Is it period Garb???? Double Feature

So I have already discussed my husband's coat he is wearing, so this blog is about the gown I am wearing, and the outfit my son is wearing.

So to start with my gown it is a green velvet, and a woven material with small brown and gold medalions. it has hanging sleeves that are puffed and slashed to reveal the under sleeves. The matierals were both thrift store finds, and I did not have enough of eithier for a full gown. This gown I wont be discussing much because it is not period. It has a medieval flavor to it. The fabrics resemble period fabrics, the hanging sleeves were dipicteded in some mid 15th century french art. The torque and veil are period in the 12 or 13th century. (I have never seen patterned ones though in my reasearch) The silhouete of the dress is simular to many 14th and 15th century cottes. The contrasting front pannel is not period. In period the green would have been a seperate overdress which might reveal the kirtle underneath at the chest, the hanging sleeves, and the hem if lifted. But It is still a pretty dress, but more modern gothic than medieval... I have worn it to an SCA event, and might again in a pinch in the future.

So on to my son's outfit. It is hard to tell, but he is wearing a button up cotehardie (with fabric buttons). He has on a loose pair of hose (okay downright baggy, but with the way he is growing they will be too tight in a year), He is also wearing a hood with a lilipre (sp?) and a mantle. Both the mantle and hood have his "coat of arms" sewn on. Everything is parti colored. I did hand sew most of it (fabric slipped to much on the machine). My son picked out the colors and the fabric, which is crushed paine velvet. (Link has both a fire and water outfits in Ocarina of Time, and of course his "arms" is the golden triforce.) 

Sewing this took some time, after some trial and error with the machine I decided not to use it. All the seams are running stiches with a back stiche about every inch. I stretched the fabric as I went to make sure it wouldn't pull or pucker, and will stretch better when it gets tight on my son. This was the first time I made buttons from scratch, so took some time getting them even looking, but they worked wonderously, as long as the button holes were kept small.

The buttons held for the entire event (can't say the same for his foam sword), my son said it was warm and comfy, and he like being able to take off the hood and mantle if he was hot. The only thing I will do over/repair is adding a gusset to the crotch (he ripped it at the event, of course the one area I had sewn with machine, so it had no stretch.) Everything else amazingly stayed together for the event! Unstained even!!!

So is it period??? Well mostly. The glaringly obvious crushred paine velvet is not period by any strech of the imagination. The fit of everything is baggy for the growing child. (The good thing about the crushed paine is that is has a bit of strech to it so it will fit longer) The mantle is a bit short, and has a slight curve to the shorter front. (This is due to the trip factor) The triforce is not a period coat of arms.

 Most everything else is very period, the cut and style, sewing techiques, the hues, parti colored, The hood. The buttons are even made by stuffing a circle with scraps and sewing it closed. The button holes are hand sewn. Having a coat of arms sewn into your clothing was very popular in the 14th century.

This is something my son will wear many times, even if just around the house.