On Apr 4, 2009, at 5:05 PM, Chris Laning wrote:
I'm working on a project that involves constructing some mid-17th-
century stockings, and my own expertise (such as it is) is really
only with earlier centuries.
So far, the results I seem to be getting suggest that either (1)
these stockings are *supposed* to be loose around the ankle and
instep rather than closely fitted, or (2) the instructions were
written by someone who really didn't know what he was doing!
Both are possible, of course, but since I haven't studied 17th
century fashions at all, I don't have information that would enable
me to tell. Insights from people more familiar with this era would
be very helpful -- backup evidence even more so ;)
There are some wide elements to the clothing — big boot tops,
for example. But illustrations of stockings and shoes show them as
smooth fitting as most other eras. Is this an ideal, though? I've
seen 18thC paintings that show baggy ankles, but it may depend on the
style vs realism of the paintings.
What I've seen in late 17th/early 18thC stockings is that they
are a more boxy shape than mid- to late-18thC. I doubt foot shape
would change that much over 50 years.
Many early knit stockings are densely made and/or fulled so the
fabric is not as stretchy as we are used to with modern knits. they
don't stretch for the smooth fit that we expect in modern socks.
-Carol
_______________________________________________
h-costume mailing list
[email protected]
http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
