Florentine Dress: 1500-1525
notes on style and construction

I decided to break down and discuss the parts of a Florentine dress from the years 1500-1525 to help organize my thoughts and provide a clearer written reference for others who might want to construct a dress in this style. All of the research is taken from the visual sources found in the collection of images on this site, with most of the additional information provided by the book, Virtue and Beauty from the National Gallery Renaissance portrait exhibition, which discusses the evolution of fashion in 15th and 16th century Florence. Unfortunately, almost all of the written accounts that I have seen so far cover other Italian regions or periods before or after the specific time frame I am researching, but I feel confident that I will find more information in the future so that I can better refine this article to include more historical evidence dealing with these subjects.

Camicia:

The shirt, or camicia, was made of fine white linen (the best coming from Cambrai, Reims, or Holland) with a full body and sleeves. There was a lavish amount of attention paid to the construction and care of these beautiful shirts, and their prominent display in Florentine fashion indicated the wearer's role as a perfect housekeeper; a very important quality in a society which placed such a great value on a woman's familial position as wife and mother. These undergarments also made up an increasingly important part of a bride's dowery, as exemplified by Lucrezia Borgia who had two-hundred shirts in her trousseau when she wed in 1515.

figure 1	figure 2	figure 3	figure 4

The camicia could be decorated with drawn thread work (fig. 1), a technique described in contemporary documents as ad reticellas, or embellished with black, red, or gold embroidery (fig. 2). Although most of the camicias have very plain bands at the neck, some examples feature a patterned border in either all white (fig. 3) or colored threads (fig. 4), and they could also have a tiny frill above the band. The fabric was gathered or smocked into a neckband that could either be high or low, round or square, and occasionally, the neckband is hidden by the bodice altogether. The sleeves were very wide and most examples show them left open at the cuff so that it hung in an wide tube (although cuffs are sometimes shown on camicias from other regions at this time). Embroidery occasionally appears on the puffs of camicia fabric visible at the shoulders, indicating that the decoration was not just isolated to the neckline or cuffs, but could also run in bands encircling or running the length of the arm.

The basic gown seen at this time, known as a gamurra or camora, was a very simple everyday dress meant to convey modesty, one of the most important virtues for women to exhibit in this society. An interesting point to consider when studying this period is that a similar style of gown can be seen on women from all stations of society, from the ruling Italian families to lowly servants. However, when worn by wealthy Florentine women, these relatively restrained garments displayed perfect tailoring, and the richness was displayed by the large quantity of extremely fine (and expensive!) wool and silk fabrics necessary to construct the huge sleeves and trailing skirts seen in the upper-class versions of the gamurra.

Bodice:

The bodice of the gown seems to be stiffened slightly in some illustrations, although there is no evidence available explaining what was creating this effect. Obviously curved bustlines tell us that the bodices did not use rigid boning during the first quarter of the century, but I have hypothisized that they might have used a corded interlining to stiffen the edges of bodice opening and prevent buckling in the front of the bodice. This however, is just a theory, and many other researchers believe that no stiffening materials were used in these bodices at all during the first quarter of the 15th century.

figure 5	figure 6	figure 7	figure 8

Bodices were typically closed with a single spiral lace cord in a style referred to in period texts as accordellata. The cord passed through bound eyelets or metal rings which would have been stitched to the edges of the fabric, as seen in many earlier Florentine paintings. With the exception of a few front lacing gowns (fig. 5), there seems to be no hard proof for the placement of the openings on this style of dress, but most of the circumstantial evidence points to side or side-back closures since there is quite a bit of is visual evidence for this style in Italain art both before and after this period. A surviving garment worn by Eleanora of Toledo, who was an important member of the Florentine Medici family, also has this side-back lacing in a bodice dating from some point prior to her death in 1562. None of the paintings from this period show back lacing, and it is reasonable to think that the gowns were laced on the side so that the opening would be concealed by its placement under the voluminous sleeves.

