Tudor Dress Design

The Tudor Page

Design

Princess Elizabeth

1546

The year 1546, Henry VIII is on the throne but aging as all the years of excess are starting to catch up with him. Young Elizabeth has been growing up with fear and tension, but her strong ego and fierce intelligence keep her one step ahead of the political games.

This is the year of fashion that I wish to recreate. The 1540s are a year of transition. The skirts are starting to use a farthingale and the outline of the body is more structured from the softer early Tudor times.

Here is an image of Elizabeth's sister Mary...the fashion shows that it is around the same time as my dress.

This image of who we now think is Kathryn Parr. One of the few full length examples of what the gown should look like. She did try to be a true mother to Elizabeth.

My sketch

Based on my shape which even a corset cannot bring down to Tudor Fashion.

Gallery has research images from the BBC "Elizabeth R" series

So after more research, I see that the images I'm looking at are too late. If I want a 1547 dress earlier than this, then I need to look at the Thomas Moore painting and earlier work by Holbine.

Looks like I'll be doing two dresses: One early Tudor (1530s) and one Late Tudor (1547)

No, I'll only do one. 1547ish, I'll have the corded petticoat for the proper skirt silhouette. The 1530s do not have a skirt that flares out and I want one of those. I hope the outer skirts do not overwhelm the petticoat.

1540s is the transistion decade, going from a more natural form toward the ridged style of the Elizabethan Period. The dress I'm going to make will be patterened after the Tudor Taylor Ladies. I will not have silk brocade, I'm going to use my stash material.