Well, I didn't do a whole lot of research into it, but I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy last year during Faire, and simply wore a very good supporting bra under my loose kirtle and surcoat. My character is solidly middle-class. With the kirtle/surcoat outfit, you really don't need stays or hoops underneath to achieve the right look - using a stiff facing at the bottom of the kirtle achieved the needed "stick-out-ness" without any petticoats or hoops (which wouldn't fit over an ever-expanding belly :-)
My second outfit was based on a Flemish working-woman kirtle and front-laced overgown. This worked well, as I could let out the laces as needed, or dispense with the overgown if the day was really hot. (Same with the surcoat above). If the undergown is fitted correctly, it is supposed to support without any corsetry at all. I, however, have never been able to do this fitting on myself satisfactorily, and so again wore a bra during pregnancy, and wear reed-boned stays otherwise. I have photos, but nowhere to put them up online. I can send them to you directly if you would like - let me know. ******************************************************************* Rebecca Schmitt aka Agness Cabot, Guilde of St. Lawrence Bristol Renaissance Faire My arms are too short to box with God. --Johnny Cash ******************************************************************* _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
