Medieval Dress

This is part of my never ending quest to make a dress for myself from every silhouette in history. This dress represents the end of the Gothic and beginning of the Renaissance. The two research images (picture #5 & #6) are only a few years apart but the silhouette changed notably.

One of the things that inspired me about picture #5 is the way that dress looks ready to fall off. I built a lightly boned corset inside the dress (picture #4) to support the dress while leaving it slack over the shoulder, bust and hips. Everywhere except under the bust. The bodice is slightly longer as in picture #6 and the sleeves are from #6.

The dress is made of a cut velvet with a jacquard pattern in it and the hem is corded. The under dress is made from a ivory jacquard. Embellishments include a metallic ribbon, fillagree buttons and rosettes made from a velvet ribbon. The inside of the sleeves are finished with silk and studded with pearls.