Suzi Clarke

I feel so honored to showcase the work of this UK costumer since she is a true expert producing some of the most spectacular costumes that I have ever seen! This outfit is a reproduction of a surviving gentleman's suit from 1567, and Suzi was kind enough to also send a back view for us to enjoy as well. You can read a little more about this outfit below the picture, and be sure to also check out Suzi's wonderful website where you can also find this costume on her 16th century page.

The story of this suit: Nigel belongs to a group called Danse Royale, based in Colchester, England, who do displays of dancing from many different time periods. Nigel and the group decided he wanted something different from everyone else, so we decided on the "Sture Suit" from Janet Arnold's book. We used the simplest one - I think the senior man - and chose black cotton velvet and a grey lining taffeta. There were three different styles of braid in the doublet, and one of them matched the trimming on the pluderhose. I made them exactly as in the Arnold book, and they do fit quite firmly in the seat, but Nigel has no bum to speak of, being very flat, so this was not a problem. He has a cloak to match. The photo was taken on the stage of Shakespeare's Globe, in Southwark, on the occasion of the memorial performance for Janet Arnold, as she was a great fan of the Globe. She knew the group well, and always thought Nigel's costume was the best! I think she had a soft spot for Nigel, as he is a very sweet man, and he and his wife used to look after Janet at events when she went as a guest.