|
1580s Velvet Saya Entera
|
Completed by: |
Isabel Maria del Aguila |
|
On date / for Event: |
October 2004, Beowulf Event
Visit of TRMs Draco
and Serena |
|
Above Picture: |
Taken by Meistern Christian
Innilgard Encampment,
Festival 2006 |
|
IDENTIFICATION OF ENSEMBLE
|
Garment(s): |
Saya with manga rotonda and falda
(Spanish
gown with round sleeves and train) |
|
Location: |
Royal Courts of Spain |
|
Year: |
1570s |
|
Social Class: |
Nobility |
|
Historical
Purpose: |
Portrait Sitting |
|
Intended
Purpose: |
Court Gown for attending formal events such as
feasts, courts and balls
etc |
SCOPE OF ENSEMBLE SPECIFICALLY
COMPLETED
|
Number Discrete Garments
Made: |
Two |
|
List: |
Gown and
Underdoublet |
STYLE OF
RECREATION
Reproduction / inspired by / in the style
of
|
SOURCES USED FOR RESEARCH
|
Extant Garments: |
Reference to Jerkin [Spanish]
(26.196). In Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/expl/hod_26.196.htm (October
2006) |
|
Archaeological
Evidence: |
Reference to Patterns of Fashion: The cut and
Construction of Clothes for Men and Women C1560-1620 (Janet
Arnold) |
|
Period Depictions: |
Anne of Austria, Sanchez Coello, c1570-1, Stirling
Maxwell Collection
Anne of Austria, Sanchez Coello, c1570-1,
Fundacion Lazaro Galdiano
Comptesse de Guiche and daughter,
unknown artist, c1580, Collection Duc De Grammont
Catalina
Michaela, Sanchez Coello, c1582-5, State Hermitage Museum
Isabel
de Valois, Sofonisba (date & location illegible),
|
|
Period Patterns / Cutting
Diagrams: |
Tailor's Pattern Book (Juan De
Alcega) |
|
Other: |
Experience |
PATTERN(S)
|
Period Pattern / Source: |
Significant reference to Alcega |
|
Why This Pattern: |
Appropriate to location, and within 10
years |
|
Modifications: |
General issues of shaping for fit. |
|
Explanation: |
Alcega contains cutting diagrams that indicate shape
and placement of pieces. Wanting a personalised fit based on
portraiture necessitated drafting a bodice pattern from scratch with
reference to Alcega's diagrams. |
FABRICS
|
Original Fabrics: |
(Black) silk velvet with (gold) embellishment.
Underdoublet of white or off-white silk with additional gold
embellishment. |
|
Fabrics Used: |
Black cotton velveteen with commercially available
gold braid. Also cream silk tafeta with commercially available gold
ribbon. |
|
Substitutions / Variations: |
Cotton velveteen for silk velvet, synthetic 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
|
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. |
|
Lining Technique: |
Line by hand and stitch down seam allowance by
hand. Hand finish lining invisibly. |
|
Interlining Technique: |
Hand baste to outer shell fabric, then treat as
one. |
|
Substitutions / Variations: |
Use of machine. Otherwise, construction consistent
with various period examples. (Overhanding bodice to skirt
consistent with Eleonora of Toledo burial attire (Patterns of
Fashion, p104), and sleeves with Girl's Loose Gown Sleeve
(Patterns of Fashion, p123).) |
|
Explanation: |
Machine sewing used for
speed. |
ADORNMENT
|
Original Placement: |
Gold Braid: centre front from neck to floor then
around hem, back waist to point of shoulder to front waist, down cf
skirt and around hem.
Buttons/ouches: doublet opening (frequently
diagonal braid)
Ribbon Ties: cf skirt and also on
sleeve |
|
Placement Used: |
Gold braid applied as for period examples,
Buttons: doublet opening |
|
Variation: |
Reduced buttons and elimination of ribbons.
(The
lack of ribbons is seen in several portraits of Anne of
Austria) |
|
Explanation: |
Cost |
|
Original Technique: |
Gold braid sometimes appears to be a surface
decoration, while on other occasions it appears to be trim applied
to the surface of the garment. |
|
Technique Used: |
Trim stitched to the surface of the
garment. |
|
Variation: |
None. Trim applied in accordance with period
examples. |
ACCESSORIES
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Original Accessories: |
Belt & carcanet, jewelled hairstyle or caul,
Spanish Bonnet, hankerchief & brown tabbed
gloves |
|
Made to Match: |
Bonnet (not seen in above
picture due to international travel restrictions), belt and
carcanet. |
|
Acquired to Match: |
Needle-lace edged handkerchief, hair
jewels & brown leather gloves (cuffs then cut down and
tabbed to match portraiture). |
|
Substitutions / Variations: |
With no conclusive evidence of the hairstyle worn, I
initially chose to wear my hair in an elaborate low bun with the
hair twisted at my temples (refer gallery picture). Now I pull my
short hair back into a caul (seen above) with twists at the temple
if I have sufficient length at the time. |
|
Explanation: |
The temple twists are seen in numerous portraits,
and the low bun seemed a logical choice to keep my huge amounts of
hair out from under the bonnet. The use of a caul is consistent
with several interpretations of spanish portraiture, and also with
contemporary portraiture from England and France. (It also serves to
disguise my modern chin length hair
style.) |
DIFFICULTY
|
Overall: |
Much of the difficulty was in the fitting and other
areas that use trial and error. The construction itself
felt slightly more difficult than anything I'd previously
accomplished, but not greatly so. I suspect that is because I
spent so much time thinking over each step before doing
it. |
|
Most Difficult Area(s): |
Getting the farthingale to sit without 'ribs'
showing through. Although the method is easy, it is
awkard and time consuming. Much like hemming the front of the skirt
by yourself. |
|
Comments: |
I think I want another
one. |
NOTES
|
General: |
I had admired the Spanish style gowns for years, but
didn't make one due to financial issues and matters of
availability. For example, it took four years of careful
hoarding and buying out of 'stock supplies' of the gown braid in
3-8m lengths (at exhorbitant and increasing prices) as it became
available to obtain the required 30m. |
|
Particular Successes: |
The sleeves and the train. They are what
I was aiming for and the latter especially as it has survived being
stood on. So far. |
|
Things Learned: |
These flash court ensembles are eminently
do-able. And they only take 6m of velveteen! |
|
Things to Try: |
A silk satin or brocade gown with "mangas de punta"
(great sleeves) |
This is a summary of a larger body of work. Questions are
welcome if anyone wishes to know more. |
