Date: Sat, 28 Sep 1996 03:38:08 -1000
From: Margaret Rae Carignan
Subject: Re: Phyllis Cunnington book
It's been a long time since I looked at the Cunnington's books, but I'll tell you
what I know. Phyllis and her husband, C. Willett Cunnington were both historical
costume researchers in the early part of this century. They wrote a number of books,
together and separately (including a
"History of Underclothes" tha's pretty interesting).
As with any costume history book written before 1980, (or after, for that matter)
there are a number of questionable points made in these books. Questionable, if
you read lots of other books, and start comparing "facts" between them.
The Cunnington books rely mostly on drawings of costume, and don't go into great detail
on actual construction. They were, however, the main source for historical costumers
for a great many years, and you're bound to find some usefull stuff in them.
For more on construction of costumes of this period, look for these other books, (if
you haven't already) that are more modern, and are considered required reading for
costumers interested in the Tudor and Elizabethan periods:
1. Jean Hunnisett " Period Costume for Stage and Screen", Bell & Hyman, 1986. There
are currently two volumes, with a third (On Medieval and Renaissance) on the way.
The one you want deals with Tudor to 18th century. These are aimed at the theatrical,
rather than the historical, but do give patterns, and some really good tips for making
fabrics look better. She's aiming at experienced costumers, but if you're doing this
period, you'll become expereinced real quick!
2. Janet Arnold "Patterns of Fashion - The cut and construction of clothes for men
and women, c1560 - 1620", Drama Books, 1985. This book (and the others in the series),
look at actual, remaining clothing in close-up photos, from which she has made patterns, and copious construction notes. These tell you how specific clothes were made -
fabric, thread and trimmings. In the introduction, she gives lots of valuable general
information about how clothes were cut, who cut them, and who wore them. One of the
reason's that Janet Arnold is called the
Costume Laurel's Friend. One of the others is
3. Arnold "Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd", W.S> Maney $ Sons, Leed,
1988.
This one includes a complete inventory of Elizabeth's "Wardrobe of Robes", from the
year she died. Better still, it includes lots of different portraits of Bess and
her Court, and pletny of close-up photos of existing fabrics, embroideries and accessories. Definietly Elizabethan, though - very little of interest to Tudors.
4. Jane Ashelford, "A Visual History of Costume - The Sixteenth Century", B.T. Batsford,
London, 1983.
This one looks at a variety of portraits (mostly English) from the period, each of
which Ashelford describes as to fabric, trimming, and accessories. She doesn't explain
how the things were made, but it's still of interest.
I hope you will forgive me if I have just told you a bunch of stuff you didn't want
to know, or already knew; years of teaching late-period costuming has produced an
interesting brain-disorder that causes me to try to say everything I know in 10 minutes.
(The frightening part is, I can almost manage to do it!)
If there is any way I can assist you in your quest for costuming info, please don't
hesitate to ask.
Oh, by the way, I didn't introduce myself. In the SCA, I am Maestra Francesca della
L'Aura di Firenze and I live in the Barony of Ruantallan. In "real" life, I am a
Costume Studies student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I received
my Laurel for Costuming last November, so I'm still new at that part, but I've been teaching
Scadians for 10 years. I always love to hear about other peoples experiences trying
to re-create costumes of any period. In this way, we all learn from each other.
Good luck!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 1996 21:51:24 -1000
Reply-To: Maggie Percival
From: Maggie Percival
Subject: Re: H-COSTUME Digest - 25 Sep 1996 to 26 Sep 1996
>My best friend (and current Queen of Caid in the SCA) uses cable ties for boning
her corsets also. She works for the phone company (GTE) and they go thru reams of
the stuff. It's a fairly stiff plastic, at least the 3/8 inch stuff is, and works
well in place of straight metal bones. I've used the smaller stuff on her recommendation
(the regular ties you can get at Radio Shack or the hardware store) for boning my
Italian Ren corset and they work terrific. Filing the ends is a must, tho, since
they tend to wear thru couteil and canas if they aren't filed (sharp edges, ouch!).
In the past I have found that even some synthetic boning can cause problems with
wearing through fabric because of sharp edges. On the last garment that I used it
for where this might have happened (a fantasy costume bodice) instead of filing down
the ends I heat sealed them. I got an old knife, heated it up and then gently applied it
to the ends of the plastic boning, which melted slightly and gave me a smooth finish.
>
--
Maggie
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 14:33:23 -1000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Corsets
Hello,
Spiral or spring steel boning is the best for making most styles of corsets. These
bones are available from Greenberg and Hammer, they have a mail order catalog and
are very helpfull. Their address is Greenberg and Hammer, Inc. 24 West 57th St.,
New York, NY 10019 (212)246-2835. They do have a minimum. They are the most inexpensive
place I have found to buy bonning.
