Upper Middle Class and Noble Women

The clothing of women of the middle and noble classes is similar in style and construction, but there is considerable variety in the intentions and styles of the two groups.

The upper middle class was composed of the wives and daughters of merchants, businessmen, some skilled artisans, landowners, and bureaucrats. Many women were high ranking servants, and a few of them were merchants in their own rights. Their clothing was intended to show that their husbands were financially secure, and that they were attractive, modest and accomplished in womanly arts. Many of them were Puritans, and tended to wear black or other somber colors, although they could be extremely rich in materials and ornamentation. .

A noblewoman was likely to either be administering the domestic affairs of the estate, with a staff of hundreds, or was attending at court. In either case, it was important that her clothing make significant statements about her status.

Underwear

One of the most daunting sights to many aspiring Elizabethan costumers is the amount of underpinnings it takes to get the proper lines for an upperclass or noblewoman’s costume.

In general, a court level gown requires at least a pair of bodies, bum roll, and farthingale. This is, of course, in addition to your smock, drawers if you choose to wear them, and petticoats. You may also need to add such items as farthingale sleeves, shoulder rolls, or a supportasse, depending on the style you choose.

Intimidated? It’s true, a court gown, properly done, is not a project for everyone. It’s time consuming, expensive, confining, and hot. However, if you really love to sew and enjoy dressing spectacularly, there’s almost no costuming project that’s as much fun.

The Smock

For upper class and noblewomen, as for peasants, the basic undergarment is the smock. Do not use the peasant blouse style with drawstring or elastic neck. You can use the basic low square necked T shaped smock style, which must be worn with another garment called a partlet, or a high necked, collared smock The high necked smock is sometimes called a partlet, but that is incorrect.Some costumers call the high necked smock a shirt.

The high necked smock can either have a flat front, either a continuous piece or seamed at the shoulders with set in, gathered sleeves, or it can be a raglan style cut gathered into the neck band. If you plan to wear the smock open with a standing collar, the flat front works best. The high necked smock can be worn open or closed, but has no front fastenings except at the neck, as the tension of the bodice and corset holds it closed.

The sleeves of the T-shaped smock or the flat front high necked one can either be fairly straight with plain ends, or gathered at the top and into a cuff. Remember that if you will be wearing tight oversleeves, you will want your smock sleeves to be narrow.

Smocks can be cut hip length, but knee length is more comfortable and modest. If your smock is an open front style, you may want to seam it together from the waist down, to ensure modesty if you want to relax before changing or even drive home in your smock.

A partlet is cut as a simple rectangle with a keyhole neckline. Partlets that were gathered into the neck were worn, but they tend to give a hunchbacked effect.

A partlet is cut with a straight standing collar, which may have a small fabric or lace ruff attached, and/or have a larger ruff basted or pinned to it. It has ties or tiny buttons at the neckline. The edges are usually worn tucked into the bodice and are finished with a rolled edge, but sometimes were worn pinned to the outside of the bodice.They fastened under the arms with ties. they could be worn with the collar cosed or open. Open partletets were supposed to benote maidenhood and were worn more commonly by unmaried ladies.

They ranged from coarse linen to fine silk. Some were covered with black work embroidery, usually matching a pair of sleeves. they could be decorated with embroidery, pearls, jewels, shirring, lace insertions, etc. Usually bands of lace or embroidery trimmed the front openings.

Petticoats can be made of any fabric, but plain cottons are most often used. Queen Elizabeth was fond of red woolen petticoats in winter. A petticoat made of taffeta will give a lovely rustling noise and will allow your gown to move smoothly over it. If you do use a fragile fabric like taffeta, bind the lower edge with something sturdier to avoid wear.

Corsets

An Elizabethan corset, or pair of bodies, is NOT designed to squeeze the waist down to a tiny size, but to smooth the lines of the torso , compressing it into a smooth cone shape. The waist is not overly compressed, and the breasts are flattened, resulting in a high, mounded bustline.

There are only two existing corsets from this period, and they are quite different. Most modern attempts at Elizabethan corsets are based on 17th and 18th century styles.

I would suggest either using the Elizabethan Costume Homepage’s corset pattern generator, or purchasing one of the excellent patterns, kits, or custom made corsets from Alter Years.

