Stomacher

[Anna Iram]

I have a bodice which is front closing and a bit on the too small side by about 4 0r 5 inches. It's much more comfortable if I don't lace it all the way closed. Aside from that, I'd like to give it a more upperclass look by hiding the front lacings. I thought a stomacher would solve both problems nicely.

So has anyone else made one? I'm thinking it should be boned? Should it go from corner to corner of the top of the bodice and covering most of the front of the bodice, or is it narrower? How is it attached? When I googled "stomacher" I got some portraits of Elizabeth but I couldn't really tell much from that. Does anyone have a picture of one being worn that might show good detail?

Thanks all.

[Lorraine]

I'm working on making a stomacher for a front lacing bodice. I'm making it to fill in from each corner of the neckline, down to a rounded curve at the bottom. So far what I've worked out is two pieces of long boning in a v shape, plus flatlined in duck and a lining fabric, with piping around the edges to help it hold its shape. Gem helped me do the research on attachment, as far as we could tell they were simply tied on. I bought some of those plastic rings to sew to the lining on the stomacher, and will sew ribbons to the bodice. My other thought was to use the big skirt eyelets, but that would have to be more exact in fit and I figured ribbons would be more flexible for weight gain/loss. Let me know if you have any other questions, I can try to help.

[operafantomet]

So has anyone else made one? I'm thinking it should be boned? Should it go from corner to corner of the top of the bodice and covering most of the front of the bodice, or is it narrower? How is it attached? When I googled "stomacher" I got some portraits of Elizabeth but I couldn't really tell much from that. Does anyone have a picture of one being worn that might show good detail?

I have only made stomachers for later periods, but in general:

1. Yes, bone it if you can. It will improve the look soooo much.
2. A stomacher can be attached in various ways. Again, this might only apply for later periods, but stomachers could be simply pinned on for the day, or lightly stitched on. It could be tied on, it could be fastened with hooks and eyes, it could be buttoned on, or it could be "laced in place", behing held in place by eventual lacing or tabs* of the overgarb.
3. A stomacher as usually a bit wider than the opening, but not covering your whole front (I.E. not wider than maybe twice the size as the opening/gap you're to cover - max).

I have made stomachers for two different projects:


The first is a quasi-historical costume with both Rococo and Flamenco elements. The stomacher is as wide as the bottom area, but the top less decorated as most of it is hidden by the A shaped bodice opening.

The second is a historical 18.th century dress, with an embroidered stomacher being just a bit wider than the bodice opening. ETA: that stomacher is not finished, so it has lots of extra fabric in the bottom... that will eventually disappear...

If you go to a museum with a solid dress collection, like http://collections.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/result.html , you can search for "stomacher", and you'll get a wide variety of shapes and details. Many seems to have tabs, but it's not written ins tone. Also, many of the 18.th century ones seems to have small tabs at the side - this is where they would be pinned or stitched to the dress.

I hope that helped, although this info is not especially on the Renainssance/Elizabethian stomachers.



*The latter would look something like this:
http://tailordrews.livejournal.com/126811.html
Or possibly these, although they might only be wearing an embroidered modesty panel or chemise, and not a boned stomacher:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/bordone1530svioletta.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/veronese1560s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/tintoretto1570s.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/operafantomet/renaissanceportraits/venezia2/veronese1570s.jpg

[operafantomet]

Oi! A very nice Elizabethan outfit WITH a stomacher:
http://www.faucet.net/costume/period/brown.html

[Anna Iram]

Thanks you ladies. Yes, for some reason I associate the stomachers more with a later period gown, going under an open bodice and being of a more ornate fabric than the rest of the bodice. I understand that construction. Easy enough to lace it in on the inside. I read somewhwhere of a poirtrait where a stomacher was pinned and you could see the heads going down the side. The stomacher covered the entire front and extended to the sides.  I wonder if that was pins though and not laced in like Lorraine is doing. Not even sure if that's considered a stomacher as it was made of the same fabric as the rest of the gown.. If I can find the portrait I'll post it.

