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Going Swedish
Sep. 8th, 2013 12:33 pmThre are many reasons why very few people in the SCA/costuming world do Swedish or Scandinavian 16th century costuming. One is the lack of books and web sites on the topic, most books in English, which after all is the language most people active in this field speak and read, deal with English fashions, some with French or Italian and a very few with German manners of dress. This leads on to the lack of sources. There are sources, but not many and they usually require that you know a Scandinavian language (and the horrible gothic hand writing of the time). Since I am one of the few scholars who actually study Scandinavian dress from this period (there are others, who I am very grateful to, like Camilla Luise Dahl and Cecilia Aneer) I am thus also one of the few persons who can make and wear Swedish 16th century costumes with some sort of confidence. Because let's face it: it's no fun making styles you can't research.
This one is a noble costume from c 1560-70. It can be worn with either a fitted gown with puffed sleeves over it or a doublet with short puffed sleeves. Written sources show that a gollar could also be worn.
The apron is pleated linen, and you find them in images from especially Northern Germany too. The cap is one of the hings that was strictly forbidden for non-noble women. Since I am Lady Aleydis in the SCA that wouldn't have been a problem even if the SCA cared for sumptuary laws that way, or if there hade been any Swedish sumptuary regulations covering them before 1583. Another thing that was forbidden for bourgeois women was silk worn below the belt As you can see the skirt of my gown is trimmed with three bands of silk. It is a very even dupioni and as such not very fancy. My doublet will be made from damask, one of the most common silks used for doublets in the early 17th century bourgeois probates I have studied. The blue colour of the dress may be a little on the bright side, but otherwise also suggests lower class, blue was at this time mostly worn by servants and other commoners. So I guess what I'm aiming for is lower nobility.
( A selfie close-up of the cap )
This one is a noble costume from c 1560-70. It can be worn with either a fitted gown with puffed sleeves over it or a doublet with short puffed sleeves. Written sources show that a gollar could also be worn.
The apron is pleated linen, and you find them in images from especially Northern Germany too. The cap is one of the hings that was strictly forbidden for non-noble women. Since I am Lady Aleydis in the SCA that wouldn't have been a problem even if the SCA cared for sumptuary laws that way, or if there hade been any Swedish sumptuary regulations covering them before 1583. Another thing that was forbidden for bourgeois women was silk worn below the belt As you can see the skirt of my gown is trimmed with three bands of silk. It is a very even dupioni and as such not very fancy. My doublet will be made from damask, one of the most common silks used for doublets in the early 17th century bourgeois probates I have studied. The blue colour of the dress may be a little on the bright side, but otherwise also suggests lower class, blue was at this time mostly worn by servants and other commoners. So I guess what I'm aiming for is lower nobility.
( A selfie close-up of the cap )