How to Make a Renaissance Costume

For the modern costume lover, a Renaissance costume does not necessarily involve a heavy amount of historical research or accuracy. With the wide popularity of Renaissance faires, most of which have always allowed some degree of fantasy, the typical Renaissance costume does not resemble any specific garb from the long historical Renaissance period. Indeed, faire garb often also includes medieval elements and some modern elements so that attendees can simply have fun dressing up in clothes that evoke the past. Women's Renaissance costumes are often of the "wench" variety, consisting of a simple chemise, bodice and skirt that can be worn in a variety of ways. To make your own costume for a faire, complete the following instructions.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton fabric Sturdy fabric Lining fabric Sewing machine Thread Scissors Fabric pencil Lacing or cording Boning Eyelets Eyelet punch Mallet Awl

Instructions

Making the Chemise

1. Add 4 inches to your shoulder-to-wrist measurement, and cut 2 rectangles in this length that are also 20 inches wide to use as the sleeves.

2. Cut 2 rectangles that are as long as the distance between your shoulder and your ankle and as wide as double the distance between your shoulders to use as the body pieces.

3. Trim 6-inch-long corners off one short end of each body piece and one short end of each sleeve piece, and stitch these corresponding diagonal corners together on the sleeve and body pieces.

4. Sew the sleeves together along the side seam, then the body together at the side seams.

5. Turn the neckline and sleeve ends under 1/4 inch and press. Then turn it under another 5/8 inch and stitch along the fold, leaving the front edge open so that you can run a length of cording through the channel.

6. Turn under a 1/2 inch on the bottom edge of the body and stitch, creating a hemline.

Making the Skirt

1. Cut a rectangle that is as long as your waist-to-floor measurement plus 3 inches, and as wide as three times your waistline measurement, to use as the main body of the skirt.

2. Cut two rectangles that are 4 inches wide and as long as your waistline measurement plus 3 inches, and baste them together.

3. Fold the short edges of the waistband under a 1/2 inch and stitch. Then fold the waistband in half along the width and press it flat, hiding the raw edges.

4. Stitch the center back seam of the skirt together, leaving the top 5 inches open, and stitch down the remaining seam allowances.

5. Hem the bottom edge of the skirt. Then gather the top edge and stitch it to the waistband. Run a length of cording through the waistband.

Making the Bodice

1. Draw a trapezoid on a sheet of paper that is 1/4 your bust measurement at the top horizontal line and 1/4 your waist measurement at the bottom horizontal line, with one perpendicular vertical side and one diagonal vertical side that are both as long as your underarm to hip measurement. This shape is used for each of the 4 panels you will need for your bodice, which you should cut in your cotton fabric, sturdy fabric and lining fabric.

2. Baste the cotton panel pieces to the sturdy pieces. Stitch together the perpendicular sides of two of the panels. Then stitch the perpendicular sides of the other two panels to the remaining sides of the first two panels. Put together the lining pieces in the same way, and attach the lining to the outer bodice piece.

3. Create boning channels all around the bodice, particularly at the center front and center back. To make a boning channel, sew two vertical lines from the top of the bodice to the bottom that are separated by the width of your bones plus 1/4-inch extra. Slide the bones into these channels so that they sit between the outer layer and lining layer of fabric.

4. Sew an extra strip of fabric, such as a commercial rickrack or double-fold binding, to the top and bottom of the bodice to hide the raw edges and to keep the bones from falling out.

5. Insert eyelets all along each center back edge, beside the boning channels, so that you can lace up the back with cording or ribbon. To insert an eyelet, place the eyelet punch die under the fabric and the eyelet on top of the fabric, with the punch rod inserted in the middle. Hit the punch rod with the mallet until the eyelet goes through the fabric.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase shoes and stockings to wear with your Renaissance costume.

References

• The European Renaissance in American Life

Resources

• The Costumer's Manifesto: 18th Century