by La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia
The tailor of the Medici court,during Eleanora's time was Mastro Agostino. (La Mode a Fiorenze p26)
Sewing techniques: stitches used
This is one area in which research is very slow and
difficult to pinpoint specifically to the time and region. Assumptions
can be made based on contemporary stitches used and well-established
tailoring methods.
A very good summary of documented and published stitches used in Florence can by found at the Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing website.
This site quotes examples of running stitch specifically used in Florentine clothing -
- 1562 Florence, Italy Suit of Cosimo I de’Medici.
- Raw edge of silk on panes on
trunkhose turned under and held by running stitches in 2-ply silk Arnold,
Patterns, pp. 53-54.
- Stab stitch 1562 Florence, Italy Suit of Cosimo I
de’Medici.
- Row of stab stitches down center front about 1.5mm (1/16") from edge
Arnold, Patterns, pp. 53-54.
La Mode a Firenze shows close up of extant items which appear to have the following:
Hem stitch - a decorative pulled thread technique (on the neck of
embroidered camicia dated mid 16thC. There is embroidery over the
seams)
Construction Methods:
1. Stiffening of bodice:
In the first half of the 16th century, the imbusto (bodice) of
women's dress had a more rounded shape. This could easily be achieved
by layers of stiffening and had no need of corsetry. By the 1540's,
the imbusto was becoming more rigid in shape. This would require some
sort of support.
For England, 'payres of bodies' are recorded in Queen Elizabeth's
Wardrobe Unlock'd. Much speculation has been made about corded
corsets and other forms of corsetry with regards to the first half of
the 16th century, in Florence. More up-to-date research on Florentine
dress can be found in La Mode a Firenze. This information is based on
Medici documents and Gardaroba (wardrobe listings), portraits and the
few extant items of clothing available.
In Eleanora's Gardaroba, there is no mention of 'payres of bodies'
or corsets stiffened with either whalebone, bents or reeds which
appear to be the most common form of stiffening used for corsets of
the time. There are 'stays' or busto de sotto recorded. However it
appears that Eleanora's stays were mainly of soft materials. They
were lined and interlined with linen. All stays recorded for Eleanora
were made of velvet. However other stays had been recorded to be made
of satin.
There are only two known extant gowns from Florence in the 16th
century. A red velvet dress, with sleeves, from a wooden statue in
Pisa. (La Mode a Firenze, p 70 ) and Eleanora's burial dress. The
second is the more documented of the two, having being described in
detail in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion, and more recently in La
Moda a Firenze. Both gowns were made in a similar fashion. It appears
that the stiffening for the gowns was incorporated into the actual
imbusto itself. This padding of the consisted of four fabric layers:
- doppia: felt or felted/ worsted wool (?)
- two types of cloth one stiffened other finer of San Gallo (linen)
or bottano (cotton)
- this thick layering was then covered with copertura della doppia (
silk or taffetta usually the same colour as the petticoat, as used to
cover the hem stiffening, with a few mm visible and decoratively
slashed) (La Moda a Firenze, p 85, 93).
Traces of felt and linen were found in both the above extant
garments. Cardboard is also suggested as a form of stiffening, being
slipped into the imbusto. This is also suggested in The Tudor Tailor
which was recently published in March, 2006 and deals with English
clothing of the first half of the 16th century. This method was also
used in Spain (La Moda a Firenze, p 84-5). Eleanora di Toledo's
family was Spanish so it is not surprising that this form of
stiffening may have been used in Florence at the time she was
Duchess. Cardboard was commonly used in Florence for imbusto
stiffening by the 1650's.
Along with the burial dress was found plain velvet stays. This had
no sign of boning or channels for boning. It is conjectured that
these stays were more likely for warmth (La Moda a Firenze, p 132).
The closest thing to an actual corset, in Eleanora's Gardaroba,
was one pair of steel stays made for her. These however appear to
have been made for therapeutic reasons and not for restructuring her
clothing silhouette. (La Moda a Firenze, p 132)
2. Stiffening the hem
According to both La Moda a Firenze and Patterns of fashion, the
hem of Eleanora d'Toledo's burial gown had stiffening at the hem to
help hold it out. This was a band of felt, covered by a satin
strip. This is confirmed by the red velvet extant dress from Pisa,
discussed in La Mode a Firenze.
3. Edging the imbusto and skirt hem
A common edging done by Mastro
Agostino was a picidill type arrangement. This was done with the lining
of the imbusto. It was also on the skirt hem made from the satin
strip covering the felt stiffening. The lining or satin strip was
extended beyond the edge (as seen far right, bottom). The extended
piece was clipped. Far right, top: is one form I have used in Dafydd's
rapier doublet.
