Dafydd needed some new rapier garb. His old one was getting faded. The new garb is to be based on Elizabethan garb and inspired by pictures from Schools and Masters of Fencing by Egerton Castle. The shirt was to be made of linen to try to keep it as cool as possible in summer. The trousers are to be made in black cotton drill and the doublet in some furniture material found on sale at Spotlight. In keeping with Lochac Rapier Armour rules, the Elizabethan shirt will be made in 2 layers of linen, with 4 layers at the underarm gusset. This should also allow for a sleeveless jerkin to be worn in summer - to be cooler. This will be covered in a doublet of 2 layers, with short sleeves (see R) to again cover the upper arm, giving 4 layers.  The trousers will be made of 2 layers, with the shirt made long enough to tuck down over the groin providing the 4 layers required. Well that is the theory....

As Dafydd's heraldic colours (and favourite ones) are purple, black and white, this was the colour scheme. The material for the doublet, is on the left. Firstly, the rapier shirt. This is based on Elizabethan shirts for men, and specifically one found at the V&A museum. (I believe that the pics are (hopefully only temporarily) down on this site), 16th C smocks from the Bath Museum   For details on the linen rapier shirt and Diary, CLICK HERE

I managed to finish the sewing but not the blackwork, for Dafydd's birthday. I will post a pic of the shirt when it is all finished.

Next...

4-11th February, 2005.
PANTS/ TREWS:
With thinking further on the doublet, I actually decided to start the trousers first. The doublet is to be laced into the trousers, as is shown in Patterns fo Fashion. I thought it would be much easier to make the trousers, with lacing holes and then match up the doublet to fit.
The style of trousers chosen was the 'puffy' Elizabethan - almost plunderhosen type. This would allow for movement when fighting - and look speccy! I have made a very simple version of these before and Dafydd finds them quite comfortable.
I used Patterns of Fashion mainly for this. There are not only portraits, but photographs of extant examples, and Janet Arnold's interpretation of the patterns. Some modifications were required as the trousers were to be used for SCA Rapier and must abide by the rules.

• the groin area must have the equivalent of 4 layers of trigger cloth - 2 layers are provided by the double-layer linen shirt (above) and by 2 layers of thick cotton drill (more stash material).
• the legs must have equivalent of 1 layer (hose)
• there should be an overlap were any join may allow the rapier to go

23rd Feb
(sorry for delay, one of my longest and best friends, from Uni died suddenly and very unexpectedly. I am picking myself up from a few shocks last week...)

The DOUBLET I am hoping to have the rapier doublet finished by Festival, for it's debut. The Doublet is based on Elizabethan doublets in cut and pattern, but with short sleeves similar to this (as above). Right: Woodcut from Schools and Masters of Fencing Middle R: and Giovanni Battista Moroni's portrait of Don Gabriel de la Cueva, Count of Albuquerque. Far Right: Food for thought: - A fencingdoublet 1580 NY Metropolitan Museum

August, 2005: Rapier Doublet Diary HERE.

Well, the doublet did not happen for Festival (March) this year. But should hopefully be finished before the next local rapier tourney.
It saves me a lot of hassles, having had the differing layers made up and drop tested even before I started sewing!

21/8/05: Finally I have finished the doublet. I have used linen to stiffen the collar, and hand sew it, to handsew silk buttonholes and a lacing strip to attatch it to the trews. Dafydd wore it today at the Counted Blows Tourney. Below is a picture of the finished outfit.

 

Bibliography:

• Egerton Castle, Schools and Masters of Fencing - from the Middle Ages to the Eighteeenth Century. Dover Publications. NY, reprint 2003. ISBN: 0-486-42826-5
• Lochac Rapier Rules:
• Web Gallery of Art: http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/
• Arnold Janet, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Maney, Leeds, 1988, ISBN:0-901286-20-6
• Arnold Janet, Patterns of Fahsion, MacMillan, London, 1985. ISBN: 0-333-38284-6
• Juan Alcega's Tailor's Pattern Book, 1589 Facimile, Ruth Bean, Carlton, Bedford, 1979.
• The Milanese Tailor's Handbook http://costume.dm.net/Tailors/
• V&A Museum website: http://images.vam.ac.uk
• Bath Museum of Costume: http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/ http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseAction=SM.nav&UUID=013DFA14-32A6-4A33-B3CDA4E8E00C9D49)
• Tudor & Elizabethan Portraits: http://www.tudor-portraits.com/Costumes.htm
• "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)
• Smocks and Chemises (Drae Leed) http://www.dnaco.net/~aleed/corsets/chemise.html (5/8/00)

   

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