Color Combo Help for Tudor Dress

[Raelyn Fey]

Last year I thought I was ready to undertake making a Tudor gown, but I've decided I'm just not there yet. I'm having one commissioned instead next year. I'm just trying to plan it out now and do my research. I've decided on a raspberry color as the main color of the dress. Not pink, not purple, somewhere in between. At our faire, purple (which is my favorite color) is reserved for Queen Elizabeth who attends. I don't want to step on any toes of the hired cast walking around the faire. I'm just having trouble deciding on colors to go with the raspberry. I'm very, very fair skinned with auburn hair. The only places I need an accent color are the underskirt and turned up sleeves. I'm planning on a patterned under skirt for some flair. I'm just stuck on what other colors to use without it clashing with the raspberry or my vampire pale skin.

I'm going with this shop. Shop My sister is buying a gown from them soon, so I'll see the work first hand before I order next year. She is able to do many custom fabrics and colors, so I'd like to at least have an idea before contacting her. Nothing worse than an indecisive customer.

Thanks!

[isabelladangelo]

Unless you are on cast, don't worry about which colors are reserved for whom - for the most part, those have been proven to be faire myths time and time again.  What we call purple and what they would have called purple in period are two very different colors.  In period, purple was more of what we'd consider a maroon.  Violet was an everday color - a mix of blue and red dyes of which each was easily avaliable.   

I'm a bit hesitant with your choice in dressmaker just looking at the ebay ad.  The sleeves aren't attached and have grommets.  Grommets rip at the fabric and do fall out - which causes problems if you were planing on this being a dress for years to come.  A true tudor gown has the sleeves attached.  You'd wear a kirtle beneath it that would be sleeveless.  Although a kirtle with sleeves would be fine - the style is a bit different from the overgown.

Colors:  If you can think of it, they had it.  Safety cone orange, chartuese green/yellow, bubble gum pink - all completely period accurate colors.   What causes most people to mess up is the patterns on the fabric and the types of fabric.  Stick to plain fabrics in natural fibers and that should be fine.   For raspberry, tan or gold would look lovely for the forepart.  You might want to take at look at the portrait of then Princess Elizabeth for inspiration:



Her dress is a coral colored damask but the wheat color of the forepart would work well with a raspberry shade as well. 

I hope that helps!  Feel free to ask more questions. 

[isabelladangelo]

Also, when I was selling on ebay, I had a lady ask me to make her a raspberry tudor gown.  I did gold as the contrast.  Here's what it looked like:

[Raelyn Fey]

I really like plum as a color more than the raspberry. I was just trying to avoid an issue with the cast. This is an example of what I'd want as the main color.



Some of my faire friends know the woman who plays Elizabeth at our faire and linked her to my question on Facebook about wearing purple. If not being allowed is a myth, then heck I'm going to wear plum because I like it.

As far as the EBay seller, I've seen a couple of her gowns with attached sleeves. She's making alternations for my sister's as well. It all depends on the buyer, but I'll consider what you said. I just know I can't make a good one myself and I'd rather have someone who makes these garments for a living make one for me.

[isabelladangelo]

The "no purple" rule comes from the following sumptuary law established by Queen Elizabeth I:
Any silk of the color of purple, cloth of gold tissued, nor fur of sables, but only the King, Queen, King's mother, children, brethren, and sisters, uncles and aunts; and except dukes, marquises, and earls, who may wear the same in doublets, jerkins, linings of cloaks, gowns, and hose; and those of the Garter, purple in mantles only.

Two things of note - this only applies to purple silk and also applies to gold cloth as well a sable fur - yet no one seems to remember the latter two.  Purple, in period, was dried blood of a snail.  You can see a lot more on the period color of purple here.  There are even examples of what the color range was.   However, violet and lavendar were quite popular and there was no restrictions on the colors - it was all about the dye.   Mixing red (madder) and blue (indigo or woad) will get you pretty much every shade of violet you can think of and it wasn't restricted by the sumptuary laws. 

As long as you aren't on cast, don't worry about the rules they need to follow. 

Also, you might want a less slubby silk - dupioni, although pretty much all we have now, wasn't used for outer garments until the 1920's.  The fewer slubs, the better. 

[gem]

I second the gold, ivory, champagne, tan to go with your main raspberry/plum--all lovely colors with fair skin/red hair! If you want more color in your colors, maybe a soft sage green? A good old-fashioned (hee!) Google image search is really helpful in situations like this.  Try searching "(whatever color) Tudor gown" (only without the quotes) for ideas. You'll get some crazy hits sometimes--but you're mainly looking for color combos that work together well.