A very good example of this can be seen, just right, on the edge of
Eleanora di Toledo's zimarra (loose gown). There is also a line
(vertically) in from the edge which may be a seam for this edging piece.
Eleanora and Her Son; Agnolo Bronzino Portrait of a Little Girl
with a Book, 1545; An unknown lady attrib. to Bronzino, c.1530-32
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Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi 1540 Bronzino; Another Bronzino portrait of Eleanora;
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These examples show the edgings,
mostly in linings matching the main imbusto. Some could be of
contrasting lining however. The second example, Portrait of a Little Girl with a Book, shows
a possible diagonal slash to the edging. This edging would be best done
on the bias to reduce fraying. Fraying can be seen on the red dress
edging of the Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi, far left. Seen a little closer below left..
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This edging was also used on the edges of the panes in the sleeve of Bronzino's
Laudomia de' Medici, 1560 - 65.
4. Lining
The imbusto is usually lined with linen or silk which is 'blindstitched'
to the neckline (to allow for the above edging). The edges of the
lining are turned under , then stitched by hem stitch or modified
running stitch. (See Archeological sewing). It is not commonly 'bagged'
- stitched and turned inside out.
Glossary:
imbusto: bodice
baragoni: sleeves
camicia: chemise
faldaglia: skirts
convercie: shoulder cape/hankerchief
gorgiere (e colletti) : partlets
Bibliography:
Alcega, Juan
.The Tailor's Pattern Book, 1589 Facimile, Ruth Bean, Carlton,
Bedford, 1979.
Arnold, Janet Patterns of Fashion, MacMillan, London, 1985. ISBN: 0-333-38284-6
Arnold Janet,
Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Maney, Leeds,
1988, ISBN:0-901286-20-6
Kovesi Killerby, Catherine,
Sumptuary Law in Italy 1200-1500, Oxford
University Press. NY. 2002. ISBN:0-19-924793-5
Crowfoot E, Pritchard F & Staniland K,
Textiles and Clothing
1150-1450, Boydell Press, Woodridge, 2001 (ed) ISBN: 0-85115-840-4
Frick, Carole Collier.
Dressing Renaissance Florence.: Families Fortunes
& Clothing. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 2002. ISBN:
0-8018-6939-0
Orsi Landini, Roberta & Niccoli, Bruna.
La Moda a Fioenze 1540-1580.
Pagliai Polistampa, Firenze, 2005. ISBN: 88-8304-867-9
Ricci, Elisa.
Old Italian Lace Volume 1. William Heinemann, London.
1913 available on line at: http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/books.html
Veccellio, Cesare.
Vecellio's renaissance Costume Book. Dover
Publications. NY. 1977. ISBN: 0 48623441X
Willet, C. & Cunnington, Phillis,
A History of Underclothes,
Dover Publications, NY, 1992, ISBN: 0-486-27124-2
Web
Sites:
- Medici Archive Project: www.medici.org/ (1/06)
- Metopolitan Museum of New York. http://www.metmuseum.org/
- V&A Museum website: http://images.vam.ac.uk (May, 2004)
- Bath Museum of Costume: http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/ http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseAction=SM.nav&UUID=013DFA14-32A6-4A33-
B3CDA4E8E00C9D49)
- Web Gallery: Medici portraits by Bronzino. http://www.kfki.hu/~/arthp/html/b/bronzino/1/index.html
- Archeological Sewing by Heather Rose Jones (2001)
- Sewing Stitches Used in Medieval Clothing: http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/cloth/stitches.htm
- Archive of Stitches from Extant
Textiles.
www.bayrose.org
- BayRose. (website by Savinra de la Bere.)
http://www.bayrose.org/needlework/Shading-1.pdf
- "How much yardage is enough" Susan Reed, 1994.
http://patriot.net/~nachtanz/SReed/fabuse.html
- Suggested Yardages for Elizabethan Garments by Drae Leed.
http://costume.dm.net/yardages.html# (29/5/03)
- "How much yardage is enough" Susan Reed, 1994.
http://patriot.net/~nachtanz/SReed/fabuse.html
- Festive Attyre: http://www.festiveattyre.com/research/secondflor/portfolio.html
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Information provided by caitlin_oduibhir, who has seen the Metropolitan Museum's extant drawers first hand.(thanks).
- http://heatherrosejones.com/archaeologicalsewing/index.html (new address: 8/06)
(c) September, 2006