I made this outfit for Pennsic (among a few other outfits), because I needed something fancy-schmancy. OK, I realize I have lots of dressy things to choose from, but any excuse for something new, right?

I based this outfit off of several paintings of Henry VIII and referencing a few books: Dress in the Court of Henry VIII and The Tudor Tailor.

When you get down to the nuts and bolts of much of what Henry was wearing,it is very heavily influenced by Germanic fashion. the German Waffenrock and Wams became the English "U" front jerkin and doublet,and the schaube turned into the Tudor Great cote we associate with this time period in England. I also made my first German outfit as well - pictures to come of that later. 

Several people asked me about the "puff and slash" and if I pulled my shirt through the doublet. The answer is "no." I did slash the doublet, and I pulled fabric through, but I tacked each slash so the puff would be perminate...I didn't want to fiddle with pulling my shirt through.

The event I made this for I didn't end up attending, but I still wore it one night - I wish I had more pictures.

I am not crazy with how the the jerkin cuts across my stomach, so I am probably going to make the "U" deeper so it is not cutting across the bottom ouches...still, it looks pretty darn good.