It looks like the gown is velvet, she has slash-and-puff sleeves, lots of gold embroidery, and a goldhaube (coif) under a tiny Tudoresque bonnet. She's wearing (I think) a high-necked, pleated hemd with a parlet over it. There'd be a lot of handwork in the sleeves, but I think I've figured out a way to "do" the embroidery. (Enter sari trim...) I've done slash and puff for Tudor undersleeves and a Henrician doublet, so have an idea of how to do it. I've also made a pleated hemd as a special project, and while it turned out AWFUL, I learned a lot about pleating - especially what I did wrong that time.I can't tell from this portrait if the gown is back- or side-laced. Looking at it closely, it resembles a Tudor kirtle (the undergown) in shape and cut. I've got a pattern for a Tudor kirtle, so I'll use that and this gown will be side-laced.
So, I'm now gathering the materials to make this gown. I've ordered 10 yards of burgundy velveteen (on sale!), enough tissue linen to make a shirt-length hemd and sleeve puffs (also on sale!), different widths of gold-embroidered trim (from Indianbeautifulart.com via Etsy and Ebay), and am planning what other notions I will need.
The hardest thing, I think, will be finding something to make the partlet. It appears to be rays of embroidered silk emanating from an embroidered close-fitting collar. OR, it could be rays of embroidered silk atop a very sheer silk gauze. I've seen sheer silk used in partlets in other portraits.
Sari Trim
Perhaps I should explain the use of sari trim on garb. I was making a gown for a friend that had bands of 2-3 inch wide embroidery going up the front of the bodice and skirt, across the bodice, and on the undersleeves. I had arranged for someone to do the embroidery, but due to life happening, this plan did not work out. While desperately searching for an appropriately wide trim, I found sari trim. It comes in widths from 1-6 inches (and probably wider), is available in generous lengths (but usually less than 10 yards at a time), and frequently has a "medieval" look to it. Here's what I used for that gown:
We embellished this with pearls and blue stones. It was lovely and looked very good on the gown. I was able to order enough to complete the entire ensemble at a much cheaper price than trim merchants charge for 2.5" trim (It was $7.50 a yard). Here's what it looked like on the gown:
For the Elisabeth of Austria gown, I'm going to use this on the sleeves:
It looks silver in this photo, but the embroidery is actually gold. And yes, there are spangles on it. I might take them off, although they are period.
And this narrower trim on the bodice:
Again, the embroidery really is gold, not silver.
Should be fun!
