Tudor Gown c.1545

Unknown Artist
c. 1546 Portrait of Princess Elizabeth

Early in 2004 I found a period looking brocade, and although I did not really like the pastel colours (as bright dyes were more expensive in the 16th century and therefore more popular among the nobility) and it was a polyester/viscose blend at $3 per metre I couldn't pass it up. At first I had planned to make something Italian but Tudor just called me back and I was inspired to make a new gown based on Princess Elizabeth's portrait (left). I had also had plans at the back of my mind to make an outfit from the skin out, so I decided, as I already had an acceptable smock, I would start with the kirtle and then fit the gown over it.
For a while I debated whether to follow Ninya Mikhailya's example in her reconstruction of this gown and make my gown front lacing covered by a stomacher. However I decided that because the pointed waistline of the bodice a stomacher would be impractical.Because the stomacher would not have the weight of the skirts attached to it to keep it pulled down, I would need to either add boning to the stomacher or temporarily attach it to the bodice at waist to stop the point from flipping up when I moved. Because of the problems involved with a front lacing gown I decided it would be simpler just to make my gown back lacing.

Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1540 Detail from sketch of an unknown English woman

I chose to follow the layers shown in Catherine of Aragon's portrait (right). If you look carefully you can see that she is wearing a front lacing kirtle underneath her gown. In this detail I have traced the neckline of the gown in blue to show it more clearly. The gap at the neckline of the kirtle clearly shows that this is a front lacing kirtle and it would require a back lacing gown over the top to avoid stacking two sets of lacing on top of one another.

As the only source available on what the back of this style of dress looks like I have based the back of my gown on Holbein's sketch of an unknown English woman (left). Some costumers have suggested that the lack of a visible closure at the back of this sketch indicates a concealed front closure in the form of front lacing with a separate stomacher pinned over the top. While there is evidence that this was one method used to fasten this style of gown I believe that the three lines running down the centre back actually suggest a concealed back closure. If this dress had a front closure it would seem logical to show a single line at the centre back showing the seam between the two back halves. Instead we see one line at the centre back and one on either side I believe the central line is the back opening and the two paralel lines show the seams where the hidden closure is attached.

Unknown Artist c.1509 Portrait of Catherine of Aragon

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