 Ahhhh, brocade. I really like the stuff as a way to get patterns into the fabric of my Renaissance outfits without a print. Our patron "M" had asked for something red, with roses. We were under a huuuuuge time crunch. I first ordered some burgundy polyester, but it was the cheap stuff. In a rush I found a listing for this fabric on Etsy and it turned out PERFECT. A little texture, some weight to it, and a nice balance of a deep color that wasn't too red or purple. The remaining two pieces to the scholar's outfit were a tabard/vest of some sort, and the necessary scholar's robes. The tabard was easy: it is a tent of an outfit with arm holes and neck holes. I opted to use the yoke pattern from a shirt for the front and a doublet pattern for the back, and do a simple v-neck cutout, and then have the sides lace up. That way there would be some interest to the garment if the robes were removed, but it would remain a simple cut to show off the brocade. To conserve fabric only the front was made of the fancy fabric, though the whole thing was lined. And lastly the robes! At this point I really didn't even use a pattern. It was going to be a drop shoulder robe anyway; I just used the shoulder measurements for width, and guessed on the length. Only the sleeves were fully lined with the brocade. The black fabric is a heavier weight linen. I added the big flap at the shoulders to give the robe a bit more of a tailored shape, which also let me add some fabric at the sides for better "swishability" when walking. The collar is just a strip of fabric. Finished robe! If it looks a little like Harry Potter school uniforms, it should. A version of the scholar's uniform is still used in British private schools and in the US as graduation robes.   Unlike some other commissions, for this one Kate and I had a reference photo to work from. Our friend "M" found it on Pinterest and after some internet sleuthing I found a source.  We didn't get any fantastic pictures of our friend that weekend in costume. The weather was miserable. These were the best I could find in my archives: 
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With the scholar we've been working on in part 1 and part 2, our patron "M" asked for ALL the accurate visual details, including a ruff. Now, I have never considered wearing one because my neck is short and, well, thick. However, I was excited to research and put theories to the test! The supplies I would need are: linen fabric, spray starch, liquid starch, cotton lace, and a curling iron.  The instructions I was following said for storage to keep the starched ruff tied around your ironing stand, with the thread in place. Put the thread back in before washing your ruff to help with the re-starching and ironing process. Anyway, here's a preview of me in the ruff along with the coif and hat, which will be the next post. You can tell how "thrilled" I am with ruffs in general, even if this one DID turn out really nice.  |
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