Conjecture

[kampfrau]

HRH Cadfael mentioned that she wanted a Flemish dress, so I've been researching them. This isn't something I plan to do for Thier Reign. This for us "girls at play" afterwards.

Two wonderful diaries popped up that caused me to think about the layers.

Festive Attyre

Julie's Flemish PeasantIt appears that Flemish middle and lower class women wore

Comments

[mmcnealy]

There are some styles in German costuming that definitly have kirtles or underdresses, the Housebook master/pleated front dresses definitly have a fitted underdress. The t-front gowns don't need a fitted underdress, they can be fitted to support the bust just fine without it due to the shaped front and back seams.

And that I think is the big difference in German clothing versus English, German tailoring has shaping on all seams, front, back and sides. English tailoring just has shaping on the sides, not the fronts, so you do need another layer to provide the support and the flattening that the style requires.