Have fun
Etienette
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 07:17:21 -1000
From: Andrew Tarrant
Subject: Re: Corsets
Boning could also be as simple as bunches of fine reeds sandwitched together. An
example of this can be found on page 46 of Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion The
cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1560-1620. The photos show a
stomacher which has been made over from an earlier corset, and it is parallel rows of bundled
reeds (about 20 reeds per bundle) on the horizontal, and 4 pieces of whale bone
to reinforce it are placed across these at an angle.
- Julie=20
------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Margaret Rae Carignan
Subject: Re: Phyllis Cunnington book
I envy you the adventure you are embarking on; beginning to learn what there is to
know about Medieval and Renaissance costuming is like setting off on a long, arduous,
sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding journey. Indeed, while I am a few
miles farther along, I still have many, many more to go before I know what is already known
by others! If there is
any way in which I can help you, (even if it means diercting you to other people with
more knowledge than I have in the area of your interest), please do not hesitate
to ask. By the bye, if you really want to know how they did it then, Janet Arnold
is better than Jean Hunnisett; Jean is
theatre, Janet is museum!
Yours in Service to Overdressing,
Maestra Francesca
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 30 Sep 1996 16:00:00 -1000
From: "Chandler, Sally A."
Subject: German Artificial Whalebone
The wonderful artificial boning I said I'd post details about is as follows:
It is available in dimensions:
5 x 1.0mm
6 x 1.0mm
7 x 1.0mm
10 x 1.0mm
12 x 1.5mm sold by the metre at prices ranging from DM 0.42 to DM 1.00
Individual bones in lengths are also available but I can't read my
notes to see what sizes or prices.
It is sold / produced by Wissner Gmbh
Postfach 1423
Hohenstaufenstrasse 8 -14
D-73033
Goppingen
Germany
(There should be an umlaut " on the O in Goppingen but this machine won't do
them!)
The catch is that, by mail order, the minimum quantity is 200m. If anyone
within reach in the UK is interested I'd be interested in getting together
to make up an order.
Sally Ann Chandler
The Historical Clothing Company
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 12:45:35 -1000
From: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Phyllis Cunnington book
Lisa,
As with all sources, consider the source. The Cunningtons (Mr & Mrs) were early 20thC
collectors of vintage clothing in England. Their efforts saved thousands of pieces
from rubbish heaps and worse. They were pioneers in the field that became Costume
History.
However, since they were pioneers, and since they were Victorian/Edwardian armchair
anthropologists, their interpretations need re-interpreting. If you are doing research
on what the Cunningtons and other people of their time had to say, then their books
are excellent sources. If you want to know about something else, then they are secondary
sources and must be treated as such.
Try to get it on Interlibrary Loan before you spend any money on it.
Please do not think that I am trashing the Cunningtons. I am not. I am merely trying
to put their hard work into perspective, just as someone 50 years from now may do
with mine.
Good Luck,
Mary Denise Smith
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1996 08:20:40 -1000
From: [email protected]
Subject: Tudor books
Glad you found a copy of the Cunnington book. Track down a copy of COSTUME IN THE
AGE OF ELIZABETH I, by Jane Ashelford. Take a look at the bibliography (which includes
the Cunningtons, incidentally) and go from there. Do that with all books - just photocopy the biblio. In a real short time you'll have a fine list of references. Then go
make your reference librarian crazy.
Incidentally, the December issue of my magazine, COSTUME & DRESSMAKER, The Magazine
For Serious Costumers will be devoted to research. One of the articles is by a reference
librarian.
Good Luck,
Mary Denise
aka Lady Marged Tylluan Fach
Shire of Caer Galen
The Outlands
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1996 11:31:14 -1000
From: Margaret Rae Carignan
Subject: Re: Janet Arnold
I have yet to see any text that gives reliable information on construction techniques
pre-1560. I suspect that there is little remaining costume suitable for close study
- anything that does exist (a few cotehardies and suchlike) would likely be too fragile to handle. I would be likely to use the same construction techniques (seam finishing,
lining and such) from Arnold. There are a couple of excellent sources of information
on the earlier Gothic and 14th century; there is a Visual History of Costume volume for the Gothic period (I cana't remember the author, but it is the same series as
the Jane Ashelford); there is another good book by Stella Mary Newton, called Fashion
in the Age of the Black Prince that discusses the cotehardie, the developement of
the set-in sleeve, and other really usefull goo. Did you know that Edward had his motto
(It is that it is)
embroidered around the hems of all his tunics? So Cool!
Please forgive me for having gone tangential on you at first - I think I have a late-period
metal plate in my head. I'll let you know as soon as I hear about Hunnisett's medieval
period book. It was supposed to be out this year. I know it's theatrical, but I still find these things usefull in the absence of other information. Have fun!
Meg
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 04:49:07 -1000
From: Sheryl Nance-Durst
>I am a theatre tech student majoring in costuming, and have a question no
>one has been able to give me a clear answer on. Sometime back I heard a
>rumour that there was an IBM program out there that could be used for
>designing costume.
Sharon,
There are a number of software packages designed for the home sewer that might work.