It is possible to make a very period corset using a bodice pattern. One of the two existing corsets is cut as a full bodice, with heavy boning at the front and back lacing. This is good for very full busted or fleshy figures, as the built-in shoulder straps help push the breasts together, rather than flattening them into the armpits, and the back may be boned high enough to control the upper back bulge that strapless corsets create. Be sure to cut the straps a bit narrower, and the neckline a bit lower, than the bodice under which you will be wearing it.

While some corsets stop at the waist, it is much more comfortable to put boned tabs at the lower edge. They distribute the pressure onto the hips and keep the corset from digging in. A lower back extension can also be a lifesaver for those with low back problems. The boned tabs do tend to lower the waist line by an inch or so; if you are long waisted you may wish to avoid them.

A corset does not need to be extremely tight, nor should it be. 2" of compression is plenty.

It is possible to build enough boning into an outer bodice to eliminate the need for a corset. This is not usually recommended because a separate corset is easier to wash or clean than a decorated bodice, and because a boned bodice does not allow you to put tabs or extensions around the waist. However, for quick changes or nursing mothers, this technique works well.

Farthingales

Farthingales come in two varieties, the Spanish and the French.

By far the most popular farthingale is the Spanish farthingale, or hoopskirt. Its shape should be a straight angle from waist to hem. Its diameter should be around two thirds of your height.

Hoops can be made, but are also available in the correct shape from bridal or costume suppliers. One type has a ruffle over each hoop, which eliminates the need for a petticoat over it with some fabrics.

The French Farthingale was a large, crescent shaped pad, or possibly a rigid framework, worn around the waist, which creates a large, domed or even drum shaped effect at the waistline. They were most stylish very late in the century.

a Bum roll. is a crescent shaped pad which is worn around the waist. It supports much of the weight of the skirt. Bum rolls can be any size from 2" cross section up to as large as 6", for very large ladies and heavy skirts. .They are usually made of sturdy fabric and stuffed very firmly with polyester batting, with ties at the points of the crescent to hold them on.

Many people are reluctant to wear them, thinking they will make them look heavier, but the reverse is true. A bum roll makes the waist look smaller by making the skirts spring outward .Without a bum roll, the skirt drapes straight from the waist and makes it look thick.Bum rolls are necessary for the right look in all but simple peasant costumes. In fact, the lack of a bum roll with an elaborate costume is one of the telltale signs of a clueless costumer.

Drawers, or bloomers, were not generally worn by Englishwomen. There are a very few Italian versions, one pair of which belonged to Her Majesty, but they were a scandalous rarity. Englishwomen did not commonly wear bificurated undergarments until the 19th century.

Many ladies choose to wear drawers or bloomers under costumes for comforts sake. As it is possible, or even likely, that they will be seen (for example, when being seated at a picnic table, or when dancing a volta) it is best to make them of plain white fabric, trimmed with blackwork, ribbon band trim, or plain. For convenience in the privy, some ladies make them with open crotch seams as was done in Victorian times. This is not recommended for ladies who must dance on high stages.

The Forepart

After a lady donned her undergarments, she put on her underskirt, sometimes called a kirtle, with its decorated forepart. This is a plain skirt, gored or pleated to fit over the hoops, petticoats, and bum roll. The forepart is a decorated front panel, which may be removable with ties, pins, snaps, or Velcro. It should be at least 3' wide at its lower edge. Do not pleat the forepart area; it should lie flat. Flatline it with canvas or some other stiff fabric. Do not cut the hem straight across: try it on over the underpinnings and pin to achieve an even hem, which will look like a gentle downward arc when laid flat.

Overskirt

After the forepart, she put on her overskirt, if it was separate from the bodice. The overskirt may have been attached to the bodice, forming a gown. Whether or not they were attached, if the bodice is low necked, the overskirt must be of the same fabric. The only unmatched bodices and overskirts we see are those with the high necked doublet style bodice, not the low necked one.

Upper class skirts were almost always straight rectangular panels, very occasionally slight gored. They were usually attached to a band or to the lower edge of the bodice with a technique called cartridge pleating, or gauging. Cartridge pleating must be done by hand, but it is easy and relatively fast. It is also the best way to gather a lot of fabric into a tiny area. Skirts can also be flat pleated, but the effect is not as nice and it is difficult to machine sew so many layers of pleats.

