Research into undergarments

16th Century Dress


Early examples of underwear are not available but there are pictures of what was worn.
Early opinions of women in the 15th century where that they should be smaller, thinner in size, and more graceful than men and that their assets should be emphasised so that they appeared to have large, child-bearing hips padded out with cloth and wool leading to greatly exagerared proportions. There was also a trend to increase the height with "chopines." (shoes?) Men were offended by the deceit women used and some even thought it to be a sin to appear something you are not.

"Receyul de ka Diverusite des Habits" - 1567, shows what is the bottom of a whaleboned or caned petticoat. The women wore a -"Spanish Farthingale" also spelt vertingale or vardingale. There are also some interesting exstant written references available which tell of the fashion of extremely narrow waists of a hand-span size, further emphasised their proportions with the wide shoulders and large sleeves of their gowns, with their bell-shaped skirts held out by whalebone and the farthingale, made 5yds of taffita of white, red, grey fabric or other colour trimmed sometimes with a border of velvet to protect from the mud. nb. One farthingale requires 3yd of whalebone encased in 7 and a half yards of casing". Under this was worn the chemise or smock and over this a corset or bodice also called a ,"corp pique" which is fastened at the back to cause the bust to be pushed high the neck short and the bust much fuller. The body shape is straight and the wearer was very uncomfortable trussed up sometimes even using iron plates to achieve the effect. With this they wore coloured "hose." The adverse effect was that there flesh could rot away or even cause premature death.
Over the dress would be the stomacher also known as a placard - examples of this can be found in the KCM. They are basically a triangle made of about half a yard of a rich material like velvet and elaborately embroidered with threads sometimes of gold or silver with, for example flowers,and sometimes embellished with pearls, which was pinned to the front of the gown and stiffened with whalebone.

Places worth a visit in the United Kingdom

Gallery Of English Costume http://www.manchestergalleries.org/ Admission Free
Staircase House, Stockport
Tatton Park Admission cost and parking fees
Lyme Park.
The Jane Austin Centre Bath