Check out http://www.hk.super.net/~rlowe/sew.html It's a page listing most of these
packages with comments on them & links to places where you can download free demos
of them. If you are specifically looking for something designed for the theatre, then
I only know of onesoftware package. It's called "B Famous on Stage". The web page
for it is
http://www.newstuff.com/
I haven't used any of them myself, but I imagine that at least one of these programs
would be useful to you.
To the person who mentioned "Fittingly Sew": I was under the impression that the company
that developed this is no longer selling it. Did another company pick it up? I was
thinking about buying it, but they discontinued it before I could make up my mind.
:(
Sheryl J. Nance-Durst ...one of the secret masters of
Kansas City MO Public Library the world: a librarian. They
[email protected] control information. Don't ever
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Oct 1996 22:55:00 -1000
From: Mrs C S Yeldham
Subject: Drawstring necklines
>Mrs C S Yeldham wrote:
> friends working on this are now putting drawstring necks to the 18th century at
the earliest),
Tetchubah said
>Maybe in England, but not in Italy. Drawstring necks were done in the Renaissance
there - look at Lynne Lawner's "Lives of the Courtesans" for several examples. There's
a particularly good one on page 102 of Palma Vecchio's "Flora" from the 16th century - this chemise is obviously drawn shut since it is partially opened and the blue
ribbon drawstring is blatently visable. There's another example on page 112 from
Raphael, although it's less obvious there. And if your copy has the dust jacket,
the front cover painting is also a drawstring chemise (again illustrated well), again by Vecchio.
>But I don't recall any examples of this from Tudor paintings, at least nothing real
obvious.
I have to be pedantic here. If you say 'Tudor' or 'Elizabethan' then you mean England,
before or after 1558 (this is where I get the date wrong!). There are other terms
referring to Europe or parts of Europe, which do not apply to England (or other countries) eg Counter-Reformation Europe refers explicitly to post-1562 Catholic Europe
(after the Council of Trent). Renaissance Italy usually refers to late 15th century,
very early 16th century, before the impact of the Reformation (about 1515).
Secondly, I don't know these particular pictures, but I have seen others from the
period which *look* like drawstrings. In ones I've examined carefully, what looks
like a drawstring, usually a ribbon, actually has the gathers sewn to it - it would
not have run freely. I made the smock of my wedding dress this way, based on a 1515 Italian
picture.
I cannot think of any Tudor or Elizabethan picture where the smock has a drawsting
neck. The fashions in Italy were very different to those in England - read Shakespeare's
plays for contemporary views on Italians!
Sorry to be dogmatic about it, but it is one of the myths that turns up in the events
I do, together with the idea that every woman showed off as much of her bosom as
possible!
Caroline
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 07:53:24 -1000
From: Alice Morgan
Subject: Re: "Costume Design for Dummies"
Sheryl,
Thank you for the web page pointer. I'm also looking for some good pattern drafting
software.
members of the list,
>From the web page, the package "Symmetry" from Wild Ginger looks interesting.
http://www.wild-ginger.com/wginger/homepage.htm
I'd want to look into it for a while longer, but would there be enough interest on
the list that we (various people on the list) could try to buy 5 or more of either
"custom pattern" or "complete package" and get the package discount ($100 to $200
off). Custom pattern is listed at $495 US single, $395 US for five or more. Complete package
is listed at $795 US single, $595 US for five or more Its a lot of money I realize,
especially with end of year holiday expenses coming up, but maybe we can look at
as a gift to ourselves ;-)
It looks like the main difference between the custom and the complete package is the
ability to do grading to multiple sizes. I'm personally more interested in the custom,
but can see the usefullness of the grading package down the line.
Is there other people interested in this on the list?
Alice
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 11:25:09 -1000
From: "Carol E. Newby"
Subject: Re: Costume Design Software.
To: Multiple recipients of list H-COSTUME
I agree it is a wonderful program - unfortuneately the company is no longer selling
it. I purchased a similar program called Pattern Maker that I am pleased with so
far, though I'm still getting familiar with it and haven't actually printed a pattern
yet. They have a web site at:
http://www.eskimo.com/~pmaker/
Carol
~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 15:04:13 -1000
From: Laura Nunemaker
Subject: Re: Costume Design Software.
If Fittingly Sew is no longer being sold, I where it stands as far as copyrights go.
I mention this because I have a copy for the Macintosh and if I can share without
getting into trouble, I will.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 Oct 1996 01:44:25 -1000
From: Dale Loberger
Subject: Pattern drafting systems
For those of you who are interested, Isabelle Lott supplies an AutoCAD add-on for
pattern drafting. It is state-of-the-art. For a sample disk, contact PC-Pattern, at PatternWorks, 2530 W. Mulford Ct., SE, Grand
Rapids, MI 49546 (616) 949-3429. It runs on IBM 486 or higher with 8 mg. RAM
(if you already operate AutoCAD you don t have to upgrade your hardware usually to
run PC-Pattern) There is a Mac version. I personally do not use this program although I did get the sample disk. One day
.It is very impressive and does have a complete sloper library.
