Adventures in Glove Making (or how not to reproduce Elizabethan gloves)
by Thena (T.E.) MacArthur, First published for the March/April 2013 I say that title with tongue firmly in cheek. Reproducing a pair of Elizabethan gauntlet gloves was rather fun, enlightening, and yes … satisfying, if for no other reason than I discovered quite a bit about my own levels of frustration and what I’ll need to do to avoid that […]
Bits About Busks
by Cynthia Barnes, First published for the November/December 2012 issue of Finery The busk of the 1580s and 1590s is not simply a piece of wood, but comprises the stay, covering case and the points which secure it. We thought it would be fun to recreate one as it might have looked in Queen Elizabeth I’s time. No original late […]
Elizabethan Ruffs: Washing, Starching and Ironing
by Noel Gieleghem, First published for the September/October 2011 issue of Finery If you followed the instructions in Part One of this article, Ruff-ing It (printed in July 2011), you’re now the proud owner of a rather bedraggled ruffled collar. Starching and ironing will turn that humble object into a bona fide Elizabethan ruff. The final shape is determined, for […]
Ruff-ing It: Authentic Ruff Construction
by Noel Gieleghem, First published for the July/August 2011 issue of Finery No costumer’s career is complete without making at least one authentic Elizabethan ruff. Consider it a rite of passage. Here’s a recipe to create a 1570s-style stand-alone linen ruff of moderate fullness and depth. It’s a great jumping-off point for other projects which contain the “organized frill,” such […]
Fashioning the Fit: the Evolution of the Doublet and Hose
by Frances Classe, First published for the May/June 2011 issue of Finery Costuming historians generally agree that tailoring techniques shifted significantly towards the middle of the 14th century. This shift towards more closely fitted garments and away from garments patterned by geometric forms (rectangles, trapezoids, triangles, etc.) is explained by some as an adoption of military under-dress for civilian usage. […]
A Legacy of Linen
by Betsy Hanes Perry. First published for the July / August, 2009 issue of Finery Many costumers, having waited for years for the late Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion 4, will have already either bought or checked out this book. This review is therefore an appreciation and an introduction for those lucky readers unfamiliar with the Patterns of Fashion series. […]
Henrican (Tudor) Underthings
by Kimiko Small. Originally published in the January / February 2009 issue of Finery. When I see people reproduce Henry VIII era (1509-47) ladies costumes, they usually use what they already have for undergarments, which are most often from the later Elizabethan era (1558-1603). While there are similarities, it works best to wear Henrician undergarments under that era’s gowns. Smock: […]
