medieval dresses....ideas.

[fireheart]

I'm putting this up more for suggestions than anything else. Linkys are great too.

Basically, my boyfriend is part of a Viking re-enactment group. If the relationship lasts long enough for the Medieval fair that's held every year, then my boyfriend is wanting me to join him as his lady.

The question I'm putting forward is.....what the hell do I wear?! Obviously it'll be a dress, but anything would be great. It's the first time I've done this sort of thing as well, so any advice would be much appreciated.

(Nyoibo, this might interest you as well...my boyfriend's part of NVG, also known as Handakas or New Vanguard. If I'm at the fair, I'll see if I can findyou )

[Taboo]

Some quick googling for you, since I love costuming work...

Comprehensive overview: http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/qdirtyvk.html
Modern depictions vs. reality: http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/roach.html
How to make a tunic: http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/viktunic.html

Those links are archeologically based so they're mostly text rather than images. I'd suggest looking at images of people's modern costumes from these sorts of events - see if your boyfriend can give you a website for this event or similar ones - and that way you can see what other people's costumes look like. Then you can compare their modern costumes to the actual research, and alter as you want to in order to find something accurate enough for your personal tastes. Even if you decide to just buy or make something more medieval-generic, it's still interesting reading.

This woman has some gorgeous handmade medieval dresses on her blog that you might find interesting: http://emichieejtlh.blogspot.com/200...1_archive.html

[flybye023]

I like this site. Pre-made and fairly authentic-looking. Also, this.

[Shpepper]

I've got tons of resources. Are you looking for make it yourself, or ready made. If ready made, do you want to import it or do you need a maker there? Does it specifically need to be viking or could you be a captive from another place who retains her own manner of dress ? Let me know and I can suggest more places to look and ideas.

[42_42_42]

Most likely, someone in his re-enactment group or in the local SCA will be able to make you or help you make a costume.

Here is a page of links: http://www.geocities.com/lorddonal/Garb.htm

According to one site, this is an authentic look for women living in Greenland during the Viking era:


Here is an interesting article (with pics) about clothing in Denmark during the middle ages:
http://www.forest.gen.nz/Medieval/ar.../garments.html

Here is a gallery of viking garb: http://www.slumberland.org/gallery/album07

HTH!

[Kheldarson]

Simplicity has the greatest costume line for this. And you can make the dress look as authentic or fantasy-oriented as you want with the right fabrics.

Here's the missus line.... http://www.simplicity.com/c-266-misses.aspx

[fireheart]

Shpepper, as part of the group, my boyfriend's the webmaster (he's studying IT) and one of the options they have in the group, is that they can create their own personal histories. They have their own Viking names and such (my boyfriend's name is Thorgrim, when he first wrote his history, he included me with the name Freydis). His character's a farmhand who was born a natural warrior, so something simple and village-y would most likely work.

I'll talk to him about possibly being from another area with their own dress style, but for now I'll stick with viking. at this stage, I may go ready-made, but I'm also prepared to make my own (he's asking around his club). Imported is an option I could consider as well

Thanks everyone for the linkys.

[Lil Bunny]

Heh I'd like to pimp out a dear friend who will kill me later. Monolayth makes beautiful period dresses and I cannot say enough about the stuff she's shown me.

I'll be running now as she's a stealth little killer.

[Evil Queen]

http://www.dornbluth.co.uk/

Enjoy my darling. I'll actually be purchasing one of these dresses for my wedding (If I ever find someone to marry, that is).

The Hermia style dress (http://www.dornbluth.co.uk/?page=sho...03a300c5f76f46) may be a good one if you don't mind buying a dress, over making it.

Picture posted in case the link doesn't work (some links don't work in all countries.

[fireheart]

EQ, that dress is great. That might even be an option, but I'll run it past him today

[Food Lady]

Would said boyfriend happen to be one of the nightfillers you're not supposed to be flirting with?

[Sliceanddice]

EQ, that dress is great. That might even be an option, but I'll run it past him today

also i looked at the site from EQ link and there are a few other dresses that might work with the right accesseries like the Hedwig, because you just put on a few broaches it would look like Taboos links almost

[Shpepper]

You've got some really good links here. Most of them I would have given you. Let me know if you need more than that and I will go through my pages of links. I am a costuming nut and have tons of links for pages. Just let me know.

[fireheart]

Would said boyfriend happen to be one of the nightfillers you're not supposed to be flirting with?

No.

This one's a different guy. Not work-related.

I ran the dress past him today. He said it's not authentic Viking, but he wasn't expecting it to be. 'He's gonna run it past the people on wednesday at his training session.

[fireheart]

and a quick bump up.

So, my boyfriend and I had a good long talk about dresses last night. I showed him the links everyone sent me and he agreed with most of them. His character is not a farmhand (whoops), rather it's middle class. We sort of worked out a rough idea for a character for me, and in the end, decided on me being a Frankish maiden for him (Franks=France). This gives me a LOT more leeway with the dress, but we also tossed around the option of making/buying a dress and then making the apron to "vikingise" it.

In the end, we decided to go with making a dress, as I have more options in colour and cut and I can make it to custom fit. I went through all the patterns and I've gone between a Butterick pattern and a few simplicity patterns. (the style numbers might be different so I'm going to check them out soon) We're keeping it fairly simple, with the possibility of a front panel in light blue and the rest of the dress in a darker blue.

But still, EQ, I love that dress.....ME WANT!