck gown, made for the Tournament of the Lily November 2009. The dress diary and all detailed images may be viewed in entirety here: docs.google.com/fileview
Fabric and Materials by element of the ensemble
Gown
6 yards Royal Flannel Fabric (100% wool 58/60” wide 10 ½ - 11 oz)
White fur 24 white rabbit pelts purchased from Chichester Inc.
Placket
Black cotton velveteen for Placket
Belt
Gold cotton velveteen for belt
Medium weight leather for stiffening of belt
Buckle for belt from Master Eldrid Tremayne and Mistress Clare' D'Crecy
Hennin
Black cotton velveteen (for hennin and neck wrap)
18 gauge wire
Buckram for stiffening
Gold trim
This dress replicates the dress from Book of the Tournament, Français 2692, fol. 70v, King René d‘Anjou Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Gown
Styles of this gown have evolved through the 15th century beginning with the wide robe designs of the earlier styles of Houppelandes. This style begins to transform from a large draped garment with a V neck shaped front into a more fitted garment in the body and sleeves with a round shaped collar. This eventually gives way to the Tudor design of the early 16th century. The different elements of the gown consist of the under dress, kirtle, placket, over gown, belt and head covering in many different shapes and sizes.
The gown made for the purposes of the Tournament of the Lily has a V-neck design, scooping below the bust line worn with a black placket. Trim along the neck line and an even wider trim along the hem is hand sewn with white rabbit fur. Illumination evidence shows that the lining of the dress sometimes matches the trim seen on the outside. Presumably this means the dress was lined with the same fur that was shown on the outside of the dress. The sleeves were also presumably worn long and then turned back which would have shown white on the cuff. Similar styles during this time are shown below. This gown will not be completely lined in fur but will have matching white cuffs on the sleeve as well as a V shaped collar in the back.
The gown itself will be done in 100% “Royal” blue 10.5 oz wool. Woad would have been used to create the blue color in the fabric, and although the color is frequently seen in illuminations during this period, it would have been difficult and expensive to obtain this exact shade. For purposes of the Lily gown, I am doing a replication of the illuminated gown; therefore the fabric color is appropriate.
Construction of the gown was done according to Maistresse Mathilde Bourette’s (Charlotte Johnson) class, Discovering the 15th Century V-Neck Gown: The Sexiest Bathrobe You'll Ever Wear. Years ago, Mistress Theodora Delamore (Wendy Morgenstern) assisted me in drafted a personal cotehardie pattern. Using the front and back pattern pieces and Mistress Mathilde’s instruction, I tilted the front panel to establish the proper V neckline. The gores were also loosely based on the dimensions listed in her class notes (30 inch hem line). Placements of the gores in the original draft were positioned at hip level. When I tried on the mockup, this positioning created a bump affect that was contrary to the flow of the skirt and the gather with the belt that I trying to achieve. Therefore, I moved the gores up to waist level, eliminating the bump and allowing for proper gathering. There is no visible machine stitching and the embellishments were all done by hand including the fur trim.
A common viewpoint of the pack shows the v neck design extending into the back. Based on this style, the fur on the Lily gown neck extends in the back into a V.The kirtle worn under the gown is red 5.3 oz weight 100% linen from a personal pattern designed for me with assistance from Mistress Theodora.
This color is seen in various other illuminations as an undergown and compliments the royal blue of the overgown.
Kirtle
The kirtle worn under the gown is red 5.3 oz weight 100% linen from a personal pattern designed for me with assistance from Mistress Theodora.
This color is seen in various other illuminations as an undergown and compliments the royal blue of the overgown.
There is no visible machine stitching. The lacings are also hand sewn. The kirtle is not a fitted kirtle, therefore modern undergarments needed to be worn. Improvements to this ensemble as a whole will include a period fitted kirtle.
