Hello Lovelies!
I am back from my UK trip and I had a spectacular time.
While there I was asked to help in a costume demo
at the Globe Theater.
I decided to share the fashion secrets of the Elizabethan Era.
When I first saw myself, I was surprised at how "wide" I looked.
The woman dressing me kept saying
the clothes were "a perfect fit darling".
This was not the look I was imagining.
She said in this era that women made their hips look large to show wealth and that they had "good birthing" hips.
I have on a linen long sleeved tunic, linen hose that come to my knees and are tied with silk ribbon to keep them in place.
I then have on an underskirt that is weighted at the bottom and then the over skirt which you see in the picture.
I do have on a corset, which smashes the ladies because back then it was designed to mold the torso into a cylindrical shape
and to
flatten and raise the bustline.
The fashion was to have a flat-torsoed shape,
rather than a tiny waist.
I had on super soft leather shoes which felt
like I had nothing on my feet.
After the corset was laced up tight,
which made you stand straight no matter what,
the farthingale was added.
This is seen in the picture above.
The one I wore went all the way around and was much thicker.
Then the waistcoat(jacket)
and
the parlet
(a kind of lace collar that was tied over the waistcoat collar)
Let's not forget the cap.
A ladies head was to be covered at all time.
As a married woman my hair was up,
but if I had been unmarried, my hair would have been down.
I tell you, I see why these woman had to be helped getting dressed. Everything ties and there is so much to put on.
It wasn't uncomfortable,
but heavy and cumbersome.
Let's all be glad we don't dress like this any more!
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