Get Ready with Me: Early 16th Century Tudor Common Woman’s Clothing

[@MaridithSmith]

Your photoshop skills at the end make this especially adorable

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Haha thank you! I'm totally a novice but it was satisfying to accomplish that!

[@cruxivar6026]

She blends in! Ahh! 🧡💕

[@romystumpy1197]

Yes i agree very artistic

[@zappawench6048]

I love how the different solid blocks of colour provide quite a "jolly" and pleasing look. The clothing of a working Tudor woman looks surprisingly practical, with the attached purse and apron. The russet gown fitted you perfectly and looked great on you!

[@mobrown7594]

It’s funny how when you imagine that time you think every one dressed like Anne Bolyne lol, but you have to remember there were average people too

[@darklymoonlit]

Lovely! That kirtle is to die for and I adore the black partlet - I've never seen one pointed in the back like that but it's so cool.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! You see them in some Breughel paintings and Book of Hours illustrations.

[@boredofmindgames4662]

Jeez the wealth of knowledge you have to pull from is literally awe inspiring

[@sarahmwalsh]

This is such a beautiful ensemble. The turnback lined cuffs are kind of like the common woman's answer to the oversleeves lined with fur that you see on upperclass Tudor gowns, aren't they? That's so neat!

[@eric3844]

Absolutely love this video. Always been the most interested in the clothing of the common people, and I've always felt it was somewhat underrepresented, at least on youtube. You did an amazing job not only showing the garments and how to wear them, but covering their history and the why's and how's of their colors and materials. It's wonderful!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! Common people’s clothing definitely doesn’t get enough attention and I hope to change that. I have a brand new working class clothing video for the Regency period going up tomorrow!

[@candicefrost4561]

I prefer working and lower class GRWM because it’s like a connection to the people most of us actually came from. It also shows how people didn’t just wear bland sacks just because they were poor or not royalty. Their clothes were also often very valuable to them, so they took great care to protect it and maintain it. Women often made their own clothes or at least many parts of their outfit. People in this position couldn’t document themselves like we can now, and some may have been lost in records. Seeing their clothes is like seeing a glimpse of them.

[@999Giustina]

I love that you reproduced the lady in the painting so incredibly accurately! Bravo!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

I had a lot of fun with it! Thank you!

[@CareenasAdventures]

EEEEE I got so excited when I saw this! I cannot get enough of historical commonwear videos. There are so few, and it is such an important part of fashion history.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Me too! I'll be posting a Regency working class video next Sunday!

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Definitely great to see - especially when you consider this would've been the vast majority of people at the time?

[@CareenasAdventures]

@@anna_in_aotearoa3166 Yes indeed!

[@emmahardesty4330]

Truly these garments seem much more appealing, artistically, than brocades and silks. Just gorgeous, and I appreciate your work. Kiss the cat.

[@TGrrr89]

That photo at the end is hilarious! Love the outfit as well.

[@irenedavis4629]

It is really lovely to see the dress hooks and pins that I make actually being used in a video! The next time someone asks me how to use them, I will send them to this video! I always seem to get those questions when it is 98 degrees at an event, and I am wearing a Roman tunica. This was a great video!

[@e.urbach7780]

I love seeing common people's clothing! Regarding the dress hook holding the wool partlet at the back, do you have a thread loop on the bodice for it to attach to, or is the hook just pushed into the fabric?

[@ClueFinderDirtDigger]

Came here to ask the same question! Such a cool detail.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

It hooks directly into the fabric. This method works well for wool, but I don't think I'd try it on silk or something more tightly woven!

[@thebookwyrmslair6757]

@@TheCoutureCourtesan I would imagine on silk or linen that you'd add a little loop for it to connect to. :) (Not sure which materials the Tudor middle and lower classes would use for a summer-weight dress.)

[@janehollander1934]

With your clothing and this video you made part of a famous Bruegel painting 'The Peasant Dance' come alive👏🏻. Thank you so much 👌🏻

[@AnneOfCleves1515]

Thank you for posting this! I loved this video, and I especially loved the outfit! All the layering and lining gives such a vibrant colour contrast. Even if you were a Tudor village woman who couldn't afford silk and velvet (and, I guess, couldn't legally wear it anyway with those sumptuary laws), I imagine you would still feel like the fanciest lady in the parish walking into church on Sunday wearing a dress like this-- and comfy too, from the look of it!

[@lilrummager]

My goodness the quality of fit in your clothing is fantastic!! Well done 👏👏👏

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you!

[@asilverfoxintasmania9940]

I do 15th Century Florentine, and I found the gap with the lace up kirtle a bit annoying, I noticed with your gown that you have a similar gap as with the kirtle. Do you find with cold weather that this can be an issue? Thank you for doing some earlier periods that don't seem to be quite as popular on Costube!

