Fabric quantities

     Women
     Smock – 2 metres of 120cm wide linen

     Petticoat with attached bodies – 2 metres of 150cm wide fabric, and 0.5 metres of canvas and lining fabric for the bodies. If made as two separate garments, you will need 0.5 metres for the bodies and at least 1.5 metres for the petticoat

     Waistcoat (Jacket) – up to 1.5 metres fabric and lining, more if the fabric is only 90cm wide

     Loose gown – up to 2.5 metres of 150cm wide fabric

     Fitted gown – up to 3 metres of 150cm wide fabric

     Apron – 1 metre of 150cm wide linen
 

     Men
     Shirt – up to 2 metres of 120cm wide linen, or up to 2.5 metres if the fabric is narrower

     Basic doublet – 1.5 metres of 150cm wide, 2 metres of 120cm wide, 2.5 metres of 90cm wide fabric, plus same amount for lining, and approximately 0.5m for interlining.

     Coat and coat-style doublet – 1.5 metres of 150cm wide for doublet, 2 metres of 150cm for the coat, plus same amount of lining. If fabric is narrower you will need up to another 1.5 metres, also optionally a small amount of canvas to line collar and wings

     Basic breeches – up to 1.5 metres of 150cm wide, plus the same amount of lining. Add up to an extra 1 metre if fabric is narrower. Also need a strip of canvas for inside the waistband

     Basic jerkin and livery coat – about 1 metre of 150cm wide for the jerkin, 2 metres for the coat, plus the same amount of lining. If fabric is narrower, you will need an extra 0.5 metres for the jerkin, an extra 1 metre for the coat

     Example costumes for different social groups

     Women
     Husbandman’s or small rural craftsman’s wife or widow – coarse linen smock; red or russet petticoat with braid around the hem; plain waistcoat in white or natural coloured linen, fustian or flannel, or russet; optional gown in grey or natural coloured frieze or russet, tied at the waist with a girdle; linen neckerchief and kerchief or coif; unbleached linen apron; natural coloured knitted stockings. Clothing should be several years behind the fashion – the older the person, the more old-fashioned the clothing should be.

     Husbandman’s or small rural craftsman’s daughter, or unmarried rural servant – same as above, with no gown, but more up to date.

     Yeoman’s or better off craftsman’s wife or widow – medium weight linen smock; petticoat as above, possibly also with fringe; waistcoat in linen, fustian, flannel, russet or baise in natural colours or white, or black, red, green and possibly other colours, some waistcoats can have narrow braid; optional gown in natural colour, or black frieze, russet or stuff, loose or fitted (gown more likely to be worn by this class of woman); neckerchief and kerchief or coif of finer linen than smock; medium linen apron, or worsted or some other light wool apron, or taffeta for the most affluent, possibly black or blue or green; felt hat; stockings as above.

     Yeoman’s or better off rural craftsman’s daughter – same as yeoman’s wife but unlikely to have a gown, some can have narrow lace trimming to neck wear and coifs and possibly some simple embroidery on their coifs.

     Poor urban woman – coarse linen smock; red petticoat without trimming; linen, fustian, flannel or cotton waistcoat in natural colours; coarse linen apron; neckerchief and kerchief or coif; coarse knitted stockings. Earlier in the period a frieze gown can be worn instead of the waistcoat. One or more items can be ‘second hand’ and should look worn, but be in brighter colours.

     Unmarried urban servant – likely to be most fashionable and able to spend more money on clothing than other women. Medium linen smock; petticoat in red, blue, green, brown, murrey, possibly other colours, the fabric stammel, baise, serge, stuff or flannel, it may have separate stiffened bodies and be trimmed with fringe; waistcoat in similar fabrics and colours to petticoats, waistcoat and petticoat can match and waistcoat can have braid; fine linen neckerchief or ruff, and coif, neckerchief can have narrow lace trimming; medium weight linen apron or wool apron, white or coloured; coloured knitted stockings; optional felt hat.

     Affluent urban woman – similar to above but less fashionable and will have a gown for outdoor wear, this can be frieze, stuff, baise, serge or worsted, in black, red, brown or other colours.

      Men

     Husbandman or small rural craftsman – coarse linen shirt; leather or canvas doublet; russet or leather breeches; optional frieze coat or rural type jerkin; optional frieze or russet workaday cloak; small linen collar; felt hat or knitted cap; coarse knitted stockings or cloth stockings. Nearly all in natural pigments. If portraying a labourer, omit the cloak.

     Yeoman – medium weight linen shirt; leather or fustian doublet; leather or worsted breeches, if worsted use black, red or green as possible colours; optional frieze or leather jerkin, or cloak in frieze or russet, or best cloak in wool, possible colours green, blue, black; narrow collar in finer linen than that of the shirt; felt hat; knitted stockings in natural or dyed wool. The most affluent might have braid on their cloaks and breeches and have linen cuffs.

     Servant – medium weight linen shirt; fustian doublet; blue broadcloth or frieze livery coat and breeches; knitted stockings in natural colour; collar; possibly cuffs; flat cap.

     Affluent artisan or tradesman – leather, fustian, or possibly worsted doublet; leather or worsted breeches; if worsted used, similar colours to yeoman and possibly braid trimmed; optional coloured wool cloak, possibly trimmed or with a cape; optional fashionable leather jerkin; linen collar or ruff; cuffs; coloured knitted stockings; fashionable felt hat with band.

     Old man – doublet and breeches as for husbandman, yeoman or artisan but old fashioned in style, perhaps 20 years out of date; long frieze gown if poor, wool gown in black or other dark colour if prosperous; narrow collar or ruff if prosperous; felt hat or knitted cap; night cap for indoor wear.

     Poor urban man – as for husbandman but may include one or two second hand items, these might be more fashionable and colourful, they would be well made but worn.

 

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