On Wednesday, August 7th at Atlantian Great Court at Pennsic 48 I was made a Court Baroness. So, that’s cool.
Anyone who has ever asked me why I joined the SCA has received the same answer – I like to play dress up. And the exciting thing about playing dress up as a Court Baroness is that now I get to wear a fancy hat 🙂
Taken after Atlantian Great Court. The coronets pictured were a gift from Her Majesty Adelhait, made by Mistress Seraphina Maslowska. https://www.facebook.com/itsaseraphina/
Myself and my Peer, Her Majesty Adelhait, at Stierbach’s Baronial Birthday – September, 2019.
Since Pennsic, I’ve commissioned two additional coronets and one diadem. Yes, I am extra.
My diadem was commissioned for Rip Rap War – an event held every September in the Kingdom of Atlantia. I typically wear a lot of Roman garb in the Summer due to the warmer climate of this Kingdom and so I needed a diadem to match.
This brass diadem was made by Lord Cataldo Querini and features amethyst stones and seven pointed stars to match my heraldry.
I was silly and forgot to take a picture of my entire outfit, not sitting in a vehicle. But the amethysts and stars can be seen clearly here.
My second coronet was made by Mistress Michel Almond de Champagne. It is a field coronet made from leather, wood, silver leaf, rabbit glue, pigment and clear coat. The total weight is under 13 ounces, which makes it perfect to wear outdoors over head coverings and hats.
This coronet also features my heraldic colors – purple, black, and white – as well as my seven pointed stars.
My third coronet was inspired by the funeral crown of Queen Agnes of Antioch, first wife of Béla III (1172-96), and was also made by Lord Cataldo Querini.
Another car photo, yes, but the details of the coronet are best seen here.
A photograph of me wearing the coronet with German Landsknecht in matching colors, with the talented Lord Cataldo – maker of said coronet and all around nice guy.
I’m very pleased with my coronet collection so far – they are all distinct in their makes and styles. I do have plans to commission one more in the near future, about which I am very excited! Pictures will be posted here once the coronet is completed 🙂
During the summer months Roman garb becomes quite popular in Atlantia, where temperatures can reach up to 100 degrees. Typically made from natural-fiber fabrics like linen, silk, and light weight wool, these loose fitting garments are quite effective in keeping the wearer from becoming overheated.
Roman women, or matrons, wear three layers. The first layer is the tunica, made from a light-weight linen. This layer sits closest to the skin and linen is a natural choice for helping to wick sweat from the body and keep it cool. The second layer is the stola. This layer can be made from a slightly heavier linen than the tunica, silk, or a light-weight wool. I always make my stola from patterned silk. The final layer is the palla. The palla is usually 6-8 feet long and is worn draped around the body and as a head covering. My palla is made from wool gauze.
Roman garb is incredibly simple in its patterning and construction. Both the tunica and the stola consist of two rectangles of fabric, cut to the length of the wearer from shoulder to floor, sewn up the sides. The width of the fabric can vary greatly, but must be at least as wide as the wearer’s hips. These garments can then be pinned and fitted to create a variety of styles, using a type of pin called a fibula. The palla is simply a rectangle of fabric with the edges hemmed.
A Roman Matron, photo credit to Lady Machteld Cleine. The three layers are seen quite clearly here – the light yellow tunica; the blue and gold stola; and the white palla.
My friend, Lady Marguerite, and I dressed in Roman and squinting in the sun 😉 Again, the layers are clearly distinguishable. Photo credit to Master Ursus.
Roman women in tunicas and stolas. We did not wear pallas this night.
Within the last year I have grown quite fond of the Landsknecht and Kampfrau style of garb. In April of 2018, an event with a German theme – Night on the Rhine – was held in the nearby Barony of Lochmere. I decided to dress with the theme and make myself a Kampfrau dress, gollar, and wulsthaube.
For the dress, I used a pattern that I already owned and was previously used for a 16th Century Italian gown. I simply extended the waistline so that it would come several inches lower, ending at my true waist as opposed to just below my bust.
