Yes, I am aware that some images are missing. This page is under construction and those pictures are not yet taken, they're just place-holder links.
No Tudor outfit is complete without the right accessories. Really, there are few things worse than seeing a wonderful, perfect outfit paired with all the wrong accessories, or none at all.
Things every Tudor lady should have:
* Hood
* Necklace
* Brooch
* Girdle
* Rings
* Tights, stockings or socks
* Proper footwear
Hood
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You have a few options when it comes to headwear. The English Gable Hood is popular in early Tudor times while the French Hood becomes popular later. My french hood was made in three hours on a morning at Pennsic. I'm pretty sure it isn't 100% accurate, but it is better than nothing. There are many patterns available, but everyone in my group seemed to wing it and they all turned out okay. Jane Seymour and Lady Guildford are pictured at left wearing perfect examples of English Gable Hoods, while the scheming Anna Bolina (Anne Boleyn) is shown wearing the fashionable French Hood she introduced to England on her rise to power. While my hood (not shown) is better than nothing, I'm not entirely happy with it. It seems to sit too far forward on my head and doesn't have quite the same shape as the period examples. I will be re-making this some time in the future. | ||
Necklace and Brooch
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Thick gold chains are good. Pearls are great. Look at the hood pictures for inspiration. Elizabeth R had both white and black pearls. Stay away from the bizarely coloured ones (pink, turqoise, blue and the like) as these are dyed and I have no evidence it was done in period, even if it does look cool. A long strand wrapped tightly once and loosely the second time is good. Mine includes spacers I picked up at Michael's. They cost a fortune and they are questionably period, but they are gorgeous and I couldn't help myself. If you hang a pendant I think you have to make it two separate necklaces because I can't figure a way to keep the length consistent with the weight of the pendant pulling on the upper line. I made mine with both strands coming off a single clasp and that seems to work, though I can't prove it is period. Having a fixed pendant and both strands attached to a single clasp does keep the clasp from walking around to the front though. The pendant and "brooch" are both pendants I picked up dirt-cheap at Claire's. They're not perfectly period, but they're not horrible either. You're looking for something not too sparkly, with nice, clean lines, and few curly-cues. It's hard to describe, but you'll know when you see it. I'm still not a great eye on this one. The second picture is the necklace and brooch of the portrait I was trying to copy. I didn't get it perfect, but not too bad either. | ||
Girdle
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These are a hard thing to research as most portraits are waist-up, and they have their ams over their waists, or full body and thus reproduced very small. As you can see at the left, the portraits of Jane Seymour and a young Princess Elizabeth show this phenomenon perfectly. My girdle is simply two lines of fishing line strung with pearls that intersect every so often at a red glass bead surrounded by gold spacer beads. I DID NOT use real pearls on this as the girdle will swing around if you move too quickly, like while dancing. It gets banged against stuff and caught on things, so it is not worth using the real stuff. A the end of my girdle, I have a tea ball I purchased at a bulk food store which has a silk sachet of closed and cinnamon. Not entirely period, but as I am sensitive to most perfumes and don't care for any of the period ones I've smelled, this works for me. I also have a small frog charm there which was given to me by my laurel, "to prevent the sweats". In period, I've been told, they used to carry real dried frogs. I'm not nearly that much of a period maven - eeewww. I wll eventually make a second girdle with a pocket watch. These had just been invented around this time. They had only an hour hand, and were fairly inaccurate. I won't be able to find a single-handed pocket watch, but I'll make due with the cheap drugstore one I picked myself up for Christmas. For a closure, I have put a jump ring at the end of the drop and one end of the belt and a clasp on the other end. This way they all clip simply together and it is fairly subtle, especially since my hands are in front of this part most of the time. As the hands are always in front of this section of the girdle in period portraits and we never see the back, I have no idea how they were done up. | ||
Rings |
Look at portraits, you will find most Tudor ladies have several rings. Jane Seymour at left has two. Note on which fingers they wear rings. Thumb rings are goth, not Tudor. Finding one today without modern cut jewels is a bit problematic though. Look carefully at a lot of portraits until you have an idea what you're looking for. At left is a ring I picked up at a sewing show which my laurel approved as being reasonably Tudor. I believe it was intended to be a Cartier rip-off from the 20s or 30s, though I can't honestly recall. | ||
Footwear and stockings |
The shoes, honestly, are one of the easiest, off-the-rack accessories you can find. Simple, flat Mary Janes will do the trick. Cut-outs on the top of the foot are extra bonus. Black or brown are best, but colours appear to be okay too (even really garish ones). You can of course make your own shoes, and my laurel and her husband have both done so with great success. But in a pinch, I got these at Payless for $25 or so. Keep your eyes open and you should be able to find something suitable. |
Things NO Tudor lady should have:
* Earrings
* Sneakers or modern high heels
* Uncovered hair (unless you are either a child or the queen)
* A cloak (as far as I know we have proper coats in this period)
* Pouches and things hanging off your girdle
* Make-up, nail polish and fake nails
This make up and nail polish thing is one of my biggest peeves in the SCA because it just looks so dead wrong. And unlike sneakers, which are well below eyesight (and which people might have a justifiable reason for wearing, like a need for orthotics or lack of $), make up is right in my line of vision when I'm talking to people. Very distracting. If you must use it, please go for subtle. Leave the blue eyeshadow and scarlet red lipstick at home. And don't laugh, I've seen it done, more often than I care to admit.
Why no earrings? Simple question: do you see my ears? Do you see the ears of any lady in portraits? Do you see earrings peeking out from under hoods? No. Then why should you be wearing them?
As for sneakers or high heels, if you must, the skirts should hide any sins. But please do make sure the skirts reach the floor if you choose to do this.
As for the pouches and things, yes, I know you need somewhere to put your car keys. I carry a basket for all my sundry items. It's actually a lot more comfy than hanging gobs of things off your waist, and you can carry more stuff. Like a purse though, you do have to be careful about putting it down and leaving it behind, and it also means one of your hands are full. I'll take that over having my belt digging into me though. And remember, you can hang SOME things off your girdle. I have a pocket watch that I've just picked up that I intend to put on my next girdle. My last one carried a kind of perfume. And I have seen pomanders which were divided inside, in which one could conceivably use one half for perfume and the other half for keys and a bit of cash. Just a thought...
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Last updated April 5, 2008
