Two upcoming projects

For my SCA persona, I've finally settled on mid-16th century northern Italy. And so, I want some clothes that are Italian. Italian clothes appeal to me because while they are sumptuous and rich and all the things I love about 16th century costume, they don't appear to be as uncomfortable as Northern European styles. After making and wearing my Elizabethan dress to an SCA event, I've noticed that the corset and farthingale and bumroll impose some limitations. I was no use in helping put up and take down the shire's dragonwing. I also had to sit straight up on the edge of a chair through most of the day. When I tried to go into the very tiny bathroom, I realized that my farthingale was not going to fit in there at all. I was afraid I was just out of luck until someone pointed me in the direction of the handicap port-a-privy (which was thankfully pretty clean).

Italian styles most likely use corsets, but not until much later than surrounding countries. Until very late in period, even the stays that were used seem to be much less stiff than their northern European counterparts. Farthingales and especially bumrolls are less prominent, or even optional.

And so, I'm planning to make two ensembles from 16th century Northern Italy.

First, to ease myself into this slowly, I'm planning to make a working-class dress. This was inspired mostly by the portraits of Vicenzo Campi. This one was the first to catch my eye:



The dress is slightly high-waisted, which a wide neckline and narrow straps. The skirt is pleated into the waist of the bodice.



This painting shows several more examples. I especially love the lady in green in the back with her detachable sleeves hanging down her back. It looks like the bodices were laced together either at the side back, like the lady in pink in the center, or at the front. You can also see how the lady in pink's sleeves are tied on with ribbons. The fruit seller in the previous portrait just has red ribbons handing from the lacing points.

And, of course, there's the well-to-do fruit seller with her extra-fancy partlet and beautiful coral necklaces. I think this shows how the basic dress can be smartened-up with a few accessories to go from scullery maid to well-to-do merchant's wife.



I'm planning to make the dress out of light-colored linen, and am planning to explore "boning" the bodice with hemp cord. This will hopefully give it some support, but still be flexible and comfortable, and maintain the correct, slightly curvy, shape. An embroidered apron will finish the whole thing off. For the portraits and discussion on Italian working-class clothes, the page on the Festive Attyre website was very helpful, and can be found here.

For my second project, I'm planning to step backwards 50 years or so, and make a 1520s Venetian upper-class ribbon-tie-front dress and balzo.

This project was inspired by the invaluable resource that is The Realm of Venus. The ribbon-tie-front dresses occur throughout the 1520s and 1530s, though they do become more ornate as time progresses. I'm opting for a more simple, 1520s variety.





The camica, or chemise, is wide and gathered at the neck, but open at the wrists. Waistlines are still high, and necklines are square or slightly rounded. Straps are narrow. Skirts are pleated to the bodice with box or knife pleats. Sleeves are attached with ribbons, and can be quite large. Some are gathered in cuffs, and some are just open. And in the most distinctive feature, the dress closes down the front, with a small gap through which the camica shows, with ribbons. Mine will be made out of emerald green silk suiting, which I found online for $6.50/yard. I'm thinking I'll probably trim the front edges and tie the front with black ribbon. I haven't yet decided whether I'll make matching or contrasting sleeves - it might depend on how much fabric I have left after making the bodice and skirt.

I only found one portrait of a woman wearing both a ribbon-tie-front dress and a balzo, and it is from the 1530s and a little more ornate, but both styles were concurrent, so I see no problem with wearing them together.



The balzo is a "rotund feminine headpiece" that originated in the 15th century in a very tall form. It fell into disuse in the late 1400s, then reappeared in the 1520s and 1530s in a shorter, wider version.





I'm going to attempt construction using the instructions created by Maestra Damiana Illiara d'Onde in her "The Wonderful, Bulbous Balzo" article. The frame will be made out of some of the reed I bought for corset-boning (there's a ton of it left). It will, hopefully, then be covered in black silk. Balzi were then decorated with bows or pearls or cords or artistic gathers in the fabric. I'm not sure where I'm going with that yet, but I'll probably add some green to make it coordinate with the gown.

I hope to start on the balzo tomorrow. I had intended to start tonight, but seem to have misplaced some of my materials in the Great Sewing Room Reorganization project. Pictures to come as things happen.