I then added guards to the bust and the skirt, which was then attached to the bust using rolled pleats.
The finished dress with detachable sleeves. The dress is 100% linen.
The dress, this time without sleeves, but with the gollar – a style of hood. The gollar is wool, lined with linen.
A close up of the wulsthaube, or head covering. I made mine using a drawstring – recommended by a friend – for ease of use. The drawstring is not historically accurate. Likewise, the fabric is a patterned blend that I purchased from JoAnn’s due to its resemblance to embroidery.
A close-up of the wulsthaube and hat.
I have several more 16th Century German style dresses planned for 2019 – stay tuned for updates here!
Resources
Reconstructing History has several patterns for both the Kampfrau style of dress and its accessories:
Lady Margaret Lad is a 14th Century English Noblewoman. I would consider her to be my primary persona, though I often wear clothing from other countries and time periods.
When dressing as a 14th Century Englishwoman, I generally wear a front lacing cotehardie or gothic fitted dress (GFD for short); a belt, of which I have several styles; knee-high socks or stockings with garters; ankle high boots in the 14th century style; and a head covering of some sort.
I also have a variety of accessories that I like to wear. Accessories can really enhance the overall look of garb and are usually come at a nominal investment – I highly recommend them! Typically, I wear a variety of rings that are reproductions of pieces found in the 13th-14th centuries. I also have several annular and penannular brooches that I wear pinned to the chest/shoulder area of my gowns. For my belt, I like to wear a rosary or paternoster, which are found worn in illuminated manuscripts of that time period. I also have several bags that I carry so that I can hide my modern necessities 🙂
A blue GFD, made by myself, with a hood made by Historic Enterprises, bycocket – a hat typically worn in the 13th-14th centuries, belt, rosary/paternoster, and leather gloves. Photo credit to Lord Naran Numuchi.
The same GFD with a red pilgrim’s bag, a shorter rosary, and no head covering – GASP! This picture was taken almost two years ago, before I realized how much covering the hair in a period style really lent itself to the authenticity of the overall look I was trying to recreate.
The same GFD, this time with white tippets worn on the sleeves, and a coif with a frilled veil. Photo credit to Master Ursus.
A red GFD, made by myself. Worn with a belt and red pilgrim’s bag. You can see a small red paternoster hanging from my belt, as well as my pointed 14th Century shoes peeking out from the bottom of my dress. My hair is worn in a period style referred to as “hair taping”, though it remains uncovered.
Disregarding my ridiculous pose in this picture 😉 You can see the details of the rings I typically wear, along with details of this beautiful belt made by Billy & Charlie’s Fine Quality Pewter Goods. I am wearing my hair tucked into a coif under my bycocket.
A green GFD, made by myself. Worn with a belt, annular broach in the shape of a heart, wimple, and frilled veil.
Another photograph of my green GFD, credit to Lady Machteld Kleine. This is the only photograph I have where my 14th Century shoes – courtesy of Viking Leather Crafts – are visible, along with the knee-high socks that I typically wear.
In regards to the picture above, I do want to note that tucking the ends of a dress into a belt in such a way is NOT a period fashion. Typically the dress is pulled up from the waist, with the excess fabric hanging over the belt. The next time I wear my dress in such a way, I will take a photograph to post here as an example.
Patterning a GFD
The gothic fitted dress is typically meant to be self supporting, which means that the wearer does not need any type of supportive undergarments for the top half of the dress. In order to achieve this look, patterns need to be custom-fitted to the individual. I have had the great fortune to attend several workshops in Northern Atlantia where custom fittings have taken place, and the principles of which have also been taught, by Dame Emma West and Mistress Drea di’ Pellegrini. As a result, I not only have my own custom pattern for this style of dress, but I can fit others as well.
I have offered fittings in the past at events and hope to do so again in the future.
Resources
In the meantime, here are a list of resources for patterning and making a gothic fitted dress that may be helpful:
Baroness Margaret Lad 