Pleats on the Saxon Court gowns

[mmcnealy]

I posted this to the GRC (GermanRenCostume Yahoo group) and thought I'd post it here too with a bit more commentary and more images

David and Bathsheba, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526
Typical Saxon court style dresses, untypical postures as one lady is sitting down getting her feet washed and another has picked her skirt up to miss a shrub. The pleats start out looking the same at the waistline, but due to the different postures of the ladies its possible to see that they aren't taped organ pleats but appear to be rolled pleats.

Portrait of a noble Saxon lady as Mary Magdalen, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1525

The borders aren't even in this one because I think the lady is taking a step forward. You can see the nice columnar pleats start to breakup at the first band of trim, and they look flat, as if they are deep knife pleats that have been set into the skirt via a press.

Melencholia, Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1532

A Saxon court style dress, with a red pleated apron over the top. The pleats on the apron have the typical apperance of the court dress style type, but as it extends into the skirt, you can see that the pleats have been set into the fabric, which leads us to the next picture...

The Tailor from Jost Amman's Book of Trades
Showing a dress having the pleats in the skirt being set using wooden (?) bars to set them in.

All food for thought...

Comments

[flummoxicated.livejournal.com]

Thanks for these! The first one is especially interesting, always great to get unusal views of clothing.

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! Its nice to see women in Saxon court style dresses that aren't standing up nice and straight, or sitting at a table or doing other typical lady like things that don't involve lifting the skirt hems.

[peteyfrogboy.livejournal.com]

Very interesting. I would imagine that taped organ pleats would be nearly impossible to walk in, having worn enough of them myself.

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

I didn't know anybody I knew had actually worked with them. What have you made with taped organ pleats? Do you have pictures?

[peteyfrogboy.livejournal.com]

I use them for my 15th century Italian men's stuff (giorneas & cioppas). There are a bunch of pictures over in my old sewing journal (http://www.houseofpung.net/clothes).

[sitpadeshu.livejournal.com]

This is great research. :) Have you done any research as to the opening of the gown? This would include it's attachment to the skirt across the opening at the waist and what is directly beneath it. When I made my dress and presented it at an event my ideas were shot down, so I'd be interested to see what your research has uncovered. :)