Working with fur
This was my first venture into working with fur. Based on the dress I am attempting to recreate, I chose white rabbit fur. I contemplated fake fur, however I am trying to recreate a dress in period, so fake fur would just not achieve an accurate end result. My attempts to find a used white fur coat for a reasonable price to salvage fur from proved fruitless. I researched pelt distributors and settled on Chichester Inc. Based on the approximate length needed for the sleeve cuffs, neck collar, and hem, I ordered 24 pelts of the “Better Grade” natural white. I wanted the most natural looking pelts. The two pieces of advice from Mistress Isobel Bedingfield that were the most helpful in working with fur was to ensure the grain of the fur goes the same direction and NEVER cut the pelts with scissors. Use an Exacto blade. I quickly learned not to press the Exacto blade down against the pelt, but instead, score the skin side of the pelt while holding it taught. If the blade is pressed to hard on the fur, it cuts the skin and the fur and leaves a very unnatural line.
The cuffs were cut in one section 6” wide. 2 of the inches are tucked under and sewn to the inside of the sleeves. This prevents you from seeing the blue wool on the sleeve edge keeping with the concept that the sleeves were worn long and turned back without actually having to line the entire sleeve.
The neck is cut into four pieces in order to keep the fur bias going the correct direction. The back V shape is sewn together in the middle and connected to the front neck collar at the shoulder seams which meet each other at the front gore.
The hem is 236 inches around and 5 inches wide, one inch turned under and sent to the inside of the dress to prevent seeing the hem line of the wool. This took approximately 15 pelts to achieve. After the first hem of the gown, I realized that because of the plush of the pelt, it was necessary to hem the skirt a bit higher in order to incorporate the extra length from the pelt and not have the dress drag on the ground.
As a lessons learned, I would use leather working tools (needles, palm rest, etc.) to work with the fur. I did not anticipate the wear and tear on my hands and on my needles in working with the skin of the pelt.
Belt
The belt is made from gold velveteen stiffened with leather to ensure that it sits correctly and doesn’t buckle or crease. My original thought for the belt included a belt buckle that was period and based on “Portrait of a Lady”, however once received it was much smaller then I had intended the belt to be. So, a belt buckle was commissioned from Master Eldred and Mistress Clare that would work for a 2+ inch wide belt as opposed to a 1 ¼” belt. I had also originally intended to use 2 layers of buckram to stiffen the belt, however after working with the buckram for the hennin; I preferred the support of leather. Additionally, the leather was a much more historically accurate material to use. The weight of the leather I had aptly preventing buckling or creasing. For this event, I closed it in the back, and pinned it to the side to prevent the edge from flapping around. Different examples exist of the belt being fastened in front, side or back.
Placket
The placket is a simple rectangle made of black velveteen. The placket covers the kirtle lacing underneath.
Several different designs of the overgown show an opening to the gore, or closed (possibly with lacing). This is important to the placket because it established how long the placket would be. This placket is 12” by 14” reaching from underarm to underarm and a small distance above the kirtle to the tip of belly button. It is then pinned in place in the four corners and along the side to prevent moving or shifting.
Hennin
The truncated hennin head covering is inspired by the hennin from Portrait of a Young Girl by Petrus Christus c. 1470. However, this blunt top conical style (as opposed to the popular pointed conical style) is similar to other examples seen during this period. It hand sewn using 18 gauge wire supports and a two layered buckram shell. Covered in the same black velveteen as is the placket, it is decorated with gold threaded trim using the same velveteen around the neck, which is pinned into place.
I found two layers of buckram to be more than enough support for the size and shape of the hennin. The wire served as a good starting point, but without the buckram it would have collapsed or easily become misshapen. The theory behind the loop on the forehead is widely thought to be additional support and balance for the hennin. I continually tried the hennin on to see if it would be needed. Through all steps, I found the hennin was well supported; therefore I left off the loop. There is illuminated evidence that although the loop was often seen, it was not always present. As additional support, and because my hair by period standards is short, I used a hair piece in a high bun on the top of my head about the circumference of the hennin. This provided additional support and kept the hennin from sliding back.
I tried to extrapolate how big it was in comparison to how big her head was in the portrait. It is approximately 8 inches tall, which is the "tallness" of my head at that angle. Possible Lessons learned, make the hat more conical and less cylindrical and make it a tad shorter.
The sash under the neck was pinned in place. Lessons learned would be to not pin the hat quite so tight as it was worn the day of the event. I found the hennin slipping down my head and catching my ears.
