15th Century Burgundian Gown and Butterfly Henin
Spring 2015:
This was a very fun project as I got to play with velvet, fur, and silk, so soft!
The Burgundian gown gives a line that is both period and still appealing to the modern eye I think, and while the butterfly henin might seem a little crazy looking, the effect of the two together is very fun.
(Image courtesy of Kathy Lauscha)
Historical Inspiration:
This gown is made in the style of the dresses popular in the second half of the 15th century throughout much of Northern Europe, termed by some people now as "Burgundian Gowns." These gowns are identified based on several elements of construction (the deep V-neck with defined collar, belted under the waist, often trimmed and/or lined with fur) as well as its function as an over-gown. It grew out of the earlier houppelande and shares several visual elements, such as the fur, wide collar, and high placement of the belt, but the Burgundian is distinguished by the reduction of fabric away from the more voluminous houppelande, both at the bust (which instead of covered by many folds of fabric is now skimmed by the more fitted bodice) and the sleeves (which go from large and hanging to more tightly fitted down the entire arm).
(images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
For more historical inspirations see my Pintrest page for this gown here.
Construction:
The pattern from the gown is created by modifying a four-panel bust supportive gown. I was inspired by Maistresse Mathilde Bourette's work on her website (now defunct), who states that you can simply draft the neckling of the pattern into a deep v-neck below the bust to make a fitted pattern.
While for the most part this worked well, I did run into a slight problem. Because I have a significant difference between my underbust and overbust measurements my bust supportive gown pattern shifts some of the extra needed space onto the side seams. As such, when I tried the first fitting of my Burgundian I realized that because the V-neck goes all the way to the underbust line I did not need this extra room, which caused puckering at the side seams. Fortunately this was an easy fix, as I simply had to draw a straight line coming up out of the waist towards the arm pit and remove the extra bulk. Unfortunately while it made the bodice fit well I forgot that I removed an inch out of the arm-scythe, which caused the sleeves to not fit quite correctly.
I also moved the straps off my shoulders a little more to give the wider, more rounded look seen in paintings.
This is a loose sketch of the original pattern shape in pencil, with my changes in blue.
The fabric I used is a lovely brick red cotton velveteen. While in period is would be silk velvet, not cotton, the cost is prohibitive for me. Also, cotton velveteen has the short, dense pile that many associate with period velvets, so the effect is similar to what was seen in period. Margaret Scott states in her book Medieval Dress and Fashion while describing the the clothing of a queen from a painting of 1480, "a gown of crimson velvet, a fabric that featured prominently in the gowns worn by the ladies of various ranks" (156). As such, red velvet seems an appropriate choice of color and fabric for this gown.
While normally I line all of my bodices, I did decide to skip that step here. I would be wearing this over a shift and a fitted gown, and as the under dress will be providing all of the bust support I figured I could ignore the lining to cut back on the amount of layers I would have to wear in case I wanted to wear the dress in a warmer climate. However, I have since realized that even with the under dress being supportive I still think the fabric would lay slightly better if it had been lined.
All of the seams from the hips up were either machine sewn or back-stitched closed and then hand-stitched down to lay flat and not unravel.
The front connects under the bust line with hooks and eyes. Hidden lacing rings are more documentable from what I can tell, but I was running late on this project and had hooks and eyes on hand and not rings, so I decided to follow that route.
I did notice that the fabric drapes very differently compared to other fabrics I have used in the past.
The hem circumference is a little over 4 yards, about 160 inches. I have used this size for two gowns in linen which swoosh and drape in a very dramatic manner. The velvet however hangs slightly differently, and while it certainly does not feel constricting when I walk or sit, it somehow does not look nearly as full as my other gowns. If I make this gown in velvet again I think I will add more gores to create the visual of the long flowing skirts that I enjoy.
The gown is trimmed at the cuffs and collar with black rabbit fur. In period the color is mostly seen wider than what I used (though not exclusively so), but I was limited in the fur that I was able to procure, which was already cut into thin strips. While I experimented with using two layers of the fur to extend the collar it did not lay right, so I decided to stick to a single layer for the trim.
While it is not perfect, I am overall happy with how the gown came out as a whole.
Henin:
For the butterfly henin I started with the instructions from Cynthia Virtue's page "Making a Butterfly Henin," as well as some ideas from Eleanor le Brun's page "Mid 15th Century Henin, Woven from Flat Reed." As I could not find either reeds or a woven basket to fit my head (despite 2 different Home Depots and a Lowes), I decided to make one using plastic buckram reinforced with wire. This was accomplished through a questionable understanding of geometry and a LOT of trial and error, but I was quite pleased with the result. Foolishly I did not take pictures of the steps, but it seems to be holding up surprisingly well so far. The hat is lined with some red stretch velvet that I need to get rid of and covered in black cotton velveteen. As this was my first attempt making any sort of hat, I was very happy with the outcome. I then used a metal coat hanger, based on Mistress Virtue's instructions linked above, to create the veil supports.
The veil is silk organza from Dharma Trading Company. This was my first purchase from them and I am very pleased with it. The veil is about 2.5 feet wide by 2 yards long. This size was determined through pinning, swearing, poking myself with pins, cutting, and then pinning more until it looked similar to the paintings I was trying to emulate. I have not yet hemmed the veil yet as I am not quite sure which method to use, but as it is entirely suspended on top of my head and does not come in contact with my skin or hair I think it might not need proper hemming, but we shall see.
(a picture of my lovely model while I was trying to figure out the veil, before it was pressed)
I think this hat was my favorite part of the entire project. I had never tried making either silk veils or hats before, so I was going into this project with an understanding the first attempt might be a miserable failure, but I really enjoy the look of the piece. Also, because I made it to fit my head, it stays on perfectly simply by me wearing my hair in a high bun - no pins required! I honestly did not think that would happen, but like my St. Birgitta cap the fabric has enough traction on the hair to hold itself up. After wearing it to an event it even stayed on in rather high winds while I was walking in, with just one hand applying slight pressure to the side. After about 3 hours it did start to edge back a bit, but a single adjustment then kept it happy for the rest of the event. After a suggestion from a very smart woman I have decided to add on the black velvet loop in front seen in many paintings of this style of hat. While it was not seen all the time (which is why I decided to ignore it for the first wearing), it is a small detail that helps make the piece look more like what you seen in the majority of paintings.
Conclusion:
As I mentioned above I am not entirely happy with the sleeves. I was playing around with my basic sleeve pattern and technique and ended up setting the cap a little too far back, and I also forgot to account for the fact that I had taken an inch off of the arm-scythe. I am buying some more of this fabric for a different project and I might purchase some extra and re-cut the sleeves.
Beyond that I am very happy with the gown. It is incredibly comfortable and fun to wear, I love the texture of the velvet and the rabbit fur, and I think the hat is a great combination of gravitas and humor.
(my first test run of the outfit after finishing the hat)