I had meant this to be a peasant gown, but I’m told that it
is not because it does not look “peasanty” enough. I’m not entirely positive
of what that means, but I’ve been trying not to quibble details lately. ;) It’s
suitable as the clothing of someone with enough money to afford lined clothing
that fits reasonably well (though not perfectly). It looks a little higher on
the social scale when worn properly with the bodice, but this summer was a little
crazy and a little *HOT*, so that didn’t always happen. (Moral: make all your
layers look nice, and your wardrobe becomes flexible enough to cover a variety
of social and weather situations.) This was the year of the flexible wardrobe
for me. I’m not sure why. I was not trying to be clever or sensible. It just
sorta happened.
Anyway, the teal bodice looking thang is, in fact, my effigy
corset. (That thing got a lot more exposure than a corset normally should, I
think, but it makes a dandy boned bodice since the outer fabric has no boning
channels showing.) (Note: There was a thriving trade in second hand fabrics,
remnants, etc, in the elizabethan age. Everybody (although, possibly not down
to the meanest milk maid as Stubbes claims) was getting really uppity about
ignoring those dingdang sumptuary laws and wearing silks and velvets. And yes,
I am justifying the silk on the corset being used with this outfit.) The skirt
is a almost-reversable affair of two shades of medium cotton, double box pleated
onto a waistband. Since I planned to always wear it tucked up, I made it the
same length all around in spite of the fact that I wear a bumroll with this
outfit. Technically, that means that it’s about 3″ too long in front. The underskirt
is a pink-green changeable cotton. (Yes, you read that right. It’s one of the
single most obnoxious things I’ve ever seen. The effect of mismatched warp and
weft threads is decidedly different in cotton than it is in silk. The pictures
do not to it justice, but then again, my pictures seldom ever do anything justice.
I’m really impaired in the photography department most of the time.)
the bodice is made with rose colored wool lined with off
white, er, something that is probably mostly cotton but I think not entirely
so. It’s a one piece jobby based off one of the alternate peasant type top
bits in the back of norris. The book is at home, I’m at work, and I don’t
remember the page number. It’s a couple pages after the spinster that was
the basis of the red and ochre dress. The bodice has trim on the outside and
the inside along the neckline. It’s closed with lacing tabs from ASL pewterworks.
I can’t tell you how much I love these things. Are they 100% documentably
period? Er, not so much. But they are darned convenient, and that’s
important. I think they also add a very nice decorative touch. I know ASL
does the bristol and kansas faires (and others that I don’t know), so look
them up. They’re great folks. You don’t have to tell them that I’m
recommending them like mad, ’cause I don’t get anything if you do (although
they’ll probably be ticked pink). The bodice laces with satin ribbon in a
shade that can only be described as ‘pepto-abysmal pink’.