... I still plod along in a map-drafting package .sigh.
Those out there who have not yet tried the wonders of computer drafting or digitizing
a pattern and need an incentive, here s one: it is unbelievably simple to use those
complicated graphed patterns a la Janet Arnold, etc. Simply digitize in the pattern
at the proper scale (ex.: 1/10th" square = 1square inch) and all of a sudden you have
incredible flexibility in changing the size of the bust, shoulder, back waist length,
etc., all by moving the mouse. You can preview the finished pattern piece on the
screen and check for scale, fit, etc., _before_ you print it out and save so much trouble
(and measuring and guessing and erasing in the old method by hand). By overlaying
a pattern piece in your file (such as a front bodice piece) that you know fits with
the new one, you can compare how the new one may fit before you ever even cut a sample
muslin. It s an incredible time-saver and after you get used to it, it really does
open up new possibilities and allows you to try things you probably wouldn t if you
hadn t had access to this technology.
Now, what would really be neat would be the capability to fit the pieces together
on the screen, such as those tricky curved 1840 s bodice seams, and view them in
3-D to check and see how the ease allowed will work after you make your size adjustments.
I know you can do this with
engineering drawings (such as pipe fittings) in AutoCAD; I don t know if PC-Pattern
allows you to do this or not. Saundra, are you listening?
I know, this sounds pretty dumb coming from an anachronism like me. Digitize the
patterns so I can stitch the garments by hand. Go figure! But patternmaking is
such an exacting task that as far as I am concerned, every little bit helps, from
the math to selecting the proper line width and not worrying about if it will be legible. For
me, this part is a science. The art comes later, when I put needle to cloth.
Susannah Eanes, Mantua Maker and Fine Tailoring
(Susan Bridges Loberger for Susannah s Heirloom, Ltd.)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 11:29:31 -1000>
From: Margaret Rae Carignan
Subject: Re: H-COSTUME Digest - 2 Oct 1996 to 3 Oct 1996
Oh, and for documentation hounds (UNITE!), the sixteenth century ladies linen chemise
with the polychrome embroidery described in "Cut My Cote" (Dorothy K. Burnham, Royal
Ontario Museum) had permanently shaped neckline and wrist gathers.
Meg/Francesca
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 20:07:29 -1000
From: Chris Laning
Subject: Things they didn't care about...
I don't know if you have seen a book called _An Anonymous Woman: Her Work_ by (root
around hunting for my copy...darn!) It's an analysis of an early 17th-century sampler,
with patterns in double-sided blackwork (some in two or more colors) and in variations of cross stitch.
The Great Revelation to me on this one was that the author matter-of-factly states
that the fabric used has 17 threads to the centimeter in one direction and 22 in
the other. *It is NOT square.* And the sampler's maker apparently didn't care in
the least: she worked the patterns in every case to the counted thread, despite the fact that
they look squashed, and would undoubtedly have looked squashed the other way if she'd
turned a corner.
Maybe this is another thing that we fuss about a lot (paying extra for special "square"
linen for counted thread work...) that needleworkers back then didn't think was a
big deal at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 04:38:59 -1000
From: Sheryl Nance-Durst
Subject: New Book on Tudor/Stuart Era
I found this new book on one of my library's databases. Sorry it's only partially
about costume. Has anyone seen this one yet? Is it any good?
ACCESSION: 34046617
AUTHOR: Hull, Suzanne W., 1921-
TITLE: Women according to men :
the world of Tudor-Stuart women /
PLACE: Walnut Creek :
PUBLISHER: AltaMira Press,
YEAR: 1996
PUB TYPE: Book
FORMAT: 239 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
NOTES: Includes bibliographical references (p. 203-227) and index.
Introduction : setting the scene -- Rules for wives -- Health
habits and household remedies -- Misconceptions on conception --
Care of babies -- Raising daughters -- Preparing food -- Face and
fashion -- Conclusion.
ISBN: 0761991190 0761991204 (pbk.)
SUBJECT: English literature -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- History and
criticism.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Oct 1996 05:13:28 -1000
Reply-To: Susan Carroll-Clark
Sender: Historic Costume List
From: Susan Carroll-Clark
Subject: Re: 12th and 13th century clothing
Greetings!
Finally a question I can say something about!
Megan asked about 12th/13th century clothing. This has been my primary period of
interest for the past five years, with the emphasis on the 13th century. Most of
the sources I'll list talk about both.
First, for an overview, have a look at the relevant sections in Milia Davenport's
_The Costume Book_. Good pictures, but no patterns or the like (a trend which will
continue).
Then, move on to a couple of the more in-depth surveys. Cunnington's _Handbook of
English Medieval Costume_ and Yarwood's _English Costume_ are good sources. Joan
Evans has one covering the same period in France whose name escapes me at the moment.
To learn about the fabrics used, you should have a look at Crowfoot et. al.'s _Textiles
and Clothing_, which is published by HMSO under the auspices of the Museum of London.
