The Red Silk Taffeta Gown
aka "The Norris Dress"
July 2004
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There seem to be two camps of Elizabethan costumers out there: Those who swear by Elizabethan Costuming For The Years 1550-1580 by Winter & Savoy, and those who prefer Herbert Norris' Tudor Costume & Fashion. I fall into the latter camp, and anyone who has followed my various websites over the years knows full well how I feel about Winter & Savoy. Norris has gotten a bad rap over the last couple of decades for his "inaccurate" line drawings and a bad habit of burying his sources so deeply that you practically need a pickaxe and a head lamp to find them. To the first accusation, I think this is patently wrong. Norris' drawings are preferable over other old school favorites such as Braun & Schneider and John Peacock (who I personally cannot stand, but who has a staunch following nonetheless). The second accusation is true. Norris apparently did not subscribe to the theory that one should make obvious one's sources, but the fact remains, he did his research no matter how buried the notes are in the text. That same is hard to say of Winter & Savoy...
When I first got my hands on Tudor Costume & Fashion, I was drawn to the line drawing of a woman wearing a high necked bodice and a Marian French Hood. I have come back to this drawing numerous times over the years and always felt a yearning to make a similar outfit. Norris bases this outfit on a description of what a typical fashionable woman might have worn in the 1550's, although no specific source is given. But the dress is plausible and heck, why not make it? I had some red silk taffeta lying around and suddenly put two and two together in my mind.
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With about 3 weeks before I was set to leave for the Bristol Renaissance Faire, I began drafting the bodice. My first inclination was to try to make it without resorting to princess seams, but I ended up having trouble getting it to lay correctly over my bust without creating a weird bulge at the armscye.
The bulge problem was solved by adding princess seams that started at the center shoulder as opposed to beginning from the armscye. The only reasoning I can give for this change is that I've seen more instances of the "over the shoulder" seam treatment in extant 16th c. garments than those that start from the armscye. The back of the bodice also has a seam running from the center of the shoulder towards the center back at an angle. The seams were "piped" with 1" wide bias tape made from scratch from the red taffeta, folded in half lengthwise and stitched between the two pieces of outer fabric. I debated on adding cording to the bias tape, but decided against it due to time constraints. The narrow piping adds just enough structure to the seams that it was unnecessary to add any other kind of stiffening, even to the front edges. All the seams are piped this way.
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The silk taffeta is flat lined with a medium weight cotton muslin, another great fabric that adds body to a tailored garment without adding a lot of bulk. Between the muslin and the piping, I was able to transform a light weight fabric into something that held up marvelously as a highly fitted garment. After all the pieces were sewn together, and piping added to all the seams and edges, I hand sewed the lining in, first by apply the back piece and then working towards the front, folding under the raw edges and stitching it down using a single strand of red silk thread. The front edges hook and eye closed with hook & eye tape. Here's a little known fact: You can't find hook & eye tape in any of the major fabric stores for some unknown reason. I went all over town searching for it, since you used to be able to buy it by the yard at any old fabric store, but no one carries it any more. I finally found a place that sells it in 18" lengths for $7, which is ridiculous. Next time I'm ordering a spool from Greenberg & Hammer . The front was further embellished with a single row of gold and black cloisone bead caps that I used to simulate little buttons.
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In the picture to the left, you can see that I've finished the armsyce with yet another length of taffeta bias tape. You can also see how I've put in the collar. Rather than torture myself with sewing the collar to the bodice, I finished it as a seperate piece and then whip stitched it to the neckline. I picked this up from Jen and it makes things much simpler.
-The first fitting went extremely well. Better than I'd anticipated, even. Much to my surprise, the bodice hooked closed without gapping, something I don't think I've ever had happen with any of my other hook closing costumes. I'm not sure what I did but I suspect it's more the taffeta than anything else. In the picture to the left, the skirt is pinned in. I did knife pleats, radiating from either side starting at the center back and working toward the front. The pleating stops about 6 inches from center front, leaving it flat. The center front seam is piped, just for continuity's sake. I only used a little less than 3 yards for the skirt, piecing it according to the basic Alcega kirtle pattern, but adding about twice the width in the back panel for a bit of fullness. I'm wearing it over a very lightly boned farthingale. The farthingale has a gathered ruffle of black wool stitched to the waistband in lieu of a bumroll. I based this on this image from Weiditz of a "Spanish Apron". It works extremely well for giving the right shape to the skirt without the "check out my bumroll" look.
I was originally intending to add a guard to the hem to protect the taffeta from wear and tear, but eventually I decided to forego it and take my chances with the dirt. It worked out well and the taffeta held up to the abuse.
-For the headgear, I put my money where my mouth is and wore my French Hood. The only difference between the way I wore it at Bristol and the way I described it in "A Perfectly Plausible French Hood" was by adding a third layer of red/gold shot silk between the white coif and the veil. The whole thing stayed on with only straight pins keeping it together, and a safety pin securing the veil at the nape of my neck. I got numerous compliments on the hood by people who were intrigued to find out how I'd done it. That's always a good sign, I think. ;)
-The matching girdle and carcanet for this dress are made from two sizes of glass pearls (8mm and 10mm, I believe) and 12mm black onyx cabochons set in gold filigree settings. The girdle was strung on gold tigertail and then sewn to a black organza ribbon to keep it from flipping. Unfortunately, the hanging part still twisted over as you can see in the picture at right.