A dress of the 1330s-1340s, based on the finds from Herjolfsnes

Made in 2006

This is not my first dress based on the archaeological finds from Herjolfsnes, a norse settlement on Greenland. I have already made a short sleeved dress based on this find; from hand woven dark green wool. It was, however, made when I was the largest I have ever been (when not pregnant) and though I have taken it in at the sides I'm not quite happy with the way it fits. I also used the Herjolfsnes cut, but not the sleeves for my murrey and red early 14th century dresses. But, since the fashion in the early 14th century was for very loose gowns I made them looser than the originals probably were.
   But I decided to make another one, fitted closer than the red and murrey dresses. Since I had been working a lot with the Bocksten bog man's costume in my job (I analysed the costume in connection with contemporary fashion and made a report for the museum) just before I started this I wanted it to fit the most likely date of his, i.e. between 1335 and 1375; probably close to the middle of the century.

The 1340s with their interesting fashionable silhouette, resembling nothing so much as a barrel, had recently begun to fascinate me; it's after the graceful folds of the early 14th century and before the curvey shape of the 1360s and onwards. Like so many transitional styles it can look a little awkward and not immediately pleasing to the eye. But I like those styles. (I must admit to having an over tunic that really makes me look barrel shaped. I'm just not happy with the top fabric. It's lined with nice fake fur and I plan to re-use the lining with some nicer fabric.)

This dress is made entirely by hand. It is made from periwinkle blue wool tabby, very slightly fulled, and sewn with semi bleached linen thread. I used this dress from Herjolfsnes as the pattern. The only difference being that I didn't piece the centre gores and that I made the neckline wider, to make it suit the fashion of around 1340.
   Under it I'm wearing a sleeveless linen shift and over-knee length hose from murrey wool twill. I'm using my late 13th-early 14th c. shoes, but they're not that different from shoes worn in the middle of the 14th century.

My hair is braided in two braids starting at the temples and then pinned to the back of the head so the braids hangs right down until they reach the ears and then turn backwards, covering the ears; a style seen extremely often in illuminations from the 1330s and 1340s. I am also wearing a copper circlet and a veil from linen with a woven in pattern.

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