Then, after looking at these various sources, look at as many manuscript illuminations
and statuary as you can, noting the way the folds fall, where the wrinkles are, how
many layers are involved, and so forth.
I'll give you a quick overview of 13th century styles. In the early part of the century,
the predominate style was a belted gown worn over an undergown, which often showed
at the neck and was closed with a pin. As the century wore on, these gowns' sleeves became tighter and tighter below the elbows, and the bust area also became somewhat
tighter, making the skirt look as if it was flaring more. Belts were fairly thin
and still worn at the waist, with the material blousing over it. Some time about
the middle of the century, the surcote for women began to be worn. This was cut much like
the gown, but had no sleeves and was worn without a belt. This style came to predominate
(in England, at least) by about 1280, although the other style did not disappear.
Over the next 3/4 century, the slits in the surcote would gradually get lower, evolving
into the sideless surcote in the 14th century. The tight sleeves seen in the 13th
century gowns and the trend towards a tightening through the body would also continue into the 14th century, where the lacing or sewing of the sleeves was replaced by
buttons. It should be mentioned that while straight cutting is still used in the
13th century (especially at the sleeve heads), experimentation with ways to achieve
tighter fits in certain places, including lacing and curved seams, had been on-going since
perhaps as early as the 11th century.
Men wore similar cuts as women, with the most common length in this century falling
about the mid-calf, and slowly rising towards the end. They also adapted the surcote,
originally a military fashion, earlier than women.
Headgear for women consisted of a variety of veils, wimples, hair netting (you can
see surviving examples in the Museum of London book), "fillets" (bands of linen worn
about the head, sometimes fluted) and "pillbox-style hats"--small pleated caps worn
with a "chinstrap-style" wimple and a hair net. Men wore hats, too, the most common being
a simple coif.
Hope this helps!
Susan Carroll-Clark
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 04:59:28 -1000
From: Gunnora Hallakarva
Subject: Re: Early Period Fitted Garments
Heilsa, Everyone.
Several people have contacted me regarding the German sources for the information
on fitted/tailored Viking women's garments. The source I mentioned which describeds
the Haithabu finds is:
Hagg, Inga, "Die Textilfunde aus dem Hafen von Haithabu. Beriche uber die Ausgrabungen
in Haithabu," Bericht 20. Neumunster: Karl Wachholz Verlag, 1984.
There may be other sources by this time, but not being a textile archaeologist, I'm
not as current in the field. I tend to get the info as it trickles down into English
research. I got my first hint of this information reading:
Jesch, Judith. Women in the Viking Age. Woodbridge: Boydell. 1991. ISBN 0-85115-278-3.
"Thus, the largest collection of Viking Age terxtiles comes from the underwater
excavation in 1979-80 of the harbour at Haithabu (Hedeby), the southernmost emporium
of Viking Age Scandinavia, now in Germany near the Danish border. These textile
fragments wree all discraded clothing which had been torn up into rags and used in shipbuilding,
either for tarring the outside of a ship or stuffing into cracks to make it watertight.
"The simplest clothes found at Haithabu were made of the roughest woolen fabric,
suggesting that these were the clothes of slaves, servants and the poor, or the daily
dress of the better-off. The women's garments consisted of very simple anlkle-length, long-sleeved dresses, cut loose to enable freedom of movement at work, and possibly
a simple wrap or shawl.
"Better-quality clothing was also found in the rags of Haithabu and here the
finds are similar to those of the clothing from Birka and elsewhere in Scandinavia:
over a linen shift, women wore an overdress of fine woolen fabric, held up by the
ubiquitous pair of brooches. However, whereas elsewhere the overdress has always been
reconstructed as a straight garment, the Haithabu finds indicate that there at least
it was tailored at the waist. Tucks and decorative braid running vertically further
emphasized the wearer's shape. Outdoors, the better-off women of Haithabu wore an ankle-length
coat, again quite wide at the bottom. These coats were made of high-quality dyed
wool that had been felted to make it weather-resistant,
and were lined, and often quilted with down or feathers for added warmth." (Jesch,
p. 17-18)
If you are having trouble locating the texts by Hagg or Jesch, I highly recommend:
Krupp, Christina and Carolyn A. Priest-Dorman. "Women's Garb in Northern Europe:
450-1000 CE: Frisians, Angles, Franks, Balts, Vikings and Finns." Compleat Anachronist
59. Milpitas: Society for Creative Anachronism. 1992. (available for $4 + SH from
The Office of the Stock Clerk, P.O. Box 360789, Milpitas, CA 95036-0789. Call (408)956-5444
for details.)
