This has been my take on the subject too. Years ago when I first connected with the idea of historical costuming, I tended to use the yardages quoted in novels and inventories in trying to construct, say a mid nineteenth Century gown, which was often 10 yards. It wasn't until I had opportunity to view antique garments and to learn more about fabric production, that I finally put it together that with average widths of 26/28", that the garments in reconstruction would only be 5/6 yards of contemporary widths. This made a huge impression on my research and craft. The CW garments that I have, or have examined, average 4/5 yards around the bottom, which is about 3 1/2 or four panels of 45" fabric. With another yard and a half or two, depending on the sleeve style, one can easily do the project with 5 1/2 or six yards. The same principle applies for some other historical periods. Once the shaping became the'cut 'and not the 'fit'does one need to allow for more yardages...and expect to have a fair 'waste' pile. This idea tells us something about the availability of fabric in any width as well as something about the wealth of the wearer. I think the idea of 'skimpy' reflects perhaps some of the present aesthetic view that revels in the volume of the drape.
Kathleen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Susan B. Farmer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Historical Costume" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:27 AM Subject: yardage required (Tudor Tailor Review) (was Re: [h-cost] Re:h-costume Digest, Vol 5, Issue 337 > > > In a message dated 4/16/06 7:01:53 PM GMT Daylight Time, > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > >> And, though the men's things look > >> pretty good, there is something unconvincing about all the clothes. They > >> look > >> costume-y to me. I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it's because > >> everything looks like it's hot off the sewing machine. Maybe it's what to me > >> looks > >> like skimpy yardages... > > > > I don't think I saw this original mesage -- ah well. > > Anyway, I find it interesting that somebody would think that the clothes > are make from "skimpy yardage." I don't know who made the original post > or what their experience is, but many of the gowns that I see at SCA > events (and I'm only picking on us) or in Dress Diaries on the web -- > to my eyes at least -- use way too *much* fabric. If you look at Juan > de Alcega (and similar books), you can see how much yardage is > generally required for various types of gowns. I saw a mid-16th > century Italian Gown once (it *might* have been a Bronzino replication) > -- it was a *beautifully* done gown, but it looked like the wearer had > on Civil War Hoops underneath, the skirt was so full. > > Based on what I see -- particularly us as Americans in the SCA -- think > that all medieval/renaissance gowns need 10+ yards of fabric, and they > don't. > > just my $0.02 > Susan > ----- > Susan Farmer > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > University of Tennessee > Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology > http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/ > > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume > _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