Same for a picture I've seen of a group of three middle class women in London. One is refered to as a fish merchant's wife and she is wearing a stomacher with her bodice laced over it. The caption says only lower class women wore their stomacher under the lacing, yet I see the pictures Opera has posted and clearly they are not lower class! That might work well for me, doing a modesty panel/stomacher placed under the bodice like those shown too.


I'm in no rush, so I'll keep poking around and see what else comes up. Thanks agin and Lorraine I'd love to see yours when it's finished!

[operafantomet]

Thanks you ladies. Yes, for some reason I associate the stomachers more with a later period gown, going under an open bodice and being of a more ornate fabric than the rest of the bodice. I understand that construction. Easy enough to lace it in on the inside. I read somewhwhere of a poirtrait where a stomacher was pinned and you could see the heads going down the side. The stomacher covered the entire front and extended to the sides.  I wonder if that was pins though and not laced in like Lorraine is doing. Not even sure if that's considered a stomacher as it was made of the same fabric as the rest of the gown.. If I can find the portrait I'll post it.

Same for a picture I've seen of a group of three middle class women in London. One is refered to as a fish merchant's wife and she is wearing a stomacher with her bodice laced over it. The caption says only lower class women wore their stomacher under the lacing, yet I see the pictures Opera has posted and clearly they are not lower class! That might work well for me, doing a modesty panel/stomacher placed under the bodice like those shown too.

This one:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/JaneSeymour.jpg

Not a stomacher as such, as the function is to cover up a closing patent (probably) rather than BEING a closing patent - if that makes sense. More like a wrap. Ish. He-he. I'm sure it has a proper name, I just don't know what it might be. Jean Hunnisett has included pattern for such a gown in one of her "Period costumes for stage & screen" books, and there you can see how the bodice is laced/closed in front, and then covered up with such a flap/whap/whatever.

I agree that the stomacher is more typical for later periods, especially the 18.th century, but variants seems to have existed in the Renaissance as well. As for class - I think it's more the execution of the dress and stomacher that determines whether it is a lower class piece or not. Poorer women might have used a sort of stomacher or modesty panel on a more frequent basis, as it would allow them to wear a dress longer (i.e. it could be adjusted for pregnancy, or inherited). 

[Dayna]

I can't find it, however I know of portraits of Tudor women wearing front-lacing gowns with the stomacher over the top.  It's like a modesty panel, except in front and on top.  They can be pinned or stitched or tied on.  The one I'm thinking of was sewn on the right side, came across the front and was pinned on the left pretty much front of armscrye to front of armscrye and the same shape as the underlying bodice.  I think it was in QEWU.

[gem]

Isn't there a stomacher pattern in TUDOR TAILOR? It goes with this gown, if I'm remembering correctly (I mean, obviously that's a stomacher, but I can't remember what sort of construction techniques are provided).  The (18th C.) historical stomacher with tabs that Lorraine mentions can be seen here.

[Lorraine]

This is more what I had in mind http://www.pendragoncostumes.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=pendragon&Category_Code=elizabeth , just not quite as fancy.

[Kate XXXXXX]

The great thing is that when you make it yourself, you get to make it as plain or fancy as you like!     As I don't embroider much by hand, and don't have machine embroidery capabilities, I'd probably go for either a fancy fabric, or a braid decoration.

I do love all the different examples folk have found here.

Fun, isn't it!   

[Anna Iram]

Lorraine, that would work really well for my bodice with the "gap". I'll have to give that some thought.

Opera, that's exactly the picture I was thinking of. yes, not a stomacher now that I see it again, but I like the smooth front it gives.


Of course now that Sealion has made a venetian out of hers...I could go that direction as well.

I looked at the Tudor Tailor site gem (after your recommendation) and there is a pattern offered. It's late period Elizabethan, and looks alot like the stlyle see in the later period style where it's designed to tie under the overlaping bodice. Interesting.

Oh my gosh Kate, yes. I did a search for just "stomacher pictures" and got some of the most beautiful examples of 18th century stomachers. Beautiful things...such needlework.