Head
A
common phrase heard at ren faire is “Cover thy head, woman.” While this
is obnoxious, it bears an essential truth. A hat, always have a hat! On
your head or in your hand, always have a hat. Don’t be caught without
one.
Hats
Your
middling class woman would never be so déclassé as to wear a laborer’s
straw hat! Such things are for the peasants that work our fields! The
middle class woman is looking for more style, something that befits the
station she and her family have attained.
The
ubiquitous flat cap is still the uniform of the time even for women.
Make it from finer fabrics (Wool or velvet) and it is quite
serviceable. But a mere flat cap would not do to show off the wealth
and prestige of your station! Nay! A black or brown riding hat or even
the “tall hat” (sort of like a top hat or a flat-topped fedora, only
with a narrower brim) are much less practical and all the rage in
Edinburgh. (see above un the gents for construction notes)
Of
course, the Italian bonnet, French Hood and Spanish Toque are favored
by the lovely Queen Mary, who has brought the light of the continental
fashions to her benighted northern kingdom!
Regardless
of the hat, the hair must be retained in a caul, a biggin hat or a net
(sometimes referred to as a 'snood') in addition to the hat. (Leaving your tresses dangling
may be sexy as hell, but it’s about as period as bellbottoms... unless
you’re a certain kind of lady and therefore not middle class) These
small caps or coifs were a favorite place to show off one’s embroidery
skills.
Torso
Chemise
A
white long-sleeved 'shirt' worn with or without a collar. Just like the
men, except usually long enough to reach at least the knees and split
all the way down the front. The sleeves should be a little billowy
without attaining piratical dimensions and a box-pleated frill should
adorn the garment at the neck and the wrist. A “black work” edging
(essentially a black buttonhole stitch along the edges of the cuff or
collar or frill) is a great look and more embroidery along the sleeves
and front of the smock is perfectly acceptable as well. Keep in mind
that the look is a high-falutin’ one so keep your character’s means in
mind as embroidery denotes leisure time or the wealth to pay someone
else to do it for you.
[Note:
Bleaching fabric was done by either soaking in mule piss (and how much
would you pay to have that done?) or by laying it out on the grass to
bleach naturally in the sun, hence the term “lawn” which was the name
for such fabric. Whether the lawn lent its name to the fabric or the
fabric to the grass is somewhat muddy but rather beside the point at
the moment. The point is, that the more trouble the manufacturer goes
to, the more expensive the item, so the off-white or ‘natural’ fabrics
denote lower class station and should be shunned by those with
aspirations toward higher things.]
Corsetry
This
is where we begin to separate the woman of means from the average
milkmaid. The 16th century silhouette was a matter of exaggerated forms
for men and women. For men this took the form of padded bellies and
wide pants. For women, it was a matter of flattening out that which God
graced you with upon your birth. Find a pattern for a boned corset that
gives you that flat, crazy silhouette (as opposed to the exaggerated
hourglass curvy silhouette of the Victorian corsets) and make yourself
one.
Bodices
“Doublet” style, Spanish, French and Italian style bodices may be worn
as these styles were brought back from France by Queen Mary. All
bodices must include sleeves regardless. All must be tabbed or somehow
decorative at the shoulders and bottom edges and not laced up but
rather buttoned or hooked together at the front. Since you will be
wearing your bodice over a corset, minimal boning is needed in the
bodice, just to keep it from wrinkling in an unsightly fashion.
Lower Body
Actually
in the 16th century the separate skirt thing wasn’t as common as most
faire players think it was. The ease of this method, though and the end
look it achieves is sufficient, however to make it an acceptable
exception for this theatrical enterprise.
Hoops
In
order to attain the correct silhouette, women must wear hoops and/or a
bumroll. Believe it or not, these actually make it easier to move in
the heavy skirts, as the hoops keep the weight distributed evenly
across your hips rather than having it pull at your lower back. The
hoops keep the material out away from your feet so you don’t step on it.
Skirts
The
overskirt should be split up the front and trimmed along the edges. A
’gard’ along the bottom in either a matching or contrasting band of
fabric is a good look as well. The lower skirt is usually of a
contrasting color and frequently a finer, lighter material.
Hemlines
Contrary
to popular belief, the sight of a woman’s ankles was not yet listed as
a oneway ticket to hell (higher up is another issue altogether but I
digress). Skirts should be hemmed so as to keep them out of the mud and
muck and keep one from stepping on them. Period woodcuts of middling
class women frequently show the shoes the woman is wearing. A certain
amount of practicality still prevailed in women’s fashions at this
level of society.
Aprons
Aprons are largely optional and worn if they fit your character. According to the paintings of the period, most women of the middling to lower classes wore them, in an ascending scale of whiteness much like the shirts. It's worth noting that in most depictions of aprons, there are obvious crease-lines crisscrossing them from pressing and storage. (See Tudor Tailor for details...)
And beneath...
Calzones
(That’s
'panties' to you, dearie) One hopes these will be rarely seen, but most
women of the guild report the most success with muslin pantaloons that
end just above the knee. It is not uncommon for a lady gone commando to
embarrass herself by tripping on uneven ground and I’ll refer you back
to the fact that fairs are about families, not making families… if you
take my meaning. (ahem)
Hosen/tights
Don’t
wear tights. They’re not period and they’re too hot anyway. Wear
knee-highs and garter them with strips of cloth or leather. Stripes are
fun but really something of a late-period pirate thing, so use your
stripy socks sparingly.
Female Accoutrements
Belt
If
you must wear a belt, wear a very narrow one with a tongued buckle. Do
not suspend too much from your hips, it will throw off the line of your
otherwise stylish attire. If you can, carry your goblet, mug, or
whathaveyou in a basket rather than on your hips.
Basket
Look!
A place to put all that stuff you’re not hanging off your belt! Just
kidding. A good basket will hide a million sins, though. Add a piece of
cloth and you can transport all manner of non-period items out of sight
and out of mind of the patron at large, thereby saving your kindly
guild master an ulcer…
