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Gothic Fitted Gown

The fitted gown was a popular style in Europe in the late 14th/early 15th centuries. For more information on this style, I recommend that you read Tasha Kelly's excellent paper on this style. When I was fit for this dress, we used her fitting method, which worked very well.

This dress is made out of two layers - a wool flannel outer fabric and a linen lining. It's totally self-supportive, which is lovely. I used hand-bound eyelets along the front and up the sleeves. There is decorative embroidery along the neckline.

Although you can't tell from this photo, the sleeves on this gown are not done correctly. I made the common mistake of cutting the armscyes too large, and thus I can't raise my arms above chest-level. I did attempt to draft a gusset into the sleeves, but it didn't help much. When I made the plaid cothardie, I used Maistresse Mathilde Bourette's paper on sleeve construction and had excellent results. Keeping the curve of the sleeve head as shallow as possible seems to be key, and I have full range of movement in the plaid version of this dress.


Ymir, Barony of Windmaster's Hill, February 2004


Fitting Photo - 2003


Fitting Photo - 2003