kass Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Hi all! I've been working on some "Getting Dressed Guides" for the new website, and the first one is finished. I'll add some links to pictures and stuff later, but you can read the basic article now: Getting Dressed Guide for Women Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gentleman of Fortune Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Great! I was imagining something like that for my "well dressed wench" section of my website... now all I have to do is link to your site! Greg Come aboard my pirate re-enacting site http://www.gentlemenoffortune.com/ Where you will find lots of information on building your authentic Pirate Impression! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 That is terrific. This is just what my crew has been dying to see. I can hardly wait to see the one for guys. I'm particularly interest (obviously) to what male counterparts would be wearing circa 1680 or so. There's seems to be a lot on what a sailor has, but what about a landsmen, or more particularly, the different stations of men in a typical town of the time. -- Hurricane -- Hurricane ______________________________________________________________________ http://piratesofthecoast.com/images/pyracy-logo1.jpg Captain of The Pyrates of the Coast Author of "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Year Before the Mast" (Published in Fall 2011) Scurrilous Rogue Stirrer of Pots Fomenter of Mutiny Bon Vivant & Roustabout Part-time Carnival Barker Certified Ex-Wife Collector Experienced Drinking Companion "I was screwed. I readied my confession and the sobbing pleas not to tell my wife. But as I turned, no one was in the bed. The room was empty. The naked girl was gone, like magic." "Memoirs of a Buccaneer: 30 Years Before the Mast" - Amazon.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted December 21, 2006 Author Share Posted December 21, 2006 That's the plan, Hurricane. I'm really into common people's clothing, so I want to show that accurately. And how the different stations dress is important. And since I'm a landsman myself, that will definitely be covered next. But I had the girl's stuff mostly written, so that came first. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fox Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Nice work Kass! (As always ) Foxe"With this Fore-Staff he fansies he does Wonders, when, God knows, it amounts to no more but only to solve that simple Question, Where are we? Which every chi'd in London can tell you." - Ned Ward The Wooden World Dissected, 1707ETFox.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCholeBlack Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 OH Kass is this what you've been working on? Happy birthday to me indeed! :angry: "If part of the goods be plundered by a pirate the proprietor or shipmaster is not entitled to any contribution." An introduction to merchandize, Robert Hamilton, 1777Slightly Obsessed, an 18th Century reenacting blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Hee! I did it all for you, babe! Happy Birthday! Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 WOW that's brilliant Kass, thanks so much I love it and have bookmarked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted December 23, 2006 Author Share Posted December 23, 2006 You're very welcome, Charity. The article will expand as I put more links on it to other cool pictures and stuff. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charity Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Thanks, i made a costume with a friend but when it didn't work as it should didn't know what to do so now I've started at the very base of clothe making and doing a course. I think it will be quiet a while before making costumes but now i know it will be done when i know more and i dó intend to try out some things that are simple inbetween to gather self confidence so all help is welcome :) I'll check the site out regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted December 23, 2006 Author Share Posted December 23, 2006 Oh! Well, do check out the articles under "Beginners" on the website too. These were written with the person new to historical sewing in mind. And more articles will be added as soon as I convert them from the old format. There are articles on how to make pleats, how to make a shirt, even how to thread a needle and sew by hand. So please use them if they help! And remember that I'm only ever an email or PM away. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully MacGraw Posted December 26, 2006 Share Posted December 26, 2006 Good job on this and the other articles about reenacting in the GaoP! I do hope that you can get the word out to those who really want to look at this hobby as more than a fancy dress Victorian Ball. I look back at my early reenactment and Renaissance Fair clothing and I am quite embarrassed, but at the time, we had limited resources. You are saving people a lot of money and time! You, Mr. Hand, Mr. Fox and Black John are elevating this hobby! Regarding the article about Seaman's skills. I am a Captain and I know so many skills could be learned from a book! Pick up some line and one of the many marline spike books and go at it. Lean a dozen knots and use them regularly. Those with the skills want to share them and pass them on to the next generation. Look at Capt Gary on the Royalist. He WANTS to share his skills and entire boat! Thanks Again! Bully MacGraw Those destined to hang, shall not fear drowning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted December 26, 2006 Author Share Posted December 26, 2006 Thanks, Bully. We love the hobby and we're really just trying to help others start out with better sources than we had. I'm glad you liked the articles. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilith Posted January 1, 2007 Share Posted January 1, 2007 Hi Kass, Great article for the "Getting Dressed Guide for Women - 1680s - 1720s! It is full of great information that will be useful in the coming month, but I do have a question for you. In the section (5) about "Cap and Kerchief" - you stated in your article that, 'women with their hair hanging down in period pictures are meant to depict mental patients or women in great distress." I have seen several paintings of time period; such as Mary Beatrice of Modena, Nell Gwyn, they have long flowing hair (with short fronts). Could you please clarify this a bit more on this topic? Any reference material would be a great help! Lilith - Commander of The Tartarus "God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them into pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgement." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted January 1, 2007 Author Share Posted January 1, 2007 Okay. Good question, Lilith. I should add this to the article. I should have said when women are depicted in a public setting with their hair down, they are meant to show a state of distress. Mary of Modena (James II's second wife, right?) and Nell Gwyn (Charles II's mistress) are shown with their hair down in those portraits because they are "bedroom shots". In other words, the portraits were painted either as minatures for their lovers to carry around with them or as full-sized portraits for private enjoyment in their chambers. They are pinups. Their hair is down provocatively, to be sexy. If you look at their clothing in the portraits, they probably are wearing a loose and flowing wrap or something that looks like it's from ancient Greece or Rome -- definitely not clothing they would wear in public. It's a costume for the portrait. Think of them as the "naughty polaroids" of the time. :) In other words, neither Mary nor Nell were walking down the street or going to court or attending a ball looking like that. No more than you would do so in your lingerie. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilith Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Thank you for the additional information, Kass and clearing the matter up me. They are very lovely paintings, aren't they? They must have been considered very racy boudoir shots in those days! Lilith - Commander of The Tartarus "God did not hold back from punishing the angels that sinned, but, by throwing them into Tartarus, delivered them into pits of dense darkness to be reserved for judgement." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted January 3, 2007 Author Share Posted January 3, 2007 Yeah, they're gorgeous. I've always had a kind of fantasy about being painting in that idiom. :) Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Very nicely done, indeed, Kass. As usual, a wealth of information. ...schooners, islands, and maroons and buccaneers and buried gold... You can do everything right, strictly according to procedure, on the ocean, and it'll still kill you. But if you're a good navigator, a least you'll know where you were when you died.......From The Ship Killer by Justin Scott. "Well, that's just maddeningly unhelpful."....Captain Jack Sparrow Found in the Ruins — Unique Jewelry Found in the Ruins — Personal Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hester Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Hi, Kass: I enjoyed your article and the subsequent discussions. I wonder: would one of the old-fashioned white cotton nightgowns that you often see for sale commercially these days [e.g. La Cache] work as a "shift" in a pinch? And what material would be best for stays? I love brocade -- would that be "authentic"? Turquoise and gold, I'm picturing. Also, where could one find a pattern to sew one's own stays? [And is that something a complete and utter novice could manage, or is it rather complicated?] And in the period pictures you provide, the women seem to have a garment on their top half that has sleeves. What is that? A jacket? And what about shawls. I loves shawls, me! Authentic, d'ye think? I've got an original late Victorian silk shawl in a floral pattern with some rot holes, but looks lovely if folded carefully. Could I back-date it a couple centuries? Cheers, Hester ... mildly drunk and having trouble typing ... g'night, love! And not sure where I'd wear all this anyway... except Hallowe'en... or maybe my fantasies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted January 8, 2007 Author Share Posted January 8, 2007 Hi, Kass:I enjoyed your article and the subsequent discussions. I wonder: would one of the old-fashioned white cotton nightgowns that you often see for sale commercially these days [e.g. La Cache] work as a "shift" in a pinch? Sure. In a pinch until you can build something more appropriate. You're not really going to see it anyway. And what material would be best for stays? I love brocade -- would that be "authentic"? Turquoise and gold, I'm picturing. Stays were most often a light wool or linen. Brocade is very high end and should be used sparingly. You're better off with wool or linen stays with a brocade stomacher to cover the front. But a whole set of stays in brocade is alot of money. Also, where could one find a pattern to sew one's own stays? [And is that something a complete and utter novice could manage, or is it rather complicated?] Well, come to my website (link below). We sell a pattern for stays. My apprentices made their own stays and it was the first sewing project either of them did. So an utter novice can manage it. And in the period pictures you provide, the women seem to have a garment on their top half that has sleeves. What is that? A jacket? It's called a mantua. It's actually a dress that opens down the front but is worn looped back. There's an article on mantuas on my website too. Have a look. And what about shawls. I loves shawls, me! Authentic, d'ye think? I've got an original late Victorian silk shawl in a floral pattern with some rot holes, but looks lovely if folded carefully. Could I back-date it a couple centuries? No. Not shawls. Kerchiefs, yes. But wearing a Victorian silk shawl with GAoP dress is the equivalent of wearing a frockcoat with jeans -- cool looking, but not historically appropriate. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hester Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Hi, Kass: Many thanks for your patient replies to my queries. In the sober light of day, I think perhaps sewing a set of stays is a bit beyond me ... but I will keep your website in mind if I ever get that ambitious. And I'll try to restrict my Victorian shawl to more recent epochs. Hmmm ... frockcoat and jeans ... now there's a look I'd like to try! Cheers, Hester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hester Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 And in the period pictures you provide, the women seem to have a garment on their top half that has sleeves. What is that? A jacket? It's called a mantua. It's actually a dress that opens down the front but is worn looped back. There's an article on mantuas on my website too. Have a look. Great article on the mantua, Kass. I love how this piece of "bedroom wear" gradually became part of everyday fashion. I guess one modern equivalent might be the camisole, which was solely an undergarment when I was growing up, but is now considered acceptable street wear. (Global warming at work, perhaps?) Come to think of it, I have a pretty sky-blue satin housecoat that I wouldn't mind wearing out in public as a jacket. Cheers, Hester Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted January 8, 2007 Author Share Posted January 8, 2007 Oh Hester, I just love wearing historical pieces mixed with modern ones. I made a set of stays based on an example from 1740, but I made them in bright red duchess satin and built an evening gown on them to wear on my honeymoon. It's cool. Of course, being that this is Captain Twill, I'll go back to the historic stuff now. By the way, we make stays to your measurements. It's not on the website yet, but if you're interested, PM me and I'll quote you a price. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessie k. Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 How acceptable would it have been to go about with one's hair done up, but without a cap of any kind? Or was it just not done? "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear, and life stands explained." --Mark Twain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kass Posted January 9, 2007 Author Share Posted January 9, 2007 It was totally acceptable, Jessie -- for the upper classes. We don't see common women without caps on their heads. But we almost never see upper class women wearing caps. But their hair was always done. Think about it this way -- a cap you can put on yourself. Having your hair done requires a servant, thereby indicating that you had the wealth to retain such a person. In the later part of the Baroque period, the impossibility of the hairstyle demonstrated the wealth of the wearer. The bigger and weirder the hairstyle, the higher class the wearer. Building an Empire... one prickety stitch at a time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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