The upperclass overskirt was almost always split up the front. Many portraits which seem to show closed skirts reveal, on close inspection, that they were actually split. Be sure to interface the front edges crisply. I like to use Perfect Waist Maker, a fusible waistband interfacing with perforations to give a crisp fold, on the front edges when I'm using a fabric that will accept fusibles.

Trim for overskirts is invariably in bands around the lower edge and front opening edges. It is best not to trim only the front edges, leaving the hem plain, but is sometimes done that way for reasons of economy. The bands of trim should be mitered at the corners, not butted.

An overskirt can be worn closed at CF, for a different look or until you’you've finished your forepart. It can either be pinned shut, or fastened with points. This style has led to a common error in costuming, using points to secure the overskirt and underskirt together. We have no evidence that this was done. There are some portraits showing bows as trim on overskirts, but they are quite obviously sewn into shape as decoration only.

So how did they keep their overskirts from flapping open to show the plain underskirt on the sides of the forepart? They may not have seen it as something that needed concealment, or they may have been pinned into place. As discussed before, they made much use of pins as fasteners.

Trained skirts were worn, but may have been reserved for ceremonial occasions. At any rate, a train is not practical for outdoor wear unless you have servants to carry it for you.

There was a type of skirt known as a "safeguard" usually with a matching cloak, that was worn for riding. While Queen Elizabeth owned many of them, she was never drawn or painted riding in them, only in the standard dresses of the time. There is no evidence what a safeguard might have looked like. It’s a costume mystery.

The Bodice

There were two basic types of upperclass bodice, the square necked bodice and the doublet style.

The square necked bodice was similar to the peasant style, only fitted to go over a corset. It always matched the fabric and color of the overskirt, to give the effect of a complete gown. It most often fastened with hooks and eyes up the center front, but could be laced at the CB or on the curved side back seams. Lacing is not a design element and should be kept as simple and unobtrusive as possible.

The doublet style has a high neckline with a standing collar, and fastened down the center front. It was usually shaped with side front seams, and the front opening was curved to accommodate the high bustline created by corseting. The doublet bodice can be made in a fabric which contrasts with the skirt, and may have been made of leather on occasion. It is trimmed along the edges of the collar, skirting, and wings, and sometimes on the curved back seams and in bands on either side of the button front. Vertical or diagonal slashes along the front were also popular.

Both these styles would have had shoulder wings, and usually skirtings. If the skirt is not attached to the bodice, there should be a skirting, otherwise the bodice will ride up and a gap will show. Skirtings and shoulder wings should always be of the same fabric as the bodice, not contrasting.

Bodices were trimmed around the neckline, on the edges of shoulder wings and skirtings, and sometimes on the curved back seams and the center front opening.

Sometimes a triangular front panel, called a stomacher,. is used. This can be sewn to the bodice, fastened with buttons or points, or pinned on. Bands of trim sewn onto the bodice along stomacher lines are also used.

Surcoats

Surcoats, gowns, and Ropas are all names for the same type of loose, coat like garment. They were worn either over the bodice and skirt for extra warmth and decoration, or on their own over undergarments, or with a loose, a-line dress called a kirtle.

Note that the name kirtle is also used for the underskirt that the forepart is attached to. It is possible that the underskirt worn with bodice and skirts was a full kirtle: a full slip rather than a half slip, if you will.

The surcoat was flared from the shoulders. In front, it was cut to flow smoothly down. In the back, it was pleated in deep pleats, either from the shoulder line or from a yoke, to give extra fullness. The pleats were sometimes stitched down to an internal stay to give a yoke effect.

Surcoats often had trains. They were opened all the way down the front, and fastened with buttons, often with ornamental frogs or jeweled mountings. They were often worn open to show a kirtle or petticoat, and a few were cut with shaped openings to allow the gown to fall open at the proper angle.

Some surcoats had sleeves, most typically a short puff style with a contrasting decorated straight lower sleeve which was probably tied to the kirtle.

Many pictures of surcoats show a vertical slash down the chest, starting at the shoulder seams. It has been theorized that they were for breastfeeding convenience. I don't believe this to be the case: the slashes are almost always too short to be useful for this.

The surcoat/kirtle combination is nonetheless the most practical solution for pregnancy and nursing. The kirtle style gown, worn underneath, has back lacing that can be loosened to accommodate growth. Openings for nursing can be placed over the breasts, which the easily unfastened surcoat will cover.