While I don't know Krupp's background, Priest-Dorman is an expert in Viking Age textiles
and fashions. This pamphlet is very well done on a scholarly level that is still
extremely useful to anyone wishing to reconstruct early-period women's clothing from
Northern Europe. Information from this pamphlet includes:
"The tenth-century smocks from Hedeby included such refinements as 'wide,
rounded neck openings; the sharply curved armholes; seperate lengths of fabric used
in the construction, with gores inserted' and front and back 'sides sewn together
at the shoulders' [Hagg, 1984, p. 171].... In the tenth century at Birka and Hedeby there
is evidence for pieced construction including seperately-cut sleeves, shoulder seams,
and gores in gowns. At Hedeby especially, there is clear evidence that the torso
section of a gown 'fitted closely to the body and ... was widened by the addition of several
triangular gores, widening significantly toward the bottom.' [Hagg, 1984, p. 177]"
(Krupp and Priest-Dorman, p. 43-44)
According to Krupp & Priest-Dorman, the "Viking apron" consisting of two rectangles
worn tabard-style is a misconception:
"Fifty years ago Agnes Geijer postulated that Viking aprons were made from
large untailored rectangles wrapped around the body. Due perhaps to the fact that
this postulate was in a German book published in Sweden, not many writers of popular
Viking books in English got the picture. Most illustrators drew Viking women dressed in
two hanging panels connected by
brooches. The more recent works by Inga Hagg, who examines the finds of women's clothing
at Birka and Hedeby in exacting detail, clearly contradict that assumption.
"The apron-dress, a direct decendant of the peplos dress, was worn suspened
over the shoulders by paired brooches hooked through looped straps.... In the earlier
period most apron-dresses were made of wool, but like the other layers, in the later
period a few were apparently made of linen. No examples of embroidered or metal-trimmed
apron-dresses have been published, However, many were richly colored; some were ornamented
with woven or braided trim at the top, and some were lined with silk.
"Hagg [1974, pp. 108-9] suggests that in its early, untailored incarnation,
the apron-dress was likely to have been sewn closed like a peplos. Her work, based
on the finds from Hedeby, indicates that some apron-dresses were even tailored to
fit closely to the body: 'the pieces come from a garment cut and sewn in several panels.
The garment narrows at the waist and is made even more fitting by tucks or darts
at the waist. Lower down, it widens over the hips.' [Hagg, 1984, p. 169]"
"Although the fragments are incomplete, definite evidence of tailoring can
b e discerned, consisting of long, vertical tapered darts taken in the torso area
between breast and hip. Decorative narrow strips of braid in two colors were applied
ion the outside of the dart seams of this apron-dress at Hedeby, much as braids were applied
over the seams of clothing in several localities, including Birka." (Krupp & Priest-Dorman,
pp. 45-46)
For those who are interested, the other works cited in the pamphlet quotes above are:
Hagg, Inga. "Kvinnodrakten i Birka: Livplaggens Rekonstruktion pa Grundval av det
Arkaeologiska Materialet." Uppsala: Archaeological Institute, 1974.
Geijer, Agnes. "Die Textilfunde aus den Grabern," Vol III of Birka: Untersuchungen
und Studien. Uppsala: Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien, 1938.
If you need more detailed information, please feel free to contact me. If your questions
go beyond my skills (I am *not* a textile archaeologist) I'd refer you to Carolyn
Priest-Dorman (Mistress Thora Sharptooth in the SCA) at [email protected]
Wassail,
::GUNNORA::
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 1996 13:35:14 -1000
From: Susan Carter
Subject: Re: Paintings as documentation
Wow, I had forgotten about the Noel Hume painting stuff in Martin's Hundred - have
to read it again!
Another excellent read is "The Tudor Image" by Maurice Howard. It was published by
the Tate Gallery to accompany the Dynasties exhibit. ISBN # 1-85437-159-2 price
L 7.95.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 1996 19:59:07 -1000
From: Gary Anderson <[email protected]>
Subject: Corset busks
Yes, we do! This is Gary Anderson for Raiments/AlterYears (back online after getting
back to 10-12 hour workdays). We carry busks in 9 to 16 inch lengths, every 1 inch.
Plus all the other boning, plus wooden busks, plus... Well, you get the idea. These were in stock when I was down at the store earlier today, and we mailorder anything
at the store. (818) 585-2994
phone, this email address, or drop in if you are in southern California. Hours are
10-4:30 PST Tues, Wed, Fri; 10-7:30 Thurs (That's SCA night), and 11-5:30 Sat.
Gary the AlterYears/Raiments Ook
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 1996 06:23:41 -1000
From: Julie Adams
Subject: Re: Early 16th C. Shirt Embroidery
Have you noticed that in many Holbein and other German/Flemish painters of the period
often show a verticle strip of blackwork on the inside of the neck opening? It is
clearly used as an interfacing. Many of the patterns shown on the inside of the collar
could not possibly be the back of what is shown on the outside, just due to the differences
in pattern type. IMHO, the ruffs and ruffles may be double-sided, but the collar,
cuff, and neckbands were lined with separate pieces. The basis for my rationalle
is:
1) The embroidery patterns are not compatible.
