Thanks to the generous donations of Ars Lyrica in Houston, we've had access to some amazing Renaissance clothing for our outreach shows. It's interesting to learn about clothing from 500 years ago and get a chance to wear some of these historically-influenced pieces.
Eva agreed to model for our most elaborate dress. This is by no means a complete Renaissance outfit, but you can see a few of the more important layers. (Apologies for the photos--they were taken on a smartphone)
First, we have the Chemise (shuh-meez). It's made of a light fabric with ornate sleeves and a lacy neckline that shows above the rest of the dress.
Then we have the Forepart (fohr-pahrt) which shows through the front of the dress. This particular design would have been considered a high-class dress as it has beautiful embroidery and pearls sewn into the design.
Next, the bodice is laced on. In this case, the lacing is in the back, which indicates a high-class lady. Lower class ladies more commonly had lacing in the front of the dress. Eva is also wearing a hat -- perhaps an expert can tell us the name for this specific type of hat!
The last piece we have is the Overskirt. This particular overskirt weighs approximately ten pounds and putting it on requires assistance!