Sleeves

There were many styles of sleeves, with an incredible variety of decoration. Sleeves were thought of as separate garments, and were often used to give a basic bodice or doublet a new look. They could match the bodice fabric, but didn’t need to.

A standard straight sleeve cut like those today can be used as a base sleeve for other styles, however, the dart should not be used. The seam can be left open and caught with buttons or ties at intervals to let the smock puff out. For tight sleeves, the coat style sleeve will be more comfortable.

Coat sleeves were cut in two pieces, top of the arm and underside, and curved to follow the curve of the arm. They could be skin tight, or quite loose. they were often made with the front seam opening, fastening with buttons and loops or with points. The back seam can also be left open and caught with buttons or points, allowing the smock to puff out. (If you want these puffs to look their best, make the smock sleeve full) They could also be made with no fastenings along the front seam, to be worn as a long hanging sleeve, often worn over an undersleeve. Hanging sleeves could be cut very long, sometimes close to floor length.

Stuffed, or bombasted, sleeves were popular. they were gathered at the sleeve cap and stuffed or padded to retain the line. Sometimes the stuffing was contained in a crescent shaped roll similar to a bum roll. They ranged from modest to ridiculous in size. Toward the end of the century, sleeves got big enough that "farthingale undersleeves" with bands of hoops were needed.

One interesting style that is often called a "queen" sleeve appears to consist of a puffed upper sleeve with a tight fitting lower sleeve. Hoever, what we are really looking at is a shoulder roll, attached to the dress and cut like a short cap sleeve, with a long tight sleeve underneath it.

Spanish sleeves had a straight front seam and a deeply rounded back curve. they were almost always worn as an over sleeve. This is another style worn only by women.

Slashed sleeves could be any of the above shapes. Slashed sleeves were made by creating openings in the sleeves, either by making faced panels and tacking them together at points, or by slashing the fabric, either leaving the edges raw of facing or binding them. The puffs of fabric that peep through the slashes are from the smock, not a contrast color fabric. Although they are often made of separate pieces of fabric, they should simulate the smock or shirt fabric.

Occasionally, the smock itself had highly decorated sleeves, usually with blackwork or gold embroidery. Sometimes sheer white sleeves were worn over the embroidered ones. These decorated sleeves often matched the partlet.

Sleeves can be attached by sewing them into the armholes, or by making them removable. For the sake of comfort in a non English climate, I recommend that sewn in sleeves be openable, such as coat style sleeves with buttons or ties along the front. They should be worn with fitted under sleeves for formal effect, but still look good when just the smock sleeve shows. Sewn in sleeves should match the bodice fabric.

To attach sleeves to the armhole of the garment, points were used. Points were woven strips, around 1/2" -1" wide, and often tipped with metal pieces called "aiglets". Points can be made of grosgrain ribbon, strips of turned fabric, or twill tape. Cotton twill tape can be dyed to the desired color.

Aiglets range from simple metal cones to elaborate filigree pieces, some with aromatic substances inside like tiny pomanders. For simple aiglets, you can use bolo tie tips. Try to find the ones with holes for sewing. Squeeze a bit of glue into the tip, poke your ribbon in, and crimp the tip’s ends around the ribbon. then, for security's sake, sew thorough the holes. I like to thread a small pearl or bead onto each tip, resulting in a rosette around the top.

For more elaborate aiglets, you can use filigree pieces, glued and stitched in pairs on each side of the ribbon.

Do not sew one half of each tie into your bodice or doublet: If you do, when you remove the sleeves in the heat, you’ll be running around with empty ribbons hanging off your arm, which looks silly. Instead, sew each pair of ties to your sleeve, and either sew small loops of fabric or metal drapery rings just inside the armhole, or sew in a strip of sturdy fabric with buttonholes or large grommets in it. Thread the points through the holes or rings and tie in bows.

I have made sleeves that attach to the shoulder with concealred buttons and tabs, but have no proof that that was ever done. Some people use hooks and eyes to attach sleeves, but I find that the movement of the arms causes them to unhook almost constantly.

These attachments should always be concealed under the wing/epaulet, which covers the upper two thirds of the armhole. The lower portion is not attached, very practical as it ventilates the garment and gives ease of movement.

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