2) If you examine the construction you see that there is no visible rolled edge seam
where the ruffle meets the neckband, indicating that the inner fabric covers the
selvage of the seams where the ruffles meat the collar like an interlining. This
construction matches the construction that is shown in other sources for the garments of this
period (1500-1540).
3) A unlined collar would be likely to buckle, crumple and crush. I believe that there
was some interfacing for stiffening as well as the embroidered interlining, which
would give support and strength to the collar piece. One layer of embroidered linen
will not keep a collar standing.
Whether he made the patterns up or not, there are similar patterns in the paintings
and woodcuts of other artists of the period.
I have a cute little softcover book:
German Renaissance Patterns for Embroidery, Curious Works Press, A Facsimile copy
of Nicolas Basse'es New Modelbuch of 1568 ISBN 0-9633331-4-3
Which is a reprint of a period book, but also has some good explanitory text. It includes
several patterns similar to those found in Holbein's work.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 17:52:06 -1000
From: Julie Adams
Subject: Re: 15th and 16th c. T-tunics
These tunics are still worn with the short-caped hood still into the 16th c., a style
I normally associate with the 14th c. or earlier. Some of the later period examples,
such as those from the Book of Trades are more likely to show the tunics worn over
various pluderhosen and full breeches instead of the tighter hosen/fitted breeches.
Certainly these examples are open for interpretation, but I would say that if I saw
someone make an interpretation of these as a T-cut tunic, it would be no more invalid
than any other, where period fabrics, decorations and construction techniques were used.
If I were a judge and they provided me this documentation for a 16th c. peasant or
working class tradesman, I would be hard put to argue it. For here amongst the puffed
and slashed and fitted, the skirted and pleated, are simple tunics abound. In "Herr
und Knecht" the book goes from about 1100 to 1570s, comparing the relationship of
peasants to their landowners, so its easy to look at the tunics shown for 1150 and
then turn right to the ones for 1530. Darn if those tunics don't look like the same garment
to me. Here are some for you all to look up:
The Triumph of Maximillian (about 1510)
- Plates 132-137 The Baggage Train
Etchings and Engravings of Albrecht Durer
- Peasant and Wife at Market
- Bearing of the Cross
- Three Peasants in Conversation
- Rustic Couple
- The Ill-assorted Couple or The offer of Love
- Coat of Arms with Skull
Also look at Durer's early woodcuts
Authentic Everyday Dress of the Renaissance All 154 Plates from the
"Trachtenbuch" by Christopher Weiditz (Dover Press) (1530s-1560s)
Plate XXIX &XXX Spanish Peasant Ploughing
Plate XXXII. Cleaning Corn in Spain
Plate XXXIV Transporting Corn and Flour in Spain
Plate XXXV & XXXVI Castilian waterseller
Plate LXVII Escort of a noble woman in Barcelona
Plates CXII-CXII Various Basque Women - the overshirt
Bruegel:
Twelve Proverbs (there are at least two)
The flight between Carnival and Lent - 1559
- the man in a long pink gown up front left
- fellow in pale yellow dancing at left edge and man in gray behind him
- man blue/gray carrying jugs or baskets in top left near plague doctors
- man with son in top right wearing blue/gray
Childrens Games - 1560
- various children
The Month of August-the Corn Harvest 1565
- The shirts of all the men working.
St. John the Babtist preaching in the wilderness
- man in gold in front of young landsknecht
- man in blue far right
Vecellio's Renaissanc Costume Book (Dover Press) mostly late 16th c.
- 132 Scappoli - Venician sailor
- 138, 139 Venetian Porters and Stevedores
- 311 Bohemian Commoner
Martin Schoengauer
- A Wise Virgin
Pieter van der Heyden
- The Thin Kitchen
Barthel Beham
- Peasant Holiday
Sebald Beham
- Church Anniversary Holiday at Mogelsdorf
Herr und Knecht by Hartmut Zwahr (German Publication)
- Many woodcuts by Johann Grieninger from Strasburg c. 1502
p. 96,110, 154, 155,
- Martin Schongauer 1483 Stehendes Madchen
- Albrecht Durer 1490 Junges Madchen
- Lucas van Leyden 1520 Uylenspiegel
- Hans Sebald Beham 1526 Verlorene Muhe
- Hans Sebald Beham 1544 Fahnrich und Trommier (the Drummer)
- Erhard Schoen 1533 Das Schlaraffenland
The Book of Trades - Jost Amman (Dover Press)
- Fig 2,3, 6,7 by Ulm Master - Six mechanical arts - 1475
- Fig 17 and 18 from Les Ordonnances de Paris - Scenes of Trade: Timber
Haulers and Charcoal Burners - 1500/01
- Fig 24 - A nail maker 1529
- Fig 25 - A Shoemaker 1531
>From the works published in 1568
- The Pilgrims
- The Lawyer (person approaching)
- The papermaker (the apprentice)
- The Goldsmith (front guy)
- The Huntsman
- The Farmer (sitting down)
- The Brushmaker
- The Grinder (standing)
- The Ropemaker (standing)
- The Fisherman
- The Wiredrawer (standing)
Caroline wrote:
>I would not call a woman's bodice with sleeves built-in sleeves but separate skirts
a T-tunic, and unless the sleeves have the characteristic folds you get with a T-tunic,
I would assume the sleeves seams were there in the original but obscured in the picture.