[Lady Kathleen of Olmsted]

In Tudor gowns, the sleeves are supposed to be attached. Portraits show that to be  the case. I have always done attached sleeves for Tudor gown orders.

[Raelyn Fey]

I asked her about attached sleeves and she says she's made many that way. The ice blue gown being one of them on the auction picture. She sent more pictures and indeed she does attached and would be more than willing to make that adjustment for me if I asked. I don't like the sleeve style of the blue gown, so I would have a more traditional sleeve. The ice blue gown is based on one of Anne Boleyn's gowns from the Tudors TV show. I've decided I'm doing plum because I love the color. I'm going slightly gothic with the colors though. I'm thinking of doing black for the sleeves. The under skirt could be a golden color with a design so it's not too dark. I'm hoping for pearl beading too. We'll see what she can do. First I want to see my sister's gown when it's done so I know it's going to hold up.

[isabelladangelo]

Gothic is a time period normally considered to be post Crusades until the Black death.  Goth is black outfits based either on Victorian or Punk fashions.  Steampunk is for Goths who discover color.

Black was a very common color for the early 16th Century.  Several portraits show many gentlemen and ladies wearing black garments.  What would be more common would for the plum to be the accent colors (sleeves, forepart, ect) and the black to be the main dress.  However, either is fine.

Anyone who is basing gowns on TV shows rather than portraits probably isn't the way you want to go.  Particularly that TV show.

http://elizabethan-portraits.com/ <- Check out this site for a lot of 16th century portraits. 

[Raelyn Fey]

The gown based on the show was requested by a client. She does all her gowns by request since they're all custom made. Mine will be more traditional. Not exact probably, but more so than that one. It was just one of the few she showed with attached sleeves. And I guess I just don't have my terms correct. I merely meant using the plum and black comes across more 'goth' than the colors I usually see in portraits.

[isabelladangelo]

We all needed to learn the terms at some point.  My fashion teacher in grad school would always ask how individuals were going to apply the flea bites and mud whenever anyone said they were going "Gothic".   

Remember, you are looking at this with a modern eye.  Black and plum were perfectly normal colors for Henrican/Tudor gowns.  There isn't anything "sub culture" or "niche" about the color combo in the 16th century - unless every single noble of the  first half of the 16th century is considered a sub culture on it's own.  There is a portrait of Anne Boleyn wearing a black velvet gown with burgundy sleeves.  Catherine, the wife before Anne, is often shown in black as is her daughter Mary later on when Mary becomes queen. 

I really do suggest you look at the link I provided earlier and just explore through the pages.  I think it will help you a lot with deciding trims, colors, and styles. 

[Raelyn Fey]

What are some other venders I might be able to consider since I have a year to plan and save? I will be able to spend roughly $500 maybe up to $600 total.

[Rowan MacD]

   I highly recommend http://verymerryseamstress.com/ 
   They are in your range and they do very good work.  Check out the historical reproductions.
   Our own Lady Kathleen does commissions for them-it's how I found her.

[Raelyn Fey]

What kind of undergarments will I need under one of these dresses? Lets say I don't have enough money to be period accurate yet. I can't spend another $200 on undergarments on top of the $600 for the dress. I just don't have the money with current medical expenses I'm having to pay off.

[isabelladangelo]

Time and place again. 

If you are doing post 1530's English, French, or Spanish, you will need a farthingale (hoop skirt).  I bought mine from Moresca years ago for $55 back then.  I think they are $65 now. 

No matter what, you will need a chemise/smock/shift.  The styles differ from each region but not by much.  The best are out of linen and can be expensive within themselves.  Many people use cotton or silk instead.   Look up 16th century chemise via google and you'll get a good idea of what style to look for.  They should be out of white or off white fabric unless you are doing Irish - in which case, they can be eye bleedingly bright yellow (saffron).   

Knickers are nice - particularly on hot days.  The Italians wore them under their clothing and there is evidence that the Germans wore them as well.  It's basically a pair of linen long johns.   

You don't need a pair of bodies/stays.  There is little evidence for them before 1590 - at least the kind where you have multiple ribs of boning.   Where it's just a layer of buckrum (or canvas for modern wear), a lining fabric, and a fashion fabric, evidence goes back well into the early 16th C.   However, most dresses were made to be supportive within themselves.