Fastenings
The question of how to fasten historical clothing is some what perplexing at the start. often artists of the day did not portray this vital aspect of dress.
Press studs, zippers and velcro are all out of the question.
Think of buttons, the kind with shanks, hooks and eyes, eyelets and lacing rings.
Often there is a requirement to use all these different methods in the one garment.
Hooks and Eyes
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| This illustration from Janet Arnolds Patterns of Fashion 1560 - 1620 shows part of her study in to the Toledo burial gown. The pair of bodies under the gown were fastened with hooks and eyes. | The hooks and eyes I use. |
Buttons
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| Again from Arnold, and extant garment showing shanked buttons used to fasten. | Right is a sleeve head of mine showing the buttons I have chose to use on this dress. | Finally a buttons.
Gold buttons, with a Moorish pattern against a dark blue enamel background, from the burial costume if John III. (1592), Uppsala |
Eyelets
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Arnold has again drawn the findings of the Toledo burial gown. This time the outer bodice displaying eyelets for lacing at the back of the gown. |
One of my dresses which has eyelet lacing. The eyelets have been hand bound. |
Detail from the Lorenzo Lotto portrait of a Lady as Lucretia 1533, showing the lacing through eyelets. |
Lacing Rings
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| Portrait of Catharina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus BELLINI, Gentile 1500 Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. | The Ugly Princess 1525 -30 London, National Gallery |
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| Leonardo da Vinci Portrait of Ginevra Benci, 1474-1476 | The outside and the inside of of one of my Venetian frocks showing the lacing rings. |
All show what appear to be rings used for the lacing of women's dress.
With all the lacing a cord was necessary to thread through the openings to draw the closure together. These could be made by finger braiding or with a lucet.
All
intellectual content, composition, layout, designs and photographs copyright
2007 to Deborah Lane ©
, 2003 to Deborah Murray ©
or Mistress Oonagh O'Neill ©.
All Original renaissance art works and artifacts are not copyright to Deborah
Lane, and are shown for educational use only. If you see something you'd
really like to use, please contact me!