Medieval Clothes for Fat Modern Women Blog Series - Part I
I've decided to go to Potrero War this year, and in preparation, I need to make new garb. I am going to blog about the creation process for my own entertainment (and hopefully a few of my readers' as well) in order to preserve my experience with creating "a reasonable attempt" at something akin to fashion from a number of eras within the Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance periods. I will be paying special attention to the challenges of making such garments for a fat woman. Please bear in mind that I am not an expert seamstress, and most of the garments I plan to make will be first attempts.
Introduction
I would like to speak on my definition of the concept of "reasonable attempt" when it comes to SCA costuming. From my perspective, "reasonable attempt" means that at a distance of 10 feet the finished garment looks in silhouette, texture and color like art and extant garments from the period being attempted. This means that I use mostly pre-dyed fabrics, I sew using a sewing machine, and I choose fabrics that pass a burn test (aka are of natural origin) whenever possible, but not always. It also means I consider that some colors existed only in paint or may have oxidized over time. Some color combinations we use today were rarely or never used in certain time periods due to expense of dyes or contemporary aesthetic. Additionally, I will only go so far with regards to gussets and gores. Some extant bog dresses, such as this one from Ireland have unbelievably complex construction styles leading to a dress which looks remarkably simple from 10 feet!
I do not dress to one particular period or location for several reasons. First, my "official persona", whose name is Sorcha inghean Ui Thorain, is herself a bit anachronistic. Sorcha is an Irish name with mention starting in 1430. The "inghean Ui" bit was standardized in early modern Gaelic (meaning "daughter of") just before 1400. Thorain is a family name indicating origins in the Danish city of Thor and exists in text as early as 1000 ACE. That a name is first seen in 1400 does not mean it didn't exist prior to 1400, so I feel that in order to "properly" play (with emphasis here on play) the part, I can get away with wearing garb from 1000 ACE onward. Second, I live in a warm climate, and there are events which I can expect to be in heat no less than 100 degrees, so I will frequently wear the simple flowing garments of the ancients in order to stay cool (plus it's fun to look like a goddess). The Ancient world is my favorite way to play in armor, too! Third, I am a portly woman, and some fashions from the Renaissance just look better on me than earlier garb from periods of history when even the upper classes had little to eat. I wish to remain size positive and find solutions which will generally be on target but also flattering to my figure. Finally, my research into real women who were warriors and knights (I heavy fight) during the Medieval period centers around Beguines from Belgium in the middle 13th century. The fashion from this era is comfortable but baggy and NOT sexy at all in my opinion. I'm single, I'd like to look cute!
Part I: Garment Project Plans
I plan to make a bliaut or two, a shift, a kirtle, and an early 16th century flemish dress. I would also like to make a hood and possibly a cloak or mantle. All of these garments are described in detail below. I will also be making repairs to my Roman garb, which I will discuss in more detail during the entry devoted to it.
A note on my use of images: when a person puts their photograph on a public website such as photobucket or flikr and publicly lists that photo as "this is me in my [insert garment name and period]", then I take that to mean it's acceptable to use that image in a manner that showcases modern attempts of medieval and renaissance fashion. I will not knowingly use images showing minors without first blurring out the face and I will remove any image if requested to do so by the owner.
The 12th century Bliaut (Blee-ou)
A beautiful garment worn by both men and women during the 11th century, the bliaut is at the source of our most common ideas about Medieval dress. None of these garments has survived , and there is hot debate about their construction. You can find several articles and websites about bliauts and their construction. Here are some that I have used:
http://www.chateau-michel.org/bliaut_class.htm
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/garb/europe_class/europe_bliaut.html and http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/garb/bliaut.html
http://www.freewebs.com/mademoisellemarie/The%20Bliaut%20A%20Reconstruction%20Based%20on%20Primary%20Source%20Material.pdf
I've also collected example images to work with. Note that all three modern attempts have very different sleeve styles- there are images and statues which support all types. The only thing I haven't found are the huge "angel wing" type we think of today!
Early-Middle Period Underdress
Medieval underwear, cote, shift, chemise, kirtle, t-tunic. Whatever. The white/natural linen garment worn under your dress to keep it from getting sweaty and gross. It's a pretty basic garment with the minor issue of needing to be hand stitched around the collar. The neckline and overall amount of material (number of gores) are the only things which changed for most of the middle ages.