The shape of the front neckline of a Florentine gown could either be square or slightly rounded. Many painting show the shoulder straps angling off to rest on the very edge of the shoulders, which would emphasize the graceful slope of a woman's neck and shoulder (fig. 6), which was one of the key features in the Florentine conception idealized beauty. In early examples, it is fairly high and modest, covering most of the bust, but later styles show the neckline dipping to reveal a bit more cleavage (fig. 7). The back of the neckline is not often shown in paintings from this period, but it seems to appear in a variety of styles including squared, round, or even V-shaped. The bottom of the bodice usually rests at or a bit above the natural waistline, which on most average-sized women is about an inch or two above the navel. However, there are also quite a few examples of a higher placement throughout this period, although the extreme below-the-bust styles tend to date between 1510-1535.

The main form of decoration on most of these Florentine bodices appears in the form of one or two rows of contrasting colored guards around the neckline (fig. 8). Although some dresses do appear without these guards, the contrasting bands seem to be a very prominent regional style that is one of the signature elements of the dress from the Republic of Florence at this time. The guards appear in many different subtle variations and continue to show up in fashionable dress well beyond this specific period of study.

Skirt:

figure 9	figure 10	figure 11	figure 12

The skirts of Florentine gowns could be attached to the bodice with what appears to be knife pleats, box pleats (fig. 9), or gathers (fig. 10). Cartridge pleating is shown gowns before and after this period, but I have not seen convincing evidence of it being used for skirts during the first quarter of the century. One image shows a skirt that could be split in the front, but I have not found any other clear examples of a split over-skirt to corroborate this style, so it is also possible that the guards just run down the center front of the skirt as decoration. It was common for skirts of upper-class women to be longer than floor-length (fig. 11), which would allow them to display their wealth through the yards and yards of expensive fabric needed to construct such a style. These skirts would also have to be gathered up at the front when walking or moving about, which would create attractive folds of the sumptuous materials and show off the rich, contrasting underskirts. The hems on both the over- and under-skirts were sometimes decorated with one or two rows of guards (fig. 12), with the over-skirt decoration always matching the color of the contrasting bands on the bodice. In the few images where they are shown, the under-skirts are made of a contrasting fabric that is different from the gown and sleeves, and some research suggests that the they would have been attached to a hidden under-bodice, similar to petticoat-bodies of later periods.

Sleeves:

figure 13	figure 14	figure 15	figure 16

Florentine sleeves from the years 1500-1525 are most often seen in two major styles: either full and rounded, tapering to a tighter fit at the wrist (described by some texts as a wineskin or goiter shape) (fig. 13), or a wide open tube or bell-shape with an second pair of tight under-sleeves sometimes appearing beneath. A two-part sleeve construction with a full upper-sleeve and tight lower-sleeve joined above the elbow occasionally appears during this period, and after 1525, this sleeve style becomes the dominant shape for Florence and many other regions of Italy. All three variations were typically tied in at the shoulder during the first quarter of the 16th century, which allowed the camicia to be pulled out at the shoulder in an attractive puff which would showcase the fine linen undergarment. The sleeves were laced to the gown with several sets of ribbons or cords that occasionally had metal tips or small tassels at the ends (fig. 14), but it was more common to leave the points unadorned. These ties would pass through hidden rings or eyelets at the shoulder of the bodice and could either be left loose to add a decorative element, or hidden beneath the sleeve or bodice to conceal the method of attachment. Occasionally, the sleeves matched the color of the gown, but more often they are made of contrasting colors in a solid, brocade (fig. 15), or even striped fabric. Rows of guards or gold cord could also decorate the sleeves, and small hanging tassels are seen hanging at the wrist in several of the images from this period. A few paintings of wealthy patrons show wide sleeves with fur lining (fig. 16), and it is assumed that the entire dress could have been lined with fur as well.

figure 17	figure 18	figure 19	figure 20

Apron and neck-covering:

In addition to the camicia, two other articles of clothing fall into the "linens" category and are worn as accessories in Florentine fashions. Lightweight, gathered aprons show up from time to time in depictions of various classes of Florentine women. Although these aprons might have originated as a functional item, they probably were seen more as decorative garments by this time. The fine linen could be embellished with rows of embroidery (which is also seen in some later Italian examples), and like the camicia, it would be valued as a symbol of the wearer's impeccable domestic skills.

