Sunday 17 March 2013

Dressing up, dressing down

We met up with friends in town today and went to an exhibition of 'Painted Pomp", paintings, clothing  and artifacts from the Shakespearian era.
Goodness me, what serious dressing up!
The gown of this teenage widow was a joy to study, with its delicate embroidery and trimming painted black on black. And the cuffs and collar!
I had to try one on!
And whilst I was about it Himself tried on a hat.
Talk about a feather in his cap!
This linen jacket was on display, made around 1618 - 20, and embroidered with silks and gold metal thread. The floral decoration is of exquisite delicacy. The garment is fastened down the centre by means of soft bows of silk ribbon. In the early seventeenth century an unboned jacket such as this would have been described as a 'waistcoat' and worn with a loose gown over petticoats when entertaining at home. It was informal wear known as 'undress'.
The theme of my 'undress' top is also inspired by nature. It was knitted for me by a college friend over forty years ago and is still going strong. (Although I must have dropped something down the front of it many years ago because there is a stubborn little stain right in the middle of the cream area that refuses to budge!)
And it's yet another week of dressing in layers because baby, it's cold outside.
A long-sleeved cotton t-shirt under a white linen blouse, tank top,
jeans and boots.
For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

26 comments:

  1. Magnificent dress-up for you and your man! That must have been tremendous fun. Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday!

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  2. I love your mix of fashion history and your ootd!

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  3. The picture of you and yours is absolutely fabulous. I wish we wore things like that all the time. The ruff is exquisite with your haircut. I can see it over a simple black gown for evening wear. Your handknitted sweater is a joy, especially knowing it's history.

    Have a wonderful week!!

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    1. The collar felt wonderful on, Jean, just fastening at the front by means of a thread through a small eyelet. You are right that it would transform a simple black dress.

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  4. You really should wear a ruffled collar more often. Beautiful!

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    1. I've got an old blouse with a ruffled collar lurking somewhere, Connie. I must hunt it out.

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  5. What a fun exhibit! And your "undress" looks so comfy and very special. Too bad about the little spot - keep the ruff on and it won't show!

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    1. I've had a few goes at out, out damned spotting without success. Goodness only knows what I must have been eating.

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  6. How great to still be wearing the sweater made for you by your friend. I dream of collars like the one you are wearing at the exhibition.

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    1. I hate parting with clothes unless they have absolutely fallen apart, so I've got quite a few things that are clocking up a half-century or so - and a very cluttered house!
      That collar felt wonderful.

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  7. The exhibition looks amazing - I love the embroidiered jacket! I love the lace collars and ruffs of that time. I'd wear a ruff if I could!

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    1. I covet that jacket and would happily wear it but am very conscious of the effort of laundering those collars and cuffs - no problem if you have an army of servants to do the washing and ironing for you!

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  8. Fabulous exhibition, and I always wanted a collar just like that, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    Nice to have found you.
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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    1. It was a small exhibition but interesting. There is always something new to learn. In several of the female portraits we noticed a black thread tied around the wrist and threaded through a ring worn on the finger. I've never known of this before, a means of avoiding the loss of a treasured piece of jewelry.

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  9. Lovely exhibition! I have been eyeing a collar like that for months on Ebay, one of these days I'll take the plunge and order it!
    xx

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  10. Hey! I popped over via the Visible Monday linkie, drawn to your awesome collar! I did laugh that that coat was thought of as 'informal'!!! WHat would they make of what we wear in modern time!! Your tank is really beautiful too- how nice someone made it for you!x

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    1. Hello Kezzie, Yes, there is informal and informal! I love the term, 'undress', it describes my entire wardrobe. (I have just one item of clothing, a party dress, that is boned.) If I had someone to do all the washing and ironing I would be very tempted to wear Elizabethan-style collars!

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  11. Wow! What a wonderful tour. You kids look beyond spiffy in costume. How fun the show must have been. Thank you so much for the chance to see some of it. Great era for clothing if you were wealthy!

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    1. Oh, great, Jan - we both love the idea of being, 'beyond spiffy'!
      You've hit the nail on the head with your comment about needing to be wealthy to dress in such a manner. The men changed their undershirts several times a day and everything about their upkeep was labour intensive.

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  12. Phantastic! You always make me smile and laugh in front of my computer.

    Looking at the feather-collar-pic I wonder if you were born in the wrong century. Miss Cellany for Queen!

    I was looking for your email adress but could not find it on your blog, I would love to send you a photo (I left the hairdressers-chair a few hours ago :-D )
    Please!

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    1. 'Miss Cellany for Queen' - off with her head!

      New haircut? Happy? Let me see the photo! artoforder@gmail.com

      /:-)

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  13. what a lovely blog you have. love lucyx

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