In the sixteenth century, fashions reflected a dueling ground between countries. English fashions demanded rigid structuring through corsets and farthingales, while the Italians claimed a high level of consciousness in their regard for the natural feminine form. While hats were fashionable in some countries, other countries flaunted their women's hair. Styles of clothing were, as my Protégé Ysabel put it, the equivalent of fabric heraldry.
One of the popular styles worn in Europe was long coats or gowns that looked a lot like overcoats, with heavy fabrics and decorations. They could be elegant and utilitarian at the same time. The Spanish surcote was a loose fitting gown that was worn as maternity or nursing garb and was sometimes worn with only a shift underneath. They were also worn as housecoats over nightclothes.
The fitted gowns could easily serve a similar purpose to the loose gowns since they were both designed to be worn over clothes and they were self-contained. They needed no other accoutrements to complete them, save possibly a chemise or underskirt, depending on the neckline.
The fitted gown, as shown in Figure 1, actually follows the shape of the woman, accentuating her curves. It is worn open at the collar, and the chemise and full partlet can be seen at the neck. Figure 1 also seems to eschew the wide farthingales popular in England during this time. To maintain this shape while carrying day to day activities would require a hoop, but practicality indicates the opting of a more modest width. This preference is illustrated in several tapestries and portraits of the period and spans all economic classes. Although Figure 1 is a woman from Geneva, there are several examples from this time period which show a similar trend among the royalty of France.
Figure 2 shows a variation on the collar being worn open with the closure even further down the gown, below waist level. The sleeves are full at the top and seem to taper toward the wrists without a break. This unbroken style was common in both men's and women's clothing.
Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion: The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and Women c 1560-1620, shows a pattern from Juan de Alçega's Tailor's Pattern Book for a “woman's fitted gown of cloth rash.” “The gown might be fitted at the waist on both front, back and side seams.” (Figure 3)
Figure 3 shows the gown worn over an underskirt and farthingale, but the gown itself acts as the bodice/doublet. It closes down the front to the waist, but opens to show the underskirt. The fitted gown is also shorter than the under gown, indicating the possibility that it can be worn alone, without the farthingale, and hit the ankle area.
Such a length would be quite useful for home use or casual wear where the elaborate farthingales and silk underdresses could be reserved for a special occasion. The French royalty were also not fond of farthingales for all occasions by the reign of Henry III. Portraits with the previous queen, Elizabeth of Austria, and Henry's queen Louise of Lorraine, show a lack of infrastructure. This could explain the shorter length of the overdress in Figure 3. It might have been designed to be worn with or without a hoop.
The closures for the fitted overgown have varying types and purposes. In Figure 4, these renderings from The Tudor Tailor show different closures and fullnesses, as well as sleeve lengths, based upon portraits, manuscripts and tapestries such as The Fete of Bermondsey. The closures in other 16th century
gowns ranged from hook and eye tape to intricate buttons. Closures such as ties would have treated ends or sport beads or aglets, and could then be used to keep the over dress in place when worn open to show off an especially detailed underdress. When buttons were used as closures, they could be pushed through buttonholes, or use frogs to secure the garment. Sometimes, fancy pins would be used, taking after the fashions seen in the Highland gowns.
In my Tanglcoat, I used the fitted style from the French fashions, utilizing the coat as the bodice, and chose to go with the shape of the wearer. In my case, the build of the wearer is somewhat of a caricature but the look is one I liked, so I went with it. I had the opening close at my waist and shaped the collar after Figures 1 and 2, standing to support the collar of the shirt beneath. The sleeve shapes were modeled after those in Figure 2, full at the top and tighter at the wrist. Although the collar in the renderings of Figure 4 show the collar is actually cut as part of the back panels, Figure 3 indicates a separate collar sewn to the neck of the garment. I prefer the separate collar piece, but I may go with the other collar next time.
The black Tanglcoat displays a full pleated back, while the white spider Tanglcoat shows a fitted line all around. Both have full sleeves and high collars to support the collar on the chemise. Since the overdress could be left open, as in Figures 2 and 4, I liked that look, and I secured the coat closed at the waist with frogs. The only real Creative Anachronism I utilized was that of the overlap. I have not found this in the fitted gowns, but the Highland gowns did use this. Since the English and the French both had extensive dealings with the Scottish by the late 16th century, I decided to borrow from them and overlap the front of the Tanglcoat, securing it with a pin. Since the Tanglcoat can be worn easily for riding or traveling, having a weapon handy to fend off ruffians or amorous deckhands can be essential.
The placement of the pin is more convenient than that of the bodice dagger. Anyone who has used a bodice dagger has noted the nicked chins and scratched breasts from withdrawing it too quickly. But with the practical Tanglcoat, your defense is at your fingertips! The overlap protects your underthings from the dangerous tip when drawing your weapon, and provides a decorative placement for all other occasions!
Each kingdom in period history had regional fashions which were distinctive and could be identified as such, regardless of the outfit. A Spanish sleeve on a French cut bodice was not unusual. It is one of the things Artemisia has not yet recreated as a Kingdom. My hope is to start a trend wherein our impressive artisans, most far more accomplished than I, can create a look that, when it walks onto a field at Pennsic or Estrella, can be identified as an Artemisian Exclusive. Hopefully, the Tanglcoat will encourage others to add their own creativity to some aspect of their favorite fashion to set their work apart from the outfits anyone can find anywhere. We are a creative society. I would like to see what we can do!
