All posts tagged: 1500s

The Historical Sew Fortnightly: The ‘Something Simple’ challenge

To ease into the  Historical Sew Fortnightly challenge for 2013 there is a bonus challenge due on the 31st: ‘Something Simple‘. I thought it would be nice to give us something a bit easier to start with, and I think it’s good to remember that not every important historical garment is massively elaborate and over-the-top. Throughout history people have depended on simple, workable garments – the historical equivalent of our T-shirts.  There are lots of periods when even the very rich wore mix-and-match separates that were (relatively) washable and easy to make.  One of the things about Princess Alexandra that particularly impressed Queen Victoria when they met was her frugality in dress – Queen Victoria commended her for wearing the same jacket with multiple skirts, and thought it demonstrated a praiseworth restraint and sensibility in dress and character. I was hoping to do a whole post of simple historical inspiration, but the problem with simple, easy to wear, easy to make garments is that not many of them have lasted to come down to us. …

Rate the Dress: Christina of Denmark (well, maybe) in 1570

Last week was all about tea and tea gowns, and the Rate the Dress was, appropriately enough, a tea gown.  It was rather popular, except with those of you who didn’t think it was tea gown-y enough, or those of you who simply didn’t like the idea of tea gowns, and thought it was too tea gown-y.  You can’t please everyone!  Still, it rated a very respectable 8.7 out of 10. A long, long time ago, as my second Rate the Dress ever, you commented on Christina of Denmark as a teenager, and prospective bride, in mourning attire.  Unfortunately, the comments got lost in the blog switchover, and I don’t have a record of exactly what you thought! Let’s see how Christina grew up. Well, if this portrait actually is of Christina, not very well!  That beaky nose!  That sallow complexion!  At first I could not comprehend that it might be the same person, but on closer inspection, the deep set eyes, and the pronounced cheekbones are still there.  Of course, the eyes have switched …

Rate the Dress: Sigismund III Vasa in leopard fur

Last week most of you loved the 1870s dress with its fabulous pleating and embroidered garland.  You loved it so much that I kept getting lost in counting the 10s and having to go back to the last number that wasn’t a 10 to see if that was 5 10s in a row, or 6!  Despite all the love, the amount of voters means it is getting harder and harder to get a perfect 10 – Vignon’s frock came in at an excellent  9 out of 10.  Close! I’m feeling history deprived.  I’ve been doing too much hands-on stuff and not enough research.  So today’s Rate the Dress is all about me wanting to look stuff up. Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and briefly King of Sweden, was one of Poland’s most controversial rulers.  On the one hand, his reign coincided with an period of wealth, power, and cultural influence for Poland and Lithuania, and on the other he has been accused of setting in motion a downward spiral in …