Okay – I’m half dead tired here, and I’ve been interrupted repeatedly in trying to write this out, but I’ve been chewing on this issue a lot lately too, so I’m going to give commenting a shot. As a needle happy fiend, placing a priority on having a smooth base to showcase the embroidery is something I keyed into right away. La Moda talks about some “petticoat” bodices meant to be worn as the seen layer (not always the case when you add the Zimarra) being stiffened so as to provide as flat a surface as possible, to better display the applied decoration. Some of the suggested stiffeners are “cardboard” (hmm, still thinking that one over for translation issues vs. practical materials), felt or starched fabric. Also, on pg 131 she discusses “stays”, which is what she calls the red velvet “bodies” from the burial clothes. Per the Gaurdaroba, Eleonora ‘s wardrobe recorded 13 “bodies” as almost all being made of soft materials (velvet) and lined with linen with similar interlining and almost all of them being delivered between 1547 & 48. But the bodies were cut in such a way as to not leave much in the way of room for the bust – hence when worn they would flatten out and redistribute the breast tissue over a wider area. So now you have a gentle spread out swell, as apposed to an obvious protrusion. Combine this shaping with the probability that woman of that era generally did not carry the amount of fat tissue on them that we do now, and I think that accounts for the shape of the bodice with out a boned corset underneath it. The gown she was buried in was cut along the same lines as the bodies when it came to the lack of accommodation for the bust, as was the red gown in figure 21. La Moda argues that the “stays” were probably used more for warmth than for shaping. Look at pgs 99, figure 40. This woman is not wearing a corset such as we are familiar with but she’s not “a la natural” either. See how the bust curve is spread out evenly? There is concave under the bust line, which you don’t get with strong boning. The bust curve is a gentle “ ) “ not an obvious “ P “ like a modern outling. A corset that we are familiar with would be a “/”. Look at figure 38 at the bust line at the front buttons and moving her left to the under arm. Again you are seeing a gentle curve, not a straight line up from the waist with a shelf at the top, nor a naturally placed bust, but an over all spreading out of the compressed breast tissue. Figure 42 is another demonstration of the curve (granted a bit later style). I don’t think that figure 26 is a very good demonstration of shape, as this portrait already displays obvious proportional issues. The head is too small, and I think the hands are over sized. The bodice does look like it is laid over a solid flat surface, almost concave where the bust should be? I don’t think that is one of the better “closer to life like” examples. Now, who want’s to geek out about the padded hemlines that added volume to the skirts with out a farthingale? (time to go to bed now….)
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 04:58 am (UTC)As a needle happy fiend, placing a priority on having a smooth base to showcase the embroidery is something I keyed into right away.
La Moda talks about some “petticoat” bodices meant to be worn as the seen layer (not always the case when you add the Zimarra) being stiffened so as to provide as flat a surface as possible, to better display the applied decoration. Some of the suggested stiffeners are “cardboard” (hmm, still thinking that one over for translation issues vs. practical materials), felt or starched fabric.
Also, on pg 131 she discusses “stays”, which is what she calls the red velvet “bodies” from the burial clothes. Per the Gaurdaroba, Eleonora ‘s wardrobe recorded 13 “bodies” as almost all being made of soft materials (velvet) and lined with linen with similar interlining and almost all of them being delivered between 1547 & 48. But the bodies were cut in such a way as to not leave much in the way of room for the bust – hence when worn they would flatten out and redistribute the breast tissue over a wider area. So now you have a gentle spread out swell, as apposed to an obvious protrusion. Combine this shaping with the probability that woman of that era generally did not carry the amount of fat tissue on them that we do now, and I think that accounts for the shape of the bodice with out a boned corset underneath it.
The gown she was buried in was cut along the same lines as the bodies when it came to the lack of accommodation for the bust, as was the red gown in figure 21. La Moda argues that the “stays” were probably used more for warmth than for shaping.
Look at pgs 99, figure 40. This woman is not wearing a corset such as we are familiar with but she’s not “a la natural” either. See how the bust curve is spread out evenly? There is concave under the bust line, which you don’t get with strong boning. The bust curve is a gentle “ ) “ not an obvious “ P “ like a modern outling. A corset that we are familiar with would be a “/”.
Look at figure 38 at the bust line at the front buttons and moving her left to the under arm. Again you are seeing a gentle curve, not a straight line up from the waist with a shelf at the top, nor a naturally placed bust, but an over all spreading out of the compressed breast tissue. Figure 42 is another demonstration of the curve (granted a bit later style).
I don’t think that figure 26 is a very good demonstration of shape, as this portrait already displays obvious proportional issues. The head is too small, and I think the hands are over sized. The bodice does look like it is laid over a solid flat surface, almost concave where the bust should be? I don’t think that is one of the better “closer to life like” examples.
Now, who want’s to geek out about the padded hemlines that added volume to the skirts with out a farthingale?
(time to go to bed now….)