[@Smallpotato1965]

the detachable sleeves are very practical for a working woman; if they get wet or stained during work, you can quickly replace them with a new pair and you don't have to wash the entire garment just because a few stains on the sleeves. They are, in effect, like the apron: they catch most of the stains. In my language, we still say "there are always a few sleeves to fit that" when we mean "there are always a few ways for solving that problem", and it clearly goes back to this time of detachable sleeves, lol!

[@sweetbriar06]

Love it!! Every time you post these outfits, it makes me want to do pre-18th century again. 😆

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Do itttttttt... :)

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

I would love to see you take on Jacobean/ Stuart dress- from the insanely beautiful embroidery early on in the 17th c to the French-inspired block colour silks, lace & ribbons of the pre-English Civil Wars era

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Yes! That will definitely be coming in the future! One of my favorite periods!

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

@@TheCoutureCourtesan Cool- I will definitely keep a lookout!

[@ktlovely]

Man, you are reaaaally makign me want to try out earlier period stuff...

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

DO ITTTTTTTT. You get to wear all the wool!

[@ClueFinderDirtDigger]

You’re reawakening my desire to give Tudor sewing a try... This looks fabulous!

[@dindranew.6808]

The back pleating on the back of that gown is outstanding!

[@SkyeAten]

Tudor is probably my favorite historical dress. Especially for the working class. I think the style is very forgiving and simple and would look good on most peoples body types as well. I wonder what they wore in summer though, because it would be suffocating with all those layers I'd imagine.

[@zizkazenit7885]

I love it, great video! Also interesting how much brighter the colors look in natural light, where they would have most often been viewed

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Beautiful kitty, I never can resist a calico or tortie.

[@happygardener28]

Partlets also protect the shoulder seams/fabric from anything carried over the shoulder like dairy yokes, grain sacks or drips of food just as the apron protects the skirt/kirtle (less fabric on wash days).

[@paulcarlachapman628]

I much prefer simpler dress like this. simple lines and colors are very appealing to me. Thank you for a lovely video!

[@MollyWeiss]

Love it! Tudor dress is what got me into historical costuming yet I've never made an outfit from the era. This really makes me want to bump it up the todo list. What shape are your skirt panels to get the shape and twirl like that?

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! They are sort of trapezoidal? Wedge shaped? lol

[@CrowingHen]

That grey gown! Beautiful. That fabric would be fun to spin and weave. Love the video.

[@chastitysenek7499]

Fantastic outfit and wonderful research as always!

[@crissykloth3721]

Uuuuuuh I love it, and I love more because it is cat approved; best consiglierie. At present I am in my first 2 m sewing ever with only the ZWIRN, needle and the slight yellow big piece of material (second opportunity after a job I did as I waitress - decoratiion light covering) I am longing for purchasing cuttings? garment and so on... So hopefully this site will still be available during spring and summer of 2024. I am pretty convinced for my purposes and sensitive skin and nervs and energy field - this dress will be a fine compagnion for a long long time... thank you and the lovely cat, bye bye Crissy

[@XenusMama]

This video makes me want to return to Tudor garb..... haven’t made any since 1990!! But my maiden name is Boleyn & Tudor garb is my 1st love.....

[@puckdefellow2987]

It's destiny then 😊👍

[@dawnvickerstaff2429]

I hope you come back soon. I enjoy your videos and always learn something. I hope you are well.

[@LeannanStair]

Oh my goodness, this is PERFECT!!! So, so well done!

[@nickmann9549]

I love the cameo of your cat!

[@emmamarentette]

I'm so in love with this outfit, it looks incredible!

[@thetillerwiller4696]

I love seeing common people clothing

[@EM2theBee]

I have a whole new appreciation for art from these periods. Thank you!

[@wynnewhitten-holmes5090]

The black partlet is so sharp! I'm warm and cosy just watching you put on all this snug wool.

[@franz3810]

stunning, and your kitty is a really good addition

[@emilysmith2784]

Those seams in the back of your kirtle are amazing. It fits you so well. Wish I had your skill.

[@FaerieFenergles]

You look so pretty without makeup on! I wish the fashion today was like that . . so nice and feminine.

[@idahoog1]

Thanks for a great video and a very well put together outfit. I really love to see a well made common person's clothing.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! Well done common people's clothing definitely has its own beauty!

[@manthasagittarius1]

Beautifully executed and the research looks very careful and down to fine detail. Always nice to do pre-Elizabethan Tudor, with the whole world of Holbeins portraits and sketches to draw on. There is a great sketch of a woman thought to be Margaret Roper, Thomas More's daughter, in a wonderful executed ordinary daily gown.