Women's bodices with those characteristic "t-tunic" folds at the armpits are seen
over and over in Durer and other artists of the late 15th/early 16th c. I don't call
them T-tunics, but they are clearly an evolution of that cut. Many of these gowns
(1490-1520 Germany) do not even have separate skirts, but have gores set in at the front,
sides and backs, The gores are set high in the front and cartridge pleated from breast
to waist. The fitting about the bustline is often done with strings which often tie
above and below the breast. In this period, particularly in the etchings and drypoints,
every seam is quite evident, and sometimes the stitching too.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 20:57:08 -1000
From: "P. M. Ostwald"
Subject: French 16th C.
Some time ago I asked for help looking for 16th century french costumes. Armed with
the suggestions from the list, I found the following references. (I didn't get hold
of all the suggested refs. I'm still looking for some)
The Valois Tapestries, F. A. Yates, (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London, 1975)
Shows both full shots and details of the Valois tapestries plus a series of small
reproductions of 16th C. costume woodcuts by De Bruyn and Lucas de Heere for comparison.
The costume pictures in the tapestries themselves are clear images. It is suggested
that portraits were copied of the French royalty for the larger images, but the clothes
were taken from costume portraits (or directly from clothes) by an artist who was
particularly interested the popular costume manuals of the day. Detailing on these
larger figures is good, down to the buttons on Catherine de Medici's bodice. Unfortunately,
all the pictures are in black and white.(thanks Etienette, for pointing out this
book!)
Jean Clouet, P. Mellen, (Phaidon, London, 1971). A collection of the court artist
Jean Clouet's sketches and portraits. Clouet was artist for Francious 1st court,
and died in 1541. His son Francois Clouet also painted court portraits until his
death in 1572. The book is full of lots of
gorgeous chalk sketches reminiscent of Holbein. Alas, head and shoulders almost exclusively,
and not much costume detail except for hats and french hoods. Still, a good collection
of images of 1530-1540 noble headwear. Mostly B&W images, plus a few from son Francois Clouet, that look very promising, costumewise.
Prince of the Renaissance (the life of Francois I) D. Seward, (Constable, London,
1973). There are a number of learned texts on Francois, but most without images.
This book is full of pictures, and contains a number of portraits of Francois, his
family and his mistresses. Most of the Diane de Portiers images are nude portraits (not very
useful for costuming!) but the rest are good. Mostly in colour.
Catherine de' Medici, H. R. Williamson (Michael Joseph, London, 1973).
Another image heavy life of Queen Catherine book. Contains (among other images) portraits
of the royal family, plus several colour pictures of the Valois tapestries. A useful
collection of costume portraits, mostly upper torso only, but many in colour.
Hope this information is of interest. Thanks for everyones help.
Tricia
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 1996 21:53:34 -1000
From: "I. Marc Carlson"
Subject: Re: 13th Century Cut/T-Tunics
I've been reading this set of threads with some interest. While I certainly have
not done the research on the illustrations as other people here, and I realize the
problems that can occur when using a single item as a "standard", but I am currently
sitting with a schematic of the Bocksten Man's tunic (in Nockert, Margareta. Bockstenmannen
och hans drakt) and it clearly illustrates a single piece torso, with separate sleeves,
attached at the shoulder, and seams at the bottom. There are gores inserted front, back and at the sides, as well as inserts in the underarms. There is not
a speck of trim or any other decoration (unless you count the holes from where the
body was pinned to the ground after he was killed). The clothes are estimated
to be anywhere from 1320-1360. The first person to study the remains, Dr. Albert Sadklef,
suggested that he may have been a royal representative who dissapeared about 1360.
For what it's worth, the main torso piece of the tunic only shows one selvage and
is about 55 cm wide (or about 23 inches). The cloak, however, is clearly pieced
together from a length of cloth that is 380 cm x 60 cm (13+ feet x 25 inches).
------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 1996 16:35:20 -1000
From: Eric Praetzel
Subject: Re: H-COSTUME archives?
> My thanks to Julie for the pointers towards the archives. Now, anyone know
> where they've put all of the old h-costume stuff? I've been on this list
I have not seen any such posting yet!
The archives for 93, 94, 95, 96 are on my account accessable in two ways.
The files are zip compressed sorted by year.
You can get them by anonymous ftp from
ece.uwaterloo.ca in pub/jpeg/hcostume (or h-costume??)
Or if you worm your way thru my web pages
http://ece.uwaterloo.ca/~praetzel
if you actually go to ~praetzel/hobby about half way down it will have a pointer
to the anon. ftp. area and clicking on that should bring your web browser up into
ftp protocal ie clicking and draging a file or whatever; will download it.
back