Elizabethan Costume

Welcome to my pages about Elizabethan Costume. Below are my various projects in reverse chronological order and right at the bottom are a few links to what I consider some key web sites.

Project 8: Dutch Cloak (man's suit)

After a bit of a costume hiatus caused by illness and moving I decided that i wanted to make a man's suit for riding horses in. Of course ladies wore gowns to ride in but not having access to a suitable sidesaddle, let alone knowing how to ride in one, I prefer to ride astride and I'd rather wear male costume to do so. Also I've always wanted an excuse to have a man's outfit and since I can no longer fight this seemd the better excuse. My goal is to make a complete suit: hose, trunk hose, shirt, doublet, jerkin, dutch cloak and hat.

Eleanora with Sir Agro AgwesiProject 7: French Gown for Midwinter Coronation 2007

Southron Gaard hosted Midwinter Coronation in July 2007 at which Sigurd was knighted. This, and the desire to start working through the stash for fabric and bits and pieces, prompt the need for a new outfit: a French Gown of green and black shot silk taffeta.

Blue silk corset fini frontAs well as the gown I completed a blue silk corset based on that worn by Elizabeth Ist's effigy, all hand sewn, a black tall hat with even taller feathers, new silk brocade kirtle with matching sleeves that were slashed and adorned with gold aglets.

Project 6: Elizabeth's Robes of Estate (Coronation gown) - 2005

Canterbury Faire 2006This began as a research project. I wanted to know a bit more about this gown and how it might actually have looked as I had noted a couple of anomalies between the gown worn in the popular movie Elizabeth and the best-know image of the gown. As it happened shortly after completing the research I was asked to join the Order of the Laurel - it seemed appropriate to complete the gown for my laurelling at Canterbury Faire in February 2006.

Project 5: Loose gown - 2004

Loose Gown worn at Ildhavn investitureI had long intended to make a loose gown to go with the black loose kirtle but I hadn't originally intended to make the kirtle that actually went with it as detailed in Patterns of Fashion. However the final project of the Elizabethan costume course was to plan the perfect gown and after looking at several different loose gowns I returned to Patterns of Fashion and based my loose gown on the one in that.

It probably would have stayed on the drawing board except that shortly after it planning it it was announced that our neighbouring SCA group to the north, Ildhavn, was going to be elevated to Baronial status - so I needed something new to wear. I already had all the fabric so it was mostly a matter of making a start. I was very happy with how it came out and wore it as intended at the Ildhavn investiture as in the picture on the right where I am standing with Baroness Chretienne of Southron Gaard who also wore a loose gown.

Project 4: learn some stuff: Costume Classroom - 2003

In January 2003 I did a course with Drea Leed through the Costume Classroom with my friend Rachael: go to the course notes page

Project 3: Camp clothes

By Canterbury Faire 2002 I was seriously in need of something more casual so I opted for a fitted kirtle. As it rained off and on this proved very practical.

At the Canterbury Faire Market With a brown velvet doublet at Canterbury Faire Now with sleeves and a cap
At the Canterbury Faire Market With a brown velvet doublet at Canterbury Faire Now with sleeves and a cap - teaching spinning at Beltane 2002

Project 2: Kirtle and doublet

Kirtle and doubletThe kirtle is based on the kirtle worn under the loose gown in Janet Arnold's book Patterns of Fashion, pg 109 - 111. Its made of black linen with a panel of a patterned lining fabric down the front and twin bands of a wide braid around the bottom - these only run about 3/4s of the way around the back because that's all I had but happily that's how the original went too. The sleeves are laced in and covered with the same decorative fabric and with similar narrow braid.

The doublet has hanging sleeves. Both the doublet and kirtle sleeves are removable. The doublet is made of a black and gold fleur-de-is brocade lined with black linen and interlined with a soft cotton felt. Although the gown beneath it is loose the doublet brings it in against the body a bit.

Project 1: Very Pink

I can't remember why I decided to delve into Elizabethan except that after years of swearing that I would never do anything past 1500 I actually found one that I liked, and believe it or not this is based on that. There was a lot of off-white cotton / synthetic brocade around and so I bought something like 6m and dyed it red. Of course only the cotton fibres came out red so the whole looks pink - very pink. Actually the original is kind of salmon so its not far off.

Pink Elizabethan - May 2000The picture on the left shows the first time that I wore it. The farthingale that it is worn over used fine rattan cane but unfortunately it was a bit too stiff and so didn't form an even circle - as a result the farthingale was a bit lumpy. It has since been replaced by one using hoop wire bought from Hedgehog Handcrafts.

Eleanora as QueenieI have also since slashed the sleeves (and changed the hooks and eyes that they're held in with to eyelets and laces) and made both a French hood and a partlet as seen in this picture on the right. Here I'm playing the part of Queenie in a production of Blackadder II: Head which we did for fun at the library. The colours are kind of vibrant due to the lighting etc.