Gold Elizabethan Doublet and Trunkhosen

This outfit started when Mary-Grace and I were shopping at a high end fabric store in Madisonville, and she stumbled across this fabric. I was two aisles over looking at some embroidered organzas when she yells, "Charles, come here...you have to see this...come here... come here...come here!" So, of course I went and there it was a gold silk tafetta that was brocaded with a darker gold silk chenille in a diamond and dot pattern. The first thing I thought when I saw it was, "men's Elizabethan." I bought two yards of the fabric, as it was quite costly...

I designed the outfit with gold silk dupioni sleeves that I slashed in a"cross-shaped" design. I then placed the dupioni over a burgundy linen that matched the hosen that I have to wear with it.

The Doublet and Trunkhosen are standard pattern designs that I drafted based on Janet Arnold's patterns she based on extant garments that can be found in Patterns of Fashion: the cut and contstruction of men and women's clothing from 1560-1620.

When I found out I was going to be attending the State Dinner at Pennsic with the MENGster, I knew I was going to have to have something fancy-schmancy! I ended up being invited because our crown couldn't stay for the dinner. Since MG was Crown Princess, she went in their stead...I was her date.

There I was with the crowns of every kingdom of the known world eating dinner, and I not even a peer.

I embellished the doublet with Onyx cabs and large pearls...but somehow during the packing for Pennsic, I managed to leave the sleeves behind, so I wore it as a jerkin instead. I have put on about 20 pounds since I made it, so I can't get into it, but I am working on changing that :-)