The Kirtle
A common garment seen as early as 1150 and up through to about 1450 (and beyond for the peasantry). I mostly see it referenced from the 13th to 15th centuries. There are countless examples from contemporary imagery as well as attempts made by moderns all over the internet. Here are a few places I went to for research:
http://www.medievaltailor.com/demosKirtles.html
www.bucks-retinue.org.uk/content/view/141/184/
The pattern for a kirtle is pretty much exactly the same as for a shift (and would be worn over at least one shift) but usually made from wool or possibly silk, not (in my opinion) linen. Many sites say they could be made from linen as well, and I've seen countless modern attempts made from linen, so I must consider linen or linen-look to be an acceptable modern derivation, in spite of the aforementioned issues with the dying process for linen in period.
Early 16th century Florentine Gown (with smock)
This is a very beautiful style which my friend Leanne turned me on to. It is meant for a woman who is curvier than in earlier epochs, so it will be easier to imagine my own body type in one. I love the fluid lines and simple adornment of these gowns. Another, far more advanced costumer has made a showcase of her enormous amount of research and effort on the subject here:
www.festiveattyre.com/research/diary/diary.html and www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/florentine/earlyflor.html
Within that website are contemporary images, treatises on her own experience and imagery of her results.Note the rubenesque figures of many of the women in those paintings!
I've also found this page to be helpful, particularly for working class versions of the gown and the underdress, which the author calls a smock. It is immensely similar to the shift except with a square (and later "smocked") neckline:
Outerwear
Hoods
I am particularly fond of hoods, especially with liripipes. After the liripipes got ridiculous, some men said the hell with it and started wearing them on their heads with the shoulders and liripipes hanging down, like this. Later, women started doing it too. Now you know where those ridiculous hats came from!
Mantles and Cloaks
A mantle is basically a piece of fabric fastened about the shoulders to keep warm. If you imagine wearing a mantle and a hood together, you can see how cloaks were developed. Someone got the bright idea to attach the hood directly to the mantle!
Introduction
I would like to speak on my definition of the concept of "reasonable attempt" when it comes to SCA costuming. From my perspective, "reasonable attempt" means that at a distance of 10 feet the finished garment looks in silhouette, texture and color like art and extant garments from the period being attempted. This means that I use mostly pre-dyed fabrics, I sew using a sewing machine, and I choose fabrics that pass a burn test (aka are of natural origin) whenever possible, but not always. It also means I consider that some colors existed only in paint or may have oxidized over time. Some color combinations we use today were rarely or never used in certain time periods due to expense of dyes or contemporary aesthetic. Additionally, I will only go so far with regards to gussets and gores. Some extant bog dresses, such as this one from Ireland have unbelievably complex construction styles leading to a dress which looks remarkably simple from 10 feet!
I do not dress to one particular period or location for several reasons. First, my "official persona", whose name is Sorcha inghean Ui Thorain, is herself a bit anachronistic. Sorcha is an Irish name with mention starting in 1430. The "inghean Ui" bit was standardized in early modern Gaelic (meaning "daughter of") just before 1400. Thorain is a family name indicating origins in the Danish city of Thor and exists in text as early as 1000 ACE. That a name is first seen in 1400 does not mean it didn't exist prior to 1400, so I feel that in order to "properly" play (with emphasis here on play) the part, I can get away with wearing garb from 1000 ACE onward. Second, I live in a warm climate, and there are events which I can expect to be in heat no less than 100 degrees, so I will frequently wear the simple flowing garments of the ancients in order to stay cool (plus it's fun to look like a goddess). The Ancient world is my favorite way to play in armor, too! Third, I am a portly woman, and some fashions from the Renaissance just look better on me than earlier garb from periods of history when even the upper classes had little to eat. I wish to remain size positive and find solutions which will generally be on target but also flattering to my figure. Finally, my research into real women who were warriors and knights (I heavy fight) during the Medieval period centers around Beguines from Belgium in the middle 13th century. The fashion from this era is comfortable but baggy and NOT sexy at all in my opinion. I'm single, I'd like to look cute!
Part I: Garment Project Plans
I plan to make a bliaut or two, a shift, a kirtle, and an early 16th century flemish dress. I would also like to make a hood and possibly a cloak or mantle. All of these garments are described in detail below. I will also be making repairs to my Roman garb, which I will discuss in more detail during the entry devoted to it.
A note on my use of images: when a person puts their photograph on a public website such as photobucket or flikr and publicly lists that photo as "this is me in my [insert garment name and period]", then I take that to mean it's acceptable to use that image in a manner that showcases modern attempts of medieval and renaissance fashion. I will not knowingly use images showing minors without first blurring out the face and I will remove any image if requested to do so by the owner.