Picture of the final ensemble:
Fabric and Materials by element of the ensemble
Gown
6 yards Royal Flannel Fabric (100% wool 58/60” wide 10 ½ - 11 oz)
White fur 24 white rabbit pelts purchased from Chichester Inc.
Placket
Black cotton velveteen for Placket
Belt
Gold cotton velveteen for belt
Medium weight leather for stiffening of belt
Buckle for belt from Master Eldrid Tremayne and Mistress Clare' D'Crecy
Hennin
Black cotton velveteen (for hennin and neck wrap)
18 gauge wire
Buckram for stiffening
Gold trim
This dress replicates the dress from Book of the Tournament, Français 2692, fol. 70v, King René d‘Anjou Bibliothèque Nationale de France.
Gown
Styles of this gown have evolved through the 15th century beginning with the wide robe designs of the earlier styles of Houppelandes. This style begins to transform from a large draped garment with a V neck shaped front into a more fitted garment in the body and sleeves with a round shaped collar. This eventually gives way to the Tudor design of the early 16th century. The different elements of the gown consist of the under dress, kirtle, placket, over gown, belt and head covering in many different shapes and sizes.
The gown made for the purposes of the Tournament of the Lily has a V-neck design, scooping below the bust line worn with a black placket. Trim along the neck line and an even wider trim along the hem is hand sewn with white rabbit fur. Illumination evidence shows that the lining of the dress sometimes matches the trim seen on the outside. Presumably this means the dress was lined with the same fur that was shown on the outside of the dress. The sleeves were also presumably worn long and then turned back which would have shown white on the cuff. Similar styles during this time are shown below. This gown will not be completely lined in fur but will have matching white cuffs on the sleeve as well as a V shaped collar in the back.
The gown itself will be done in 100% “Royal” blue 10.5 oz wool. Woad would have been used to create the blue color in the fabric, and although the color is frequently seen in illuminations during this period, it would have been difficult and expensive to obtain this exact shade. For purposes of the Lily gown, I am doing a replication of the illuminated gown; therefore the fabric color is appropriate.
Construction of the gown was done according to Maistresse Mathilde Bourette’s (Charlotte Johnson) class, Discovering the 15th Century V-Neck Gown: The Sexiest Bathrobe You'll Ever Wear. Years ago, Mistress Theodora Delamore (Wendy Morgenstern) assisted me in drafted a personal cotehardie pattern. Using the front and back pattern pieces and Mistress Mathilde’s instruction, I tilted the front panel to establish the proper V neckline. The gores were also loosely based on the dimensions listed in her class notes (30 inch hem line). Placements of the gores in the original draft were positioned at hip level. When I tried on the mockup, this positioning created a bump affect that was contrary to the flow of the skirt and the gather with the belt that I trying to achieve. Therefore, I moved the gores up to waist level, eliminating the bump and allowing for proper gathering. There is no visible machine stitching and the embellishments were all done by hand including the fur trim.
A common viewpoint of the pack shows the v neck design extending into the back. Based on this style, the fur on the Lily gown neck extends in the back into a V.The kirtle worn under the gown is red 5.3 oz weight 100% linen from a personal pattern designed for me with assistance from Mistress Theodora.
This color is seen in various other illuminations as an undergown and compliments the royal blue of the overgown.
Kirtle
The kirtle worn under the gown is red 5.3 oz weight 100% linen from a personal pattern designed for me with assistance from Mistress Theodora.
This color is seen in various other illuminations as an undergown and compliments the royal blue of the overgown.
There is no visible machine stitching. The lacings are also hand sewn. The kirtle is not a fitted kirtle, therefore modern undergarments needed to be worn. Improvements to this ensemble as a whole will include a period fitted kirtle.