[@clare5one]

Beautiful cat!!! Older Japanese Kimonos were also lined in red silk, to afford "protection" to the wearer. Was this a superstition? Like your videos very much, subscribed.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

How interesting!

[@emilyb4702]

Your clothing is beautiful and the backs are especially lovely! Although, I think my favorite accessory is the cat.

[@juliac3933]

Very beautiful, I love the colors

[@adrianjohnson7920]

I would like to see how you put on and draped that linen rectangle as a veil!

[@elisabethm9655]

I LOVE that parting shot where you join the dance! Beautiful gram -thank you !

[@lamoinette23]

Very pretty clothes. I love when common ordinary clothing is done so well.. Linen does take a variety of colors, but requires an alum, tannin, alum fixing bath to keep the color fast. So, 3 mordant baths to fix it. It just more work, not an impossibility. Documentation for your time period of course is important.

[@GraciePattenSewing]

I absolutely love this! Is there a modern equivalent that can describe the weight/hand of russet?

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! The fabric I used was sold as "coarse broadcloth" but it's not nearly as heavy as a modern melton or anything like that. It also isn't fulled to the same extent as broadcloth. You should be able to still see the weave. I think of it more as a medium weight flannel? But again, not as brushed or fuzzy as a flannel. I hope that helps!! The Tudor Tailor sells reproduction russet but it is an investment lol

[@GraciePattenSewing]

@@TheCoutureCourtesan That's super helpful thank you!

[@samanthaesra4035]

Stunning.

[@lungsnlipslockd]

This is so pretty! 💕💕💕 I've always loved 16th c. working womens clothes. I would love to make an outfit like these some day! ❤🤗

[@bibbidybopp760]

Would you ever do a making-of video of this style of kirtle? I've got the book and the patterns and am slowly making mockup after mockup to get the bodice portion to fit right. I'm almost there! I reference this video and your making of the Anne Boleyn gown video any time I work on my project to help guide me in the direction. 🥰

[@missannie8012]

Beautiful work

[@BeeKool__113]

Wow! Absolutely brilliant! You really look like you stepped out of a painting of this time period. And, then adding the cute photoshop at the end really solidified that. Very cool! Also, I love your cat! Your video on noble women attire brought me to this one. Looking forward to more great videos!

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

So lovely to see working class clothing! (There tends to be quite a focus on more expensive garb in much of costube, so I really enjoy seeing people closer to my own situation represented?) Your final editing of yourself into the village festival painting was #chefskiss! 😄 I'm super-impressed by how perfectly fitted all your outfits are!! Such skill! The dress hooks are intriguing too - not something I'd heard of before, feel like I need to go Google & learn some more now? 😊

[@catfreak192]

What kind of fabric and hat or headdress (is that the right term) would have been used in summer? I have been attending a ren fest since I was a teenager and am wanting to try some "realistic" costumes next year (ran out of time this year) instead of my closet of fanciful costumes (even though I still love them too) but wool in May in humid North Texas just sounds like the perfect way to get heat stroke.

[@laurat4977]

Quite a difference from my yoga pants and t-shirts. :D I can't imagine how they accomplished all their physical work in those tight layers. Beautiful job on the clothing!

[@britneymortenson8772]

Love this video!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Aw shucks

[@elizabethraitanen5057]

Very interesting video! Thank you for going over the names of the pieces of clothing and the materials used. Love the cat and the piano!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! I was quite surprised that Calimanco (the cat) stuck around for the whole filming but she seemed to want her time in front of the camera lol

[@caitlinallen8400]

Wow, you are so skilled! And beautiful 😊

[@marastuff9256]

Your video is fantastic, i really hope that we will see more of you :) The only fault is it wasn't there 2 years ago, when i was struggling with my own Tudor gown :P

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you! I'm definitely hoping to do more! I have my 1530s elite gown to contrast with this outfit.

[@TeacherBeesABCs-123s]

You’re awesome!! Make more videos!!!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you so much! That's the plan!

[@fionnagrant6636]

Looks comfy

[@dis2666]

Beautiful garments that look very well made. I like your video and thanks for sharing.

[@margokwiatkowski3021]

I've watched many wonderful " getting dresed" vids. I absolutely live how informative yours was. I learned new things and I watch many, many of these. Love seeing commoner clothing too.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Thank you so much!

[@SuperMrsMar]

I joined a Renn faire guild (before covid), but at every faire I would end up with heat exhaustion. I was dressed in 100% cotton (because it was my first costume and that was all I had) and dressed lower class, but no matter what, I would end up overheated and feel sick. I don't know how the other guild members managed, they said they were just used to it. You would have to be to be in the Renn faire when it is 90°F outside... Any tips for staying cool?

