The style of veste was very popular among the aristocracy and is featured in many portraits by Italian artists during the period. The veste features a front closure often dipected with button being the mechinism for closure. It was worn independently of the undergarments as was most often depicted as worn over another vestito, often with a squared neck line. The veste is shown in many portraits to be worn be mostly be worn open at the top with to reveal the ruffled collar or the camicia and sottana below, and fastened at the waist, the amount of buttons closed in the portraits showed varying amounts of closure by the individual wearer.
Ispirazione del Progetto
Facendo il Progetto
Meassuring and Patterning
The veste can be split into two main parts: The bodice and the skirt. This allows for meassurements and fitting for the bodice to be taken separately to ensure that it fits correctly before the skirts are added.
Unlike the square neckline of the Florentine style gowns or the front closure styles of some Venetian gowns, the pattern for this style of higher neckline bodice on a veste more closet follows the same lines as a front closure doublet. The coverage across the chest is created across the entire chest, fashioned as a jacket with a lower rounded edge at front bottom to provide the shaping. Be sure to draft your pattern with this lowered front edge in order to create the correct line for the veste.
For the skirt the lines of the Italian gowns create curves that create a natural train that can be extended to a full train if that is the intention for the completed garment. For this dress we modified Margo Anderson’s Historic Patterns to get the right shapes in the gores needed to create the correct shape for the skirt.
Cutting and Sewing
Begin cutting out the pieces of your bodice doublet; Front, sides, side-back, and back. Next cut out your canvas pieces, lining, hair-canvas, and batting. When constructing a bodice or a jacket like a doublet a full canvas interlining provide the most structure.
Construction
The skirting for this gown atached to the doublet bodice in the same place that the shorter doublet skirts would be add.
More coming soon!
