Guards for gowns

[pynquerose27]

Sorry to be ignorant, but what are "guards"?   (Just want to know if I need some on my project!)  Thanks!

[isabelladangelo]

Guards are something of a different fabric along the bottom of a skirt.  You see them often in German Renaissance era gowns. 

http://www.naergilien.info/Cranach/magdalenafull.jpg

The bottom "gold" piece is a "guard".   I sort of think it might be a costuming term and not an actual period term.  Guards don't always exist in other countries or eras.   

[CenturiesSewing]

Guards are a decorative band of fabric used to trim gowns, petticoats, jackets and so forth. They could be contrasting in color, fabric (a fav of the Elizabethans) or sometimes of the same fabric. They get a mentioned in Elizabethan England wardrobe warrants from time to time.

a few passages:

"Item for alteringe of a Petycoate of crymsen silke and golde with tuftes and for taking of the garde and setting on a new garde of crymsen Satten enbrauderid with golde..." 1568

"Item for altering of a Petycoate of opall with foure gards of crymsen vellat layed with bone lase of venice golde and silver the gards removed and sett wider a sunder the lyninge performed with flanell and crymsen taphata of our greate Guarderobe" 1576

" ...for making of a Gowne of Chamblett for Nicholas Pigeon Clerk of our Guarderobes garded with vellat layed with lase stiched with silke & furred with bouge : for making of a Jaquett (for him) of vellat garded with like vellat layed with lase stiched with silke and buttons of silke lyned with fustian..." 1574

Excerpts taken from http://www.elizabethancostume.net/qewu.html

In the modern costume sense I think guards are usually thought of as hem binding or wool brush braid, something that protects the skirt from wear and gets replaced once it is worn out. I don't know if the same term of was used to refer to both things in period or not, that shall take some digging to find out. 

[operafantomet]

Guards are something of a different fabric along the bottom of a skirt.  You see them often in German Renaissance era gowns. (...) I sort of think it might be a costuming term and not an actual period term.  Guards don't always exist in other countries or eras.   

It probably had different names in different countries. I would assume the English "guard" points to the original task of the guard: to protect the hem. Sometimes the word "doppia" is used in Italian; that means "double" and refers to the stiffening purpose of the hem, where several layers were added to make the skirt stand a bit more out. The guard was often a part of this. But I don't know if you could use the term "doppia" on the guard alone.

They were very popular in the first half of 16th century Italy, and more sporadically used in the second half. The black, ornamental trim on this dress' bodice and skirt (draped over the chair) is what we would call a guard:

[pynquerose27]

Got it!  Thanks for explaining!

[gem]

Ok, I have talked myself down (thanks, Anea!). I will be:

1.) Applying ribbon to openings for lacing (because it's the fastest option).
2.) Test-fitting bodice
--and then either--
3a.) attaching the skirt
or
3b.) attaching the guards

I'm leaning toward 3a at the moment. This morning's task is cartridge pleating the skirt, so I have a loooong time to figure out my next step.

***
Ok, Jenn, thanks to that I now feel the need to make an opal silk skirt with guards of red velvet and gold and silver Venise lace.

***
Anea, I was just looking at that painting of the woman in pink with the guards like the trim on your blue dress... and found myself completely enchanted with her very unusual fur sleeves! I've never seen anything like those before! They look... cosy.