French court costume, XVIth century

This luxurious outfit includes:

• Undershirt, made of linen or cotton
• Underskirt with hoops for a more puffed up shape
• Fabrick underskirt
• XVI century satin corset on linen lining
• Petticoat skirt in linen or cotton with a jacquard insert and golden lace trim
• Jacquard sleeves with lace trim
• Upper gown of natural velvet with golden lace trimmings and pearls

Women's Renaissance court costumes in France were particularly beautiful. Without excessive Italian languor, without British primness, and Spanish austerity, it absorbed all the best from Renaissance fashion trends. A slim and soft silhouette, a deep, but not vulgar neckline... Sophisticated and cosy, beauty and romance without anything fancy. Steel Mastery presents you our gorgeous incarnation of this elegant outfit.

The undershirt is sewn from the finest white linen or cotton, as you choose. Shirt' neck and armholes are trimmed with fine lace embroidery.  It's nice for your body and quite historical. However, if you fancy a strict reenactment, you can always order handmade lace and hand tailoring.

The underskirt is a crinoline with hoops to support the skirts in the desired shape and enlarge the lower half of the body. However, if you are facing an event where the requirements are so stringent that even what you have under your dress will be checked, then Steel Mastery's artisans are ready to sew the farthingale for you. Yes, historically accurate underskirt used under Western European women's clothing in the XVIth and XVIIth centuries. Farthingales were used primarily by court women to show their high social position and wealth. And we are ready to make it for you, if you wish.

Fabric underskirt is designed to hide the outlines of the hoops underneath your gown to give it the perfect silhouette. It will be sewn from linen or cotton, in any colour of your choice. By the way, if you choose a farthingale instead of a regular crinoline you can do without a fabric underskirt.

At the same time, the corset corresponds exactly to the design of the historic original of the XVIth century, which belonged to Countess Dorothea Sabina von Neuburg and is now preserved in the Bavarian National Museum in Munich. It is made of cotton-lined satin with inner layers of linen. However, at your request we can sew it in linen, cotton or silk.

The petticoat skirt you see on the front in the slit of the top dress is sewn in cotton with a gold jacquard insert, which is quite traditional for the XVIth century, even if the dress belonged to the queen.  After all, there's no reason to waste expensive fabric where no one can see it. However, if you don't spare a penny for your costumes, we can sew the entire petticoat skirt in jacquard, silk or another fabric of your choice. Also according to history and your wishes, this skirt can be decorated with gold or silver lace, velvet ribbons, pearls or even jewels along the hem.

The narrow lower sleeves laced to the corset are made of the same jacquard as the petticoat skirt and decorated with white braided lace. As a rule these sleeves were sewed from the same fabric as the visible part of the petticoat skirt, but there were exceptions. The only condition was that the fabric must not be the same as the one on the top dress. And usually these sleeves were decorated very richly: with lace, gold or silver braid, jewels and pearls. So it's only you who decides which sleeve you are going to wear on your dress.

The upper gown dress is made of velvet on a cotton lining. Traditionally it was sewn from the most expensive and luxurious fabric available for the lady. And the presence of trimmings is directly proportional to the ladies' status. Both just the edges of the dress and its whole surface can be decorated. We used artificial pearls to decorate the neckline and sleeves. But here the choice is yours: gold and silver laces, braid, velvet ribbons, pearls and precious stones. For this dress there is a small train, however you can choose not to add a train at all or to make it longer.

Upon request we can make a headpiece to match your outfit and a partlet (a removable insert to cover the neckline).

This is truly a chic dress, by ordering which you can show your taste and make true long-standing childhood fantasies of a beautiful princess at the ball. And we are always ready to help you.