[@mastersnet18]

Linen is even better than cotton on the summer, as well as some lightweight wools. Also, make sure your face is covered from the sun and to drink plenty of water.

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I never knew that the kirtles and gowns had the opening over the tummy.

[@lajsa8160]

I'm soooo late to this, but I just found your channel and been binging. I got so happy and surprised when you mentioned the hat is from Sally Pointer, it's so much fun when someone you recognize or follow pops up in someone else's video. Sally is so amazing, and so was this video!

[@healinghousefarm5562]

Wonderful

[@joycekellner9957]

I love the details about the pins and clothing hooks, but how did women avoid stabbing themselves on hte pins? I'd love to know about shoes of that era too.

[@sullyroddy]

Many of the habits Catholic nuns wore up until the late 1960s were designed when an order of nuns was established, and remained unchanged , sometimes for centuries. And the habits were based on the clothing if common people. So you might get some tips about headwear by looking at old habits. One of the most famous was the linen head dress if the Daughters if Charity, which was modeled after the head scarves of french peasants.

[@JessieCochran37]

I love learning about the Tudor commoner and what their lives would've been like. Like you, I really like the plainer and simpler clothes, as well as the gorgeous gowns of the nobility. I really like that outer gown a lot, although not pinned up-all the colors seem to clash in my opinion. I wonder if I would ever look good in that mustard yellow color with my fair skin? Great video, thanks for uploading! Say, do you know any traditional sewing techniques and stitches?

[@judyrowse7354]

I love watching this video. Do you have a pattern to make the woollen partlett please?

[@kaseyroth9911]

Looks wonderful!

[@sewmanyhobbies942]

Oohhhhh! That's amazing!

[@meihwadeclerk3147]

Very informative, thanks so much! I love the colours and cleaver use of pins. I want to try out that veil thing just because I want my hair covered when gardening, might be a bit cooler than my hat.

[@alagorical8001]

THIS IS INCREDIBLE!

[@freddietreehugger8144]

I love this outfit! So much simpler to wear and work in, and it looks colorful for court too! Hmmm, maybe I can get some help in making this type of outfit.

[@iowesa]

Love this and your videos on working class garments!

[@sloanschwindt9718]

Wonderful! I love the black partlet! Where did you find the hooks and did you make your shoes? I would love to take a class or 6 with you!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

I got my hooks from "The Treasury" on Etsy and my shoes are from a company that seems to no longer exist... But Boots by Bohemond also has Tudor shoes.

[@sarahburke8955]

I'd love to dress in a kirtle daily! Question: Do you feel fairly secure up top? I sometimes wear a corset, and am usually self conscious about "spilling out" if I lean over.

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Kirtles are SO comfortable and I would love to wear them every day! I do feel secure in them, because I fit them myself to the degree that they are holding everything in, so to speak.

[@purplecleo]

I am on a smock/chemise deep dive and I am trying to accumulate information in my brain about working class smocks. The assumption seems to be that they were sewn in the same way that 14th century smocks were - the tighter fitting sort of smock I mean. But I am not having any luck finding real examples or evidence, I know that is our challenge now but if you have any special insight into how a working class smock from the 16th century is made then I would absolutely covet that information

[@jimcowhand1749]

Love it! 👸🏻💖💕

[@dawnvickerstaff9148]

Where would I find a pattern for the pointed back partlet? I just love the look!

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

I just altered the partlet pattern from The Tudor Tailor book!

[@ChrisSmith-fk3ru]

This is great! Wonderful presentation! You are very talented and extremely creative. Can't wait to see more from you. Thanks for sharing your talents!!

[@amandaperry660]

Good stuff

[@stanzavik]

Can you do a video with ancient Sumerian and/or Egyptian women's attire?

[@TheCoutureCourtesan]

Unfortunately I know nothing about it!

[@ailsadixon408]

Absolutely wonderful!

[@lushball992]

Great video. Looking at costume for volunteers at Wollaton hall and this has really inspired me.

[@debbralehrman5957]

I really did enjoy this video I appreciate that new information I thought they stace at this time in history. I like watching videos like this thank you very much.

[@bumpagab]

beautiful work. I really enjoyed this. Loved seeing the portraits during the video!

[@nancyablceranable9862]

SOOOO HELPFUL 💛thank you

[@minerva5025]

Lovely very much enjoyed watching your video. Thank you

[@babuybabuyan]

Would you also be doing Medieval noble women's clothing?

[@catherinejustcatherine1778]

This is great to see, thank you.

[@martharice1110]

I love this video! Thank you for making it. Please share where you got your adorable shoes. Thank you.

[@KiddyJones1218]

Great job