Tudor Kirtle c. 1545 The Ideas That Inspired the Dress

Well I'm starting my first dress diary ever. With the aid of my somewhat less than trusty digital camera (it's big clumsy and produces relatively blurry pictures but it works and I got it third hand for free) I will try to document my progress as I make my new Tudor Kirtle.

This project has been lurking in the back of my mind for a long time. Discussions with other costumers, a bit of research and a bit of experimentation has led me to the conclusion that a kirtle (i.e. the middle layer between the smock and the gown) stiffened with canvas and boning would be far more convenient than my current corset and petticoat. So, taking inspiration from the petticoat bodies Eleanora di Toledo (in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion) used in place of a corset I decided to make a kirtle which could be worn either on its own or underneath another gown.

I had been planning to make a complete Tudor from the skin out to use up some of the fabric lying around in my cupboard. When I heard that a couple from my Barony (TRH Stephen & Mathilde, Crown Prince and Princess of Lochac) were going to become the next King and Queen of Lochac, I made up my mind that I would go to twelfth night to see their coronation (I had been debating for a while whether or not I would make the trip). I realised that I needed a new set of summer weight court garb so this was the perfect opportunity to make a complete outfit not just the gown.

I am basing my kirtle on those worn by the women in Simon Bening's DaCosta Hours. As soon as I saw Hope Greenberg's site on the clothing of working class men and women I realised how perfect this style of kirtle would be for wearing beneath a Tudor gown.

In the picture to the right you can see the woman is wearing a short sleeved green kirtle with detatchable orange lower sleeves. You can clearly see the gap between the attached kirtle sleeve and the detatchable lower sleeves with the smock poking through. This shows that we are not looking at a short sleeved dress worn over another long sleeved dress and that these sleeves are not permanently sewn on to the kirtle.

Simon Bening c. 1510. Detail from the month of November.

Detail from the Magdalen by Rogier van der Weyden (thanks to Karinne Taylor for this detail)

How they are secured to the kirtle is uncertain, they may have been pinned in place, they may have been secured with hooks and eyes, laced on, or simply pulled into place, relying on the friction between the two fabrics to hold it in place.

However I believe that pins are the most likely option as there are several paintings from the fifteenth century, which clearly show pins attaching the sleeves to the bodice. Such as the picture to the left.

Simon Bening c. 1510 Detail from the month of January

My kirtle will, however, have a few significant differences to the pictures I am basing it on. At the beginning of the 16th century when these images were created the silhouette seen on most women still showed the body's natural curves (as you can see in the image to the left). However as the century progressed the curve of the bust was largely eliminated among the fashionable nobility.

By the time we get to the 1540s we can clearly see that a cone shaped silhouette was the desired shape. It may have only been achieved by the nobility, however it is clear even among portraits that show a curved bust, such as the lady with the squirrel (right) they are attempting to make the bust as flat as possible. The other major difference you can see between 1510 and 1544 is the neckline. As you can see in Princess Mary's portrait the necklne is very wide and sits on the point of the shoulder, whereas in 1510 the shoulders came in much closer to the neck.

Because I am aiming for a noble gown I have decided that this Kirtle will have boning as I don't think fabric alone will achieve the fashionable silhouette. I am also experimenting with ways to make sure the shoulder straps sit out on the point of the shoulder without falling off.

Hans Holbein c.1540 Portrait of an Unknown Lady With a Squirrel

Unknown artist c.1544 Portrait of Princess Mary

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