Working with fur
This was my first venture into working with fur. Based on the dress I am attempting to recreate, I chose white rabbit fur. I contemplated fake fur, however I am trying to recreate a dress in period, so fake fur would just not achieve an accurate end result. My attempts to find a used white fur coat for a reasonable price to salvage fur from proved fruitless. I researched pelt distributors and settled on Chichester Inc. Based on the approximate length needed for the sleeve cuffs, neck collar, and hem, I ordered 24 pelts of the “Better Grade” natural white. I wanted the most natural looking pelts. The two pieces of advice from Mistress Isobel Bedingfield that were the most helpful in working with fur was to ensure the grain of the fur goes the same direction and NEVER cut the pelts with scissors. Use an Exacto blade. I quickly learned not to press the Exacto blade down against the pelt, but instead, score the skin side of the pelt while holding it taught. If the blade is pressed to hard on the fur, it cuts the skin and the fur and leaves a very unnatural line.
The cuffs were cut in one section 6” wide. 2 of the inches are tucked under and sewn to the inside of the sleeves. This prevents you from seeing the blue wool on the sleeve edge keeping with the concept that the sleeves were worn long and turned back without actually having to line the entire sleeve.
The neck is cut into four pieces in order to keep the fur bias going the correct direction. The back V shape is sewn together in the middle and connected to the front neck collar at the shoulder seams which meet each other at the front gore.
The hem is 236 inches around and 5 inches wide, one inch turned under and sent to the inside of the dress to prevent seeing the hem line of the wool. This took approximately 15 pelts to achieve. After the first hem of the gown, I realized that because of the plush of the pelt, it was necessary to hem the skirt a bit higher in order to incorporate the extra length from the pelt and not have the dress drag on the ground.
As a lessons learned, I would use leather working tools (needles, palm rest, etc.) to work with the fur. I did not anticipate the wear and tear on my hands and on my needles in working with the skin of the pelt.
Belt
The belt is made from gold velveteen stiffened with leather to ensure that it sits correctly and doesn’t buckle or crease. My original thought for the belt included a belt buckle that was period and based on “Portrait of a Lady”, however once received it was much smaller then I had intended the belt to be. So, a belt buckle was commissioned from Master Eldred and Mistress Clare that would work for a 2+ inch wide belt as opposed to a 1 ¼” belt. I had also originally intended to use 2 layers of buckram to stiffen the belt, however after working with the buckram for the hennin; I preferred the support of leather. Additionally, the leather was a much more historically accurate material to use. The weight of the leather I had aptly preventing buckling or creasing. For this event, I closed it in the back, and pinned it to the side to prevent the edge from flapping around. Different examples exist of the belt being fastened in front, side or back.
Placket
The placket is a simple rectangle made of black velveteen. The placket covers the kirtle lacing underneath.
Several different designs of the overgown show an opening to the gore, or closed (possibly with lacing). This is important to the placket because it established how long the placket would be. This placket is 12” by 14” reaching from underarm to underarm and a small distance above the kirtle to the tip of belly button. It is then pinned in place in the four corners and along the side to prevent moving or shifting.
Hennin
The truncated hennin head covering is inspired by the hennin from Portrait of a Young Girl by Petrus Christus c. 1470. However, this blunt top conical style (as opposed to the popular pointed conical style) is similar to other examples seen during this period. It hand sewn using 18 gauge wire supports and a two layered buckram shell. Covered in the same black velveteen as is the placket, it is decorated with gold threaded trim using the same velveteen around the neck, which is pinned into place.
I found two layers of buckram to be more than enough support for the size and shape of the hennin. The wire served as a good starting point, but without the buckram it would have collapsed or easily become misshapen. The theory behind the loop on the forehead is widely thought to be additional support and balance for the hennin. I continually tried the hennin on to see if it would be needed. Through all steps, I found the hennin was well supported; therefore I left off the loop. There is illuminated evidence that although the loop was often seen, it was not always present. As additional support, and because my hair by period standards is short, I used a hair piece in a high bun on the top of my head about the circumference of the hennin. This provided additional support and kept the hennin from sliding back.
I tried to extrapolate how big it was in comparison to how big her head was in the portrait. It is approximately 8 inches tall, which is the "tallness" of my head at that angle. Possible Lessons learned, make the hat more conical and less cylindrical and make it a tad shorter.
The sash under the neck was pinned in place. Lessons learned would be to not pin the hat quite so tight as it was worn the day of the event. I found the hennin slipping down my head and catching my ears.
Picture of the final ensemble: