Bronze Bog dresses, version 1.0

or more properly, Dress after the Borum Eshoj Woman.

CA CONTEXT

At GW, Gwen and Glenna both wore versions of what they called the Bronze Age bog dress (though Glenna's was more of a 'bog bikini'...she's very cute), and since it looked wonderfully comfortable and easy to wear in warm weather, I decided I wanted one.  Or three.  Here's what they looked like...Gwen's is normal skirt length.  (Gwen's image removed by request; sorry for confusion.)

Carl Kohler's book, of which I have the 1924 translation in Dover edition, shows a partial image of this drawing...

I decided I liked the front slit, that I was going to skimp a bit on the skirt fullness per SCA context, at least for the first one (I wanted to conserve the gorgeous herringbone twill I was using), and got my pattern worked out.

Those strips are underarm gussets, which make all the difference in converting a two-dimensional T-shape into something that will move with a 3D form.  These are only 1.5" wide, but they do seem to work.

(These pieces make me think about weaving them, to shape.  The largest dimension on the shirt is 37" for me (I'm not short; 5'-7"), and the skirt could be done to proper walking fullness with (3) 24" pieces.  Perhaps that's a warp-weighted loom project for another time.)  I left walking slits in the side seams on this version.

Again, per SCA context, I did the decorative seam-finishing stitching, but this time with linen thread.  Here's a closeup of the strip gusset that turns the flat cross shape into a garment with body...

 

And learned how to do a four-ply braid to trim the neck, because I read somewhere (Owen-Crocker, I think) that more complex braiding was a normal skill that everyone could do...On this version the trim is on the inside, because that's where the cut edge is.  I think this top could be woven to shape - Hald seems to have information on that, with analysis of exactly the path of the wefts, but I haven't read closely yet.  But it was good to learn the braid, and on the fuller version I turned the cut edge to the outside, and finished it with the braid.

The top fits better with a bit of brooch bling...I have a thing for brooches...(Raymond's Quiet Press)(North Star Armory, too, but these are oh so simple pennannulars)

And here's the whole thing, complete with hairstyle inspired by Elling Woman, and Medieval Moccasins...

 

I have the fuller version done also, and will post a comparison soon.

MORE LINKS FOR BRONZE AGE

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~catshaman/BAdresses/BAdresses.htm

http://www.gallica.co.uk/bronzeage/borum_eshoj_woman_clothes.html

BOOKS

Gwendolen Isabella Stewart says that these two books have more information, both unfortunately out of print, and I have not personally seen them:

Broholm, H.C. and Margarethe Hald; tr. by Elisabeth Aagesen.. Costumes of the Bronze Age in Denmark. London: Oxford University Press, 1940.

Broholm, H.C. and Margarethe Hald; tr. by Joergen Andersen. Bronze Age Fashion. n.l.: Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag, 1948.

Comments

[Gwen]

I really hate that picture of me - I look fat and blah - please remove it.

[Greet]

/removing picture, even though I like it, because it makes your point about how the outfit isn't really supposed to show off the tummy.

[Melia Laprade]

He, he! That costume rocks, dude! It would be great if you had some props like a bronze or gold weapon. You're like a warrior princess with a cute doggie!