Winning style, and accessories thoughts
(cross posted from my main blog: http://www.kimiko1.com/blog/?p=274)
So, in comments here and on FB, the short gown appears to be the clear favorite, so I will go with the original plans for it, more or less. Thank you all for your input.
I still am not sure which fabric to use, and have had offers to look for other fabrics for me, so that will be kept open a bit. I am leaning more towards the blue & gold heraldic colors, but the blue & gold damasks are not quite doing it for me, although both would be suitable if I can't find anything else. I wonder if the red & gold damask would work ok over the dark blue kirtle? Hmmm...
I do have a few more possible fabrics online to drool over, if you want to look at my Pinterest on the laurel project. Those are higher end fabrics, some silks, some not, and I may add to the page to get ideas going.
Ah right, tonight's blog post is about the headdress and accessories.
One of my friends suggested I make the big hat that is in the inspiration image. Well, I had done a little bit of hunting earlier trying to figure out if I could find other images, and the only time I see them are in tapestries of other folks from the low countries. My persona is English, and while I have to dip into the Continent to get visuals of what was worn, the headdresses are the most visible marker of what it means to be English (or French or Flemish or Spanish, etc).
So that leaves me in a quandry. There isn't much visual images of the period (1510s), and those that are clearly English, as seen in The Queen's Servants book, are very pointy black bonnets with veils and lappets and, you know, the early form of an English gable. I wouldn't mind it too much, as it is very iconic and would clearly show my persona's Tudor/Englishness, when the audience is wondering what sort of outfit I am wearing. It would also give the head some height.
Looking at my Pinterest page on first quarter 16th century images, I am reminded that early French hoods are also an option. At the high end of English French hood finery is the French Queen herself, although the painting is not dated and so it may be a later style. There are other styles from Anne of Brittany's (which I have made) to other more Flemish styles. I wouldn't mind a new French hood, since mine is rather old, and having one made in separate pieces is on my to do list for some time. And those are noted in the records as being worn for special occasions by both Princess Margaret and Mary during this time period (and earlier).
Other thoughts are on what to do for a girdle, to jewelry options. What sort of girdle? I've been drooling over a woven & plaited girdle at the V&A, but it is earliest in date to 1540, still 20-30 years after my target decade. What few I can see of girdles appear to be simple lengths of thin silk, which is ok, but more meh than a pretty girdle.
Also, did royal ladies wear gloves? Do I want gloves? The only extant glove is a hawkers glove of Henry VIII, so no idea what Henrician ladies would use or how they were decorated.
Oh, and blackworked cuffs. Since the smock will be covered at the neck with my own blackwork partlet, the only other are that will show will be the cuffs at the sleeves, actually not the cuffs, the ruffled portion is what is blackworked. I have a plain smock that will work just fine, and can attach a blackworked ruffle to it.
And what to do for jewelry? Pearls seem very popular, and I have those already. Gold chains are common, but unadorned chains are reserved for Knights. And I do have the pearl and lapis necklace I was gifted which seems fitting to use. The carcanet I was thinking about before seems to be later fashion, as only the French Queen Mary is wearing them (or it is a queenly style of jewel?)
Well, I did get a notebook, and will be writing out a list of things I want, and a list of folks who have offered to make or help or whatever, and will work out scheduling for making or getting things together. Need to add calendar pages into it as well to keep things on track, especially as I need time for embroidery. And that will require more pearls, lots of pearls.
And I need to sketch out the actual design, if I didn't do that and forget about it already. And I will need to play Tudor Tailor with the patterns and fabric lengths, so I know how much fabric to buy (if I buy some).
Oh my... just breathe. Am I forgetting anything?
So, in comments here and on FB, the short gown appears to be the clear favorite, so I will go with the original plans for it, more or less. Thank you all for your input.
I still am not sure which fabric to use, and have had offers to look for other fabrics for me, so that will be kept open a bit. I am leaning more towards the blue & gold heraldic colors, but the blue & gold damasks are not quite doing it for me, although both would be suitable if I can't find anything else. I wonder if the red & gold damask would work ok over the dark blue kirtle? Hmmm...
I do have a few more possible fabrics online to drool over, if you want to look at my Pinterest on the laurel project. Those are higher end fabrics, some silks, some not, and I may add to the page to get ideas going.
Ah right, tonight's blog post is about the headdress and accessories.
One of my friends suggested I make the big hat that is in the inspiration image. Well, I had done a little bit of hunting earlier trying to figure out if I could find other images, and the only time I see them are in tapestries of other folks from the low countries. My persona is English, and while I have to dip into the Continent to get visuals of what was worn, the headdresses are the most visible marker of what it means to be English (or French or Flemish or Spanish, etc).
So that leaves me in a quandry. There isn't much visual images of the period (1510s), and those that are clearly English, as seen in The Queen's Servants book, are very pointy black bonnets with veils and lappets and, you know, the early form of an English gable. I wouldn't mind it too much, as it is very iconic and would clearly show my persona's Tudor/Englishness, when the audience is wondering what sort of outfit I am wearing. It would also give the head some height.
Looking at my Pinterest page on first quarter 16th century images, I am reminded that early French hoods are also an option. At the high end of English French hood finery is the French Queen herself, although the painting is not dated and so it may be a later style. There are other styles from Anne of Brittany's (which I have made) to other more Flemish styles. I wouldn't mind a new French hood, since mine is rather old, and having one made in separate pieces is on my to do list for some time. And those are noted in the records as being worn for special occasions by both Princess Margaret and Mary during this time period (and earlier).
Other thoughts are on what to do for a girdle, to jewelry options. What sort of girdle? I've been drooling over a woven & plaited girdle at the V&A, but it is earliest in date to 1540, still 20-30 years after my target decade. What few I can see of girdles appear to be simple lengths of thin silk, which is ok, but more meh than a pretty girdle.
Also, did royal ladies wear gloves? Do I want gloves? The only extant glove is a hawkers glove of Henry VIII, so no idea what Henrician ladies would use or how they were decorated.
Oh, and blackworked cuffs. Since the smock will be covered at the neck with my own blackwork partlet, the only other are that will show will be the cuffs at the sleeves, actually not the cuffs, the ruffled portion is what is blackworked. I have a plain smock that will work just fine, and can attach a blackworked ruffle to it.
And what to do for jewelry? Pearls seem very popular, and I have those already. Gold chains are common, but unadorned chains are reserved for Knights. And I do have the pearl and lapis necklace I was gifted which seems fitting to use. The carcanet I was thinking about before seems to be later fashion, as only the French Queen Mary is wearing them (or it is a queenly style of jewel?)
Well, I did get a notebook, and will be writing out a list of things I want, and a list of folks who have offered to make or help or whatever, and will work out scheduling for making or getting things together. Need to add calendar pages into it as well to keep things on track, especially as I need time for embroidery. And that will require more pearls, lots of pearls.
And I need to sketch out the actual design, if I didn't do that and forget about it already. And I will need to play Tudor Tailor with the patterns and fabric lengths, so I know how much fabric to buy (if I buy some).
Oh my... just breathe. Am I forgetting anything?