The 12th century Bliaut (Blee-ou)
A beautiful garment worn by both men and women during the 11th century, the bliaut is at the source of our most common ideas about Medieval dress. None of these garments has survived , and there is hot debate about their construction. You can find several articles and websites about bliauts and their construction. Here are some that I have used:
http://www.chateau-michel.org/bliaut_class.htm
http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/garb/europe_class/europe_bliaut.html and http://www.eg.bucknell.edu/~lwittie/sca/garb/bliaut.html
http://www.freewebs.com/mademoisellemarie/The%20Bliaut%20A%20Reconstruction%20Based%20on%20Primary%20Source%20Material.pdf
I've also collected example images to work with. Note that all three modern attempts have very different sleeve styles- there are images and statues which support all types. The only thing I haven't found are the huge "angel wing" type we think of today!
- A very famous painting by Edmund Blair showing our modern idea of a Bliaut, complete with angel wing sleeves
- A well preserved statue showing the garment. Obviously the art is stylized, so everything we know about it is based on conjecture. No one is entirely right!
- The featured work of an SCA laurel. If she's good enough to get a laurel for it, she must be on to something, at least in the court of SCA costumer opinions. Note the pendant shaped "maunch" sleeves.
- An attempt on a slender woman. In this instance, the dress is loose, not unlike some paintings (see links, above). Please note that I found this in a google search, on flikr.
- Another attempt on a very slender woman. The girl on the right is quite slender and the dress fits almost exactly like the extant imagery. Please note that I found this in a google search, on flikr.
- An attempt on a larger woman. From a website selling garments. In my opinion this attempt is creative in terms of color and texture (I'm not sure blue/purple color change silk taffeta existed, and is too stiff to be like any contemporary depictions), but otherwise a surprisingly flattering garment. I feel this represents the best I can expect from my own garment, judging for difference in silhouette due to my size
Early-Middle Period Underdress
Medieval underwear, cote, shift, chemise, kirtle, t-tunic. Whatever. The white/natural linen garment worn under your dress to keep it from getting sweaty and gross. It's a pretty basic garment with the minor issue of needing to be hand stitched around the collar. The neckline and overall amount of material (number of gores) are the only things which changed for most of the middle ages.
- Pattern image which shows basic construction. I've seen it with additional gores in the front and back panels as well. that is how I will make mine.
- A modern attempt which shows the fabric type and basic construction. This is a model.
The Kirtle
A common garment seen as early as 1150 and up through to about 1450 (and beyond for the peasantry). I mostly see it referenced from the 13th to 15th centuries. There are countless examples from contemporary imagery as well as attempts made by moderns all over the internet. Here are a few places I went to for research:
http://www.medievaltailor.com/demosKirtles.html
www.bucks-retinue.org.uk/content/view/141/184/
The pattern for a kirtle is pretty much exactly the same as for a shift (and would be worn over at least one shift) but usually made from wool or possibly silk, not (in my opinion) linen. Many sites say they could be made from linen as well, and I've seen countless modern attempts made from linen, so I must consider linen or linen-look to be an acceptable modern derivation, in spite of the aforementioned issues with the dying process for linen in period.
Early 16th century Florentine Gown (with smock)
This is a very beautiful style which my friend Leanne turned me on to. It is meant for a woman who is curvier than in earlier epochs, so it will be easier to imagine my own body type in one. I love the fluid lines and simple adornment of these gowns. Another, far more advanced costumer has made a showcase of her enormous amount of research and effort on the subject here:
www.festiveattyre.com/research/diary/diary.html and www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/florentine/earlyflor.html
Within that website are contemporary images, treatises on her own experience and imagery of her results.Note the rubenesque figures of many of the women in those paintings!
I've also found this page to be helpful, particularly for working class versions of the gown and the underdress, which the author calls a smock. It is immensely similar to the shift except with a square (and later "smocked") neckline:
Outerwear
Hoods
I am particularly fond of hoods, especially with liripipes. After the liripipes got ridiculous, some men said the hell with it and started wearing them on their heads with the shoulders and liripipes hanging down, like this. Later, women started doing it too. Now you know where those ridiculous hats came from!
Mantles and Cloaks
A mantle is basically a piece of fabric fastened about the shoulders to keep warm. If you imagine wearing a mantle and a hood together, you can see how cloaks were developed. Someone got the bright idea to attach the hood directly to the mantle!