In 1464, Florentine sumptuary legislation mandated that a partlet, or coverciere, be worn to cover the bust and shoulders. Although this law seems to no longer be enforced by the 1500's, some form of neck-covering was still common throughout the next century. However, the original modest intention of this law seems to be completely ignored by women of this later era, who instead opted for the sheerest silks which hid none of their necklines but did provide another opportunity for them to show off their wealth by being able to afford such fine luxury fabrics. In the first quarter of the 16th century, the partlets were very plain, and if they were decorated at all, it would only appear as a tiny white or black gimp border on the edge of the fabric (fig. 17).

Girdle:

Most of the dresses are shown with some type of belt or sash at the waist. Raphael painted two of the most unusual versions, including a patterned band with a gold clasp and a gold chain girdle. More commonly though, Florentine women are shown with a fabric sash that appears in most cases to be made of crushed silk in a contrasting color. Not only would these belts add one more splash of color to the ensemble, but they were useful for kilting up the full skirts at the hip to create more freedom of movement. Further decorative features were sometime created by tying the fabric in a small, single-loop bow at the waist or by stringing beads onto the knot, the hanging ends, or the entire girdle.

Headdress:

The most common type of headdress seen on Florentine women is some sort of net or caul containing the hair at the nape of the neck. Although the frontal portraits make it difficult to know how these hair nets looked in the back, it seems likely that they could either me made like a small pouch, or could encase a long ponytail or braid that hung down the back. This accessory could either be made of a solid white material (probably linen or silk) or some type of knotted cord or thread, which in some cases, is so fine that it is almost invisible in reproductions of the original image. In early paintings, these nets and cauls are often combined with a thin band at the forehead or crown of the head, which was probably worn to help keep the net in position (fig. 18). Turbans were another fairly common fashion, and they could be made by simply wrapping a length of fabric around the head or a small bolster with an end often hanging loose as decoration in the rear. These hats relate closely to the balzo, which was a type of headdress worn in many European countries throughout the Renaissance, and the turbans also show the influence of Moorish and Turkish styles on Florentine tastes. Occasionally, women are shown without any head-wear, and in these instances, their locks could be free (signifying an unmarried woman), or arranged in one long braid that hangs down the back or wraps around the crown of the head.

Shoes and stockings:

Pictures showing the feet of Florentine women are somewhat rare, but at least two styles appear in illustrations from this time. The most common form is a simple slipper with a flat or slightly wedge-shaped sole. One painting also shows a woman wearing a shoe with a strap buckled across the instep, similar to modern Mary Janes (fig. 18). Stockings appear in a variety of bright colors, and one depiction even shows a pair of striped stockings.

Jewelry:

Most of the jewelry in Florentine paintings from the first quarter of the 16th century is fairly modest when you compare it to other regions and periods. Although brides were sometimes commemorated in wedding portraits wearing amazing jewels that spoke of the wealth and importance of her new family, women were obligated by sumptuary laws and cultural standards to simplify their wardrobes after a few years of marriage to better embody the virtues of modesty, demureness, and decency that were so valued in this society. A woman seen in simple costume without an abundance of jewels would not imply a lower class, but instead, would signal a virtuous wife some years after the wedding. In fact, dowery jewelry was not ever considered a woman's possession, and husbands would often re-sell the jewels or pass it on to other family members to be used as gifts for future brides.

Elaborate pendants with large pearls and gemstones are seen in a few wedding portraits, but more commonly, women are show wearing simple beaded styles, small charms, or even a plain cord. Rings appear to be more popular, even for modest matrons, and are worn on every finger, including the middle joints (fig. 20). Rings were given to the bride both by the husband as a symbol of their union and by the female members of the groom's family to remind the bride of her new place in the circle of the family. Although brooches are common in the 15th century, and earrings appear in later fashions, I have not noticed either of these types of jewelry in Florentine images from 1500-1525.