Supportive Under Dress

The 14th Century Dress silhouette for womens wear is characterized by the tight fit through the torso and an elevated bust. How this look was achieved is the subject of debate however a few options are supported by primary source evidence. For the purpose of this discussion I will be referencing the following layers commonly depicted in 14th century manuscripts or frescos. The undermost layer, a chemise isa sleeveless white dress. Next would be a fully sleeved dress with some kind of closure, referenced here as a gown. Lastly, there is an overdress. This dress may have had short sleeves, lampets, or tippets attached. A common approach to create the silhouette seen in figure 1 is to build bust support into the pattern of the fabric for a gown. This may be worn with a chemise worn underneath. A second, less common approach is to build the support into the chemise layer itself.  For this project I intend to make the second option, a supportive chemise.