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1570s French
Gown
|
Completed by: |
Isabel Maria del Aguila |
|
On date / for Event: |
July 2006, Mid Winter Coronation |
|
Picture: |
Taken by Meistern Christian
at Mid Winter
Coronation |
|
IDENTIFICATION OF ENSEMBLE
|
Garment(s): |
French Gown |
|
Location: |
Royal Courts of Franch and
England |
|
Year: |
1570-5 |
|
Social Class: |
Original: Nobility |
|
Historical
Purpose: |
Portrait Sitting |
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Intended
Purpose: |
Formal Court
Gown |
SCOPE OF ENSEMBLE
|
Number of Discrete Garments
Made: |
Two |
|
List: |
Gown, Underskirt /
Forepart |
STYLE OF
RECREATION
Reproduction / inspired by / in the style
of |
SOURCES USED FOR RESEARCH
|
Extant Garments: |
|
|
Archaeological
Evidence: |
Reference to Patterns of Fashion (Janet
Arnold) |
|
Period Depictions: |
Multiple portraits and tapestries,
including:
Valois Tapestries |
|
Period Patterns / Cutting
Diagrams: |
Light reference to Tailors Pattern Book (Juan De
Alcega) and Patterns of Fashion (Janet Arnold) |
|
Other: |
Experience |
PATTERN(S)
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Period Pattern / Source: |
Arnold - conjectured Phoenix Gown
Pattern |
|
Why This Pattern: |
Appropriate to location, and within 20
years |
|
Modifications: |
General issues of shaping for fit. |
|
Explanation: |
The Phoenix Gown is believed to be a French Gown or
a Round Gown (a French Gown without a train) but I needed the
pattern to be adapted to my own
body. |
FABRICS
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Original Fabrics: |
Various brocades and velvets in silk and possibly
high grade wools |
|
Fabrics Used: |
Plum coloured cotton velveteen, gold & plum
floral brocade in silk, gold cotton braided trim and a wide,
woven metallic gold trim. |
|
Substitutions / Variations: |
Cotton velveteen for silk velvet, cotton trim for
unknown decorative trim & generic metal for
gold |
|
Explanation: |
Cost and availability of proper silk velvet and gold
metal trim. Chose cotton velveteen over 'silk' velvet (supposedly
silk pile on rayon back) because it is closer to the look of period
examples seen in the V&A.
|
.
CONSTRUCTION
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Stitching Techniques: |
Machine for edging and basic long construction
seams, hand stitching for everything else. (Running & back
stitch, whip stitch and a hemming variant.)
Construct elements
and whip stitch (overhand) together or attach fasteners.
Tabs (waist, shoulder, neckline and centre front opening) made
separately and inserted into doublet edge.
Sleeves
completed and whip stitched into place. |
|
Lining Technique: |
Lined by hand (seam allowance stitched
down) |
|
Interlining Technique: |
Hand baste to outer shell fabric, then treat as
one. |
|
Subsitiutions / Variations: |
Use of machine. Otherwise, construction consistent
with various period examples. |
|
Explanation: |
Machine used for speed of
construction. |
.
ADORNMENT
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Original Placement: |
Tabs along the neckline and centre front opening of
gown, trim just back from the edges (hem & opening) of
skirt.
Wide trim along the hem of the
underskirt |
|
Placement Used: |
Period examples followed for gown. |
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Variation: |
|
|
Explanation: |
|
|
Original Technique: |
Tabs are
"looped tabs" decorated with parellel lines of contrasting trim, and
the tabs around the neck and down centre front opening are threaded
with fine fabric - probably silk.
Applied trim is believed to be applied
to the ground fabric rather than embroidered in these
examples. |
|
Technique Used: |
Very long
lengths of tabs made and decorated before being cut to length and
inserted into bodice. The centre front & neckline tabs are
spaced out slightly and then fine paj silk is threaded through and
secured in place with tacking stitches.
Applied
trims are handsewn to the ground fabrics. On the underskirt the trim
is first backed with gold silk to enhance the
contrast. |
|
Variation: |
No extant examples therefore technique
conjectured. |
|
Explanation: |
Method used seemed logical and simple (Occam's
Razor) and created the look
sought |
.
ACCESSORIES
|
Original Accessories: |
Fan, long string of pearls, pearl
earrings, brooches |
|
Made to Match: |
None |
|
Acquired to Match: |
None - I already had sufficient. |
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Substitutions / Variations: |
Non jewelled caul. |
|
Explanation: |
. |
DIFFICULTY
|
Overall: |
Very fiddly, but quite straight forward once the proper method is figured
out. |
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Most Difficult Area(s): |
The tabs were difficult to align perfectly and took a
number of trials to get
right |
NOTES
|
General: |
It was nice to finally be able to use the
gorgeous plum velveteen I have had sitting in
my stash for several years to make a proper "Elizabethan"
gown. |
|
Particular Successes: |
The bodice
tabs and the trim around the hem of the underskirt. |
|
Things Learned: |
Always experiment with left
over fabric just incase it is that wee bit better - like the silk
backed trim on the underskirt. The backing really made it
pop. |
|
Things to Try: |
I would like to make a more elaborate version of this
gown - one with the slashed brocade sleeves and velveteen
shoulder puffs. |
This is a summary of a larger body of work. Questions are
welcome if anyone wishes to know more.
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