Hi, I am in the planning stages of several outfits that are supposed to be what an upper class couple would be wearing contemporaneously to what I mostly wear, which is the Flemish market woman made so famous by Drea Leeds. I am, at this point, mainly looking one main painting (if you think i should focus on some others, please let me know your thoughts)
The main painting I have focused on is by Joachim Beuckelaer. It is Village Feast, which does not seem to have a date on it from the site I found, but the artist seemed to do his painting from about 1560 to 1575(when he died). I can't seem to find a direct link to the painting, but if you go onto http://www.wga.hu, you can select Beuckelaer, the Village Feast is forth from the bottom) The gentleman's outfit seem fairly close to what an Elizabethan gentleman would were in England around the same time, and since I have the Tudor Tailor book( a recent gift from a friend, it is nice when friends know one so well!) I thought I would follow their directions for the Elizabethan men's clothing(p. 96 to 103) mostly but I have a couple of questions. First several questions. I happen to have the last of my last purchase of linen still around, and I thought I would use it for the underthings for both the lady and the gentleman. Question 1) Man's Outfit a) Would the ruff I am seeing on the gentlemen, be part of the shirt, or would it be a separate ruff? I think it looks like it is part of the shirt. On the gentleman on the horse, it seems as if his shirt is untied, and laying a little open. But maybe I am misinterpreting what I see b) Would the gentleman's shirt be as long as suggested (to the knee) to ware under this style of outfit? c) Ah, now I remembered the third question. The gentle I am making this outfit for is fairly portly. He is not large and round, but rather stout with a beer belly. Any suggestions for how this will impact the doublet or the puffy pants...or rather the patterning of the aforesaid articles of clothing? d) The gentleman on the horse seems to have a vest on over his doublet, would that have been leather? Or is it an overdoublet(if such a thing exists) that is just unbuttonded for ease of movement? Question 2) Lady's Outfit aa) Chemise. I was planing on making her chemise with a lower/square neck opening, and then making a partlet with the neck and modest ruff in the pictures. Anyone think that would be absolutely the wrong choice? I was thinking that the Lady in question had been needing a chemise for some of her other outfits, and that her chemise would then be usable under several of her dresses. bb) I think the women are definitely not wearing hoops, but they might have on rope farthinglaes, or do we think that the bell shape of their skirts were made by just a layer or two of underskirt, kirtle, and overgown? I am thinking just skirts, because the lady on hourseback seems to not have the mass/stiffness of fabric that i would associate with a rope fathingale(and I have to admit, it will make my job of costuming easier I think--while I enjoy a challenge, and have been meaning to make one, if i make one for her, i will feel compelled to make one for myself, and that job is just getting bigger and bigger :) ) It also looks like at least one of the ladies had on an overcoat with short puffed sleeves that joins in the middle of the found, but then opens up over the skirt? and then a black partlet on top of that? Thank you for any time or information that you post back to me, I appreciate all feedback. Jordana _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
