Elizabethan Lady – Hartlebury Castle Trust

The Trust requested an Elizabethan gown with full underpinnings for volunteers to wear or display and dress during their tours. The period was chosen to commemorate a visit of the Queen to the castle in the late 16th century.

A beautiful deep red and gold brocade was chosen for the skirt and bodice, with a contrasting white with gold spots stomacher panel, to cover the front lacing. The bodice was interlined calico and boning to provide structure and the sleeves were interlined with wadding to give them shape. An underskirt of black silk was also created to be worn under the red skirt.

To provide structure to the whole costume full underpinnings were created including a smock, fully boned bodies with front lacing, two bum rolls and a Spanish farthingale. All in linen  with the bodies covered in damask silk.

The final piece is the supportase for the collar. A full ruff was discounted due to maintainance so a simpler linen collar was made and mounted on a supportase made of wire.