13th c European Servant Clothing

An outfit created for my alternate persona, Valeria, who is a servant in the home of a Venetian goldsmith in the late 13th/early 14th century.

Limitations

I hoped to cut the entire tunic out of a yard and a half of 60" wide orange linen that I had picked up as a very cheap remnant in LA's Fashion District.

Research

I attempted to limit the images I looked at to those produced in Italy at the turn of the 14th century. Since I knew I would not be able to fashion a long-sleeved, floor length garment from the small amount of cloth I had available I was particularly interested in any images of shorter tunics and those with short sleeves.

This Nativity scene mosaic by Pietro Cavallini (1291 C.E.) was a particularly fantastic find, as it shows a woman with a shorter sleeved, knee-length tunic over a longer sleeveless or short-sleeved undertunic.

Duccio di Buoninsegna Christ and the Samaritan 1308-11

Giotto di Bondone The Seven Virtues: Charity 1306

Lessons Learned

Ultimately my need to conserve fabric compromised the fit of the tunic, and it wound up a little too snug across the chest (as can be seen by the drag lines radiating from the armpit area). While it's not unreasonable that a servant would have poorly-fitting clothing, a sleight weight gain rendered the tunic unwearable.