Think of high fashion in about all time periods as suffering for one's social class, whether the total ensemble is heavy(think of it as weight-lifting), constricting(you can't eat, breathe, or hardly move, or move in relative comfort in only a certain way), or revealing(better have or create the body type to wear said ensemble )or all three put together. Keira Knightly said the high-plumed wig complete she wore in the "Duchess" alone was around 10 pounds. That's why if you could afford to wear such gear, you had to have servants! Today it is fashion that demands a size of no more than 2 and the ability to tetter along in four inch heels and do it all without servants(unless you are filthy rich).
I thought this dress demanded a very fine, rather lightweight material in order to make the pleating work. A good rabbit fur should work--most sumputuary laws wouldn't even permit rabbit fur on clothing for those below a certain rank and or income and surprisingly the "lower orders" couldn't even legally trim clothing with bunny, let alone line a winter cloak. Apparently, you could catch Mr or Mrs Bunny, eat either, but you better sell the pelts to your "betters" on the social scale. Cindy Abel -----Original Message----- From: h-costume-boun...@indra.com [mailto:h-costume-boun...@indra.com] On Behalf Of Saragrace Knauf Sent: Tuesday, March 03, 2009 2:21 PM To: h-cost...@indra.com Subject: [h-cost] Arnolfi gown - Hunnisett I have this book and have looked at it for reference. I am fiddling right now with the box pleat decorations...wish me luck! I wonder how many deep there are. That sleeve looks wicked heavy and the wool I have, though fine, is heavy already. Sg > From: viv.watk...@virgin.net > To: h-cost...@indra.com > Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 18:46:58 +0000 > Subject: Re: [h-cost] What kind of fur would you use for this? > > I looked up Jean Hunnisett because I remember her saying she had made the > Arnolfini dress. She includes the dress in "Period Costume for Stage and > Screen: Medieval - 1500" but doesn't say what fur she used. You might be > interested in her comments, bearing in mind (as she always said) that her > costumes are for stage and TV. > > Viv. > > _______________________________________________ > h-costume mailing list > h-costume@mail.indra.com > http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
