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Getting dressed in Italian Renaissance (ca. 1480 Florence) ladies' clothing, layer by layer! The Creative Contessa offers classes and workshops of a variety of topics; check out her website If you would support more such content, consider becoming a Patron on Patreon and benefit from a whole host of perks: @@@@@Music by Gaita Medieval Music on their Queen of Measures album, which is available on their website or Spotify. 0:00-0:22 Transformation 0:23-2:45 Chemise/camicia/smock/undershirt 2:46-4:31 Smallcothes (“panties“) 4:31-7:05 Stockings 7:06-7:42 Shoes 7:43-10:43 Gown/gamurra/camora 10:44-13:15 Sleeves 13:15-16:44 Overgown/cioppa 16:45-18:53 Hair/hair decor 18:54-19:23 Overshoes/pianelle 19:24-19:54 The complete picture 19:55-20:06 Naughty Contessa kitty antics #getreadywithme #renaissance #costume #historicalfashion #livinghistory #cosplay #sca Now that we have our undergarments in place to protect our overlayers from, well, our skin’s own corrosive influence, we move on to the gamurra or cotta, the basic foundational gown worn by all classes of women. What distinguishes this garment from social class to social class are the materials from which it is constructed, ranging from linen and low-grade wool to heavy, sumptuous, figured silks and rich doeskin wool with its graceful fluidity. This gown is laced up in the front with three different sets of laces (insert picture), which are made of black silk and have been fingerloop woven by hand (picture), a frequent form of entertainment for both ladies and house tigers (looking at you, Hwagu…insert picture of hwagu). The lacing rings are gilt cast pewter and are replicas of originals (insert picture of lacing ring) made by Billie and Charlie’s fine pewters. When intended to amaze crowds outside the home – and therefore prove just how puissant a family it - such gowns are frequently embellished with embroidery (insert picture of embroidered sleeve), jewels and applique. However, it is rare that a lady is seen by non-relatives in this layer, so rare that Lucrezia Tournabuoni, Lorenzo de Medici’s mother, writes to her son about having glimpsed a young Clarice Orsini in her gamurra, noting that the young woman had a fine figure (and implying that she would make a good mother for future Medici scions) – ah, mothers as meat market brokers – some things never change! In a collaborative effort whose flowchart would resemble a metastatic hydra, gowns such as these were constructed by a host of artisans, with individual craftsmen being in charge of specific components: professional tailors, seamers, embroiders, furriers, jewelers – an upperclass gown often involved a cast of dozens. The sleeve’s complex set of lacings require the assistance of a dame d’honneur – but in these times of plague, the resident condottiero shall have to do! Although generally of the same shape, sleeves can feature a variety of openings and slits intended to reveal the snow white of the camicia underneath – a risqué display of the most intimate layer of clothing (oh, my!). Often, the left sleeve is decorated with ornate embroidery representing the arms of the house (up-close of embroidery) and labeling its wearer as a member thereof – clothing branding is nothing new! Sometimes the sleeves might be detachable and affixed by means of laces or pins, while others are simply detached from one dress and whip-stitched onto another by nimble fingers. When one has a host of servants, such labor is no inconvenience to the Lady being dressed! When participating in a formal occasion or exposing herself in a public place, a lady should never be seen in her bare gamurra. These overgowns can also be embellished with expensive and extensive embroidery, applique and jewels. This particular cioppa is constructed of a silk damask, a very common choice of fabrics for Florentine ladies of a certain status intended to bolster the honore of her family. Shoes: Footwear for ladies in this period was basically a turned leather shoe, as you see here. For Florence, most evidence comes from visual records, but the Thames river in London has been considerate enough to preserve contemporary examples in its anaerobic mud layers, which offer us clues as to the construction and materials. When it comes to women’s shoes, they seem to have come in a variety of colors such as black, brown, red and even white – because I have servants to keep them that shade! However, I would never dream of exiting my palazzo wearing *just* shoes…It’s disgusting out there, with a 100% chance of animal feces! So, like any independent-minded Contessa, I have decided to leave my palazzo and go explore the market. Isabella d’Este was also known to have enjoyed such a pastime - contrary to all propriety - especially when in Venice. These are based on a pair owned by her sister, Beatrice d’Este, that has survived to the modern day (insert picture of original).
