Chain belt, yea or nay?

[operafantomet]

If you wanna go Florentine, a thick gold chain is newer wrong. Hardware stores usually sell them by the yard, in brass and other metals, and they can look very good. Attach something fancy to the end - a decorative perfume container, a pearl tassel, a marten etc.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1542bia.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/brescia/morettobrescia1530s5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/bologne/fontana1540bologna.jpg


Or what about making one yourself, of very large beads? That can be both easy and cheap. For my pink Bronzino dress I used large wood beads which came from my father's old car seat cover (!). I covered some of them with gold thread, a kind of filigrane, but most were kept as they were. I put some pearls in between to make it lighter. Here's the belt along with some period examples:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/bronzino/newlucrezia2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bronzino1541.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/rghirlandaio1550s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/altissimo1535giuliagonzaga4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/isabellademedici1560s1.jpg

(the latter makes me think you could glue on big pearls and gems on the one you bought?)


A fabric girdle is also perfectly acceptable, though maybe slightly earlier than your dress.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/firenze2/bacchiacca1540.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/roma/conte1540svfarnesenborghese.jpg
http://www.festiveattyre.com/gallery/florentine/flor4.html

[gem]

Isabella, I may need that fleur de lis belt just for, you know, having it.  Love.

Anea, thank you for all those images!! You've done all the portrait research for me! I had never looked closely at the pink Bronzino lady's belt before (although, oddly enough, I have her necklace. Seriously. I have a strand of pearls and a star/snowflake pendant that is an almost uncanny match to it!); I love that they look like big lampwork glass beads (Italian millefiores glass, maybe?!). 

One of the necklaces I picked up yesterday will work--delicate silver chain with pearls--until I commit to a serious, real girdle. I have headpiece and hair issues to tackle first!

[Rowan MacD]

 Gem,
   I made a quick fabric belt (pics are somewhere in this forum)  just a strip of velveteen, sewed into a tube,turned and pressed. 
   I added a strip of Jaquard trim smack down the middle in a complimentary color to the dress, sewed a brass ring to the end and tied it like a leather belt.   You can add fringe to the other end.
  Takes about 2 hours.

    I also got some lovely medium weight decorative brass chain at Joann's on sale for 2.99 for 5 yards.  I now have 2 plain chain belts.
    If you go this route, make one or two extra 6" lengths with large lobster clips on both ends.  These are very handy to clip to the chain belt for a secure place to hang fans and purses.

[Rowan MacD]

Gem, have you seen this one? 
http://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Womens-Silver-Fleur-Chain/dp/B002UT7L9C

Oh, I want this to tear it up for parts.....

[isabelladangelo]

Gem, have you seen this one? 
http://www.amazon.com/Ladies-Womens-Silver-Fleur-Chain/dp/B002UT7L9C

Oh, I want this to tear it up for parts.....

It's cheap enough you could do just that.  I love Amazon.  It's becoming the Wally World of the interwebs!