renaissanceaccessories

To get the right sihouette you need to start with the right foundations. If your time period calls for a corset it is very hard to get by without one. The outline of your silhouette is the most important part of period dress. This corset was made from 100% linen front and back with heavy cotton interlining. I used willow reed for the boning and an oak busk in center front. My Hubby made the busk for me. It is relatively easy. Check out Drea Leed's site, Elizabethan Costuming Page. She has great directions for making a corset and wooden busk.

This is a back view. Notice the lavender bias tape that I used on the top edge. I found that with the linen, the reed kept working its way out, right through the fabric. Under the bias tape is cotton piping filler. It kept the reed from poking holes in my armpits. This was my first elizabethan corset. Next time I will use cotil and steel or maybe try the zip tie trick.

Another staple of the renaissance wardrobe would be a chemise. It kept your outer garments clean and sometimes filled in the neckline of your bodice. I made this one when I was 16. The neck and wrists are fully adjustable. It is made from a poly/cotton, I think. It has been washed lots of times and I think it is more comfortable now.

To fill in the neckline of a dress a partlet like this one would be used. This is meant to go under the bodice. Other types can be worn over the dress. I found a wonderful piece of sheer silk for this. This is what it looked like before I added the pearls and jewels. See the Blue Dress page for the fancied up version.

This is really dark green, I know it looks black. It also has a fur front flap. That picture didn't come out as nice. Vintage pearls and glass beads make up the fringe.

Anne Bolyn, Elizabeth's mother was famous for this style of headdress. It's called a french hood. With pearl biliment to be exact. This is not a accurate hood in structure. The shape and design is though. I sewed the crystal pleated white ribbon to the front edge of the sheer black hood. Then I sewed the hood and crescent to a metal headband that had some teeth to it. It stays on rather well. I have short hair and need something to grab on to my head. I found the biggest hurdle to over come in period clothing is modern hairstyles. Unless you wear a wig it is hard to cover your hair shape.

Can you believe this is red and green striped velvet. It looks wine colored until you have it 3 inches from your nose. By the way those peacock feathers are called sword feathers. Sometimes they have a partial eye at the end. That pin that has become my husbands crest of sorts. It has two dragons on it. Made by 1928 Jewelry Company. I wish you could find stuff like that more often.

Basic Italian ren hat in a masculine style made from red velveteen with a strand of pearls and two ostrich feathers. Hurbert Norris' book shows Queen Elizabeth in this style a few times.

New corset made from steel grey bengline. I used less boning than before but then again those who know me know I don't need as much support these days. I used the basket reed again but thinner diameter. You can see that the thinner stuff retains your body shape after wearing. The busk is below. Hubby made this one too from a piece of red oak. I painted it. It is half as thick s the first one. I like it much better but hubby took a chunk out of a finger or two on the table saw. Notice the ribbon at the bottom of the point. It held the busk in place. I have read somewhere that this ribbon was given to lovers as a token gift. True or not I don't know but Hubby likes the idea of it.