Dutch Market Dress Three Ways - Stomacher and skirt with Gianetta

I have not taught a class on Dutch market dresses since spring 2008. I decided that I wanted to teach it once again and I am planning this class for June 6th at West Kingdom A&S Tournament (bright and early, first slot available while it's hopefully still cool outside) . Though I have presented these materials before, this class is different from others I have taught on the market dress in that I am going to have three guinea pigs modeling three potential methods of "the layer under the overdress."* Those layers being a kirtle laced on the sides, a "stomacher", and a kirtle laced up the front with a placket covering the lacing. These all go under the overdress.

Gianetta del Bene agreed to be a guinea pig (and she is a very excited guinea pig).  Etain du Pommier is another guinea pig. I am the final guinea pig.

I do believe that just a stomacher is not the answer because there are many many images where you can see the skirts under the overdress, even when "the layer under the lacing"* is a different color. In the case of the brothel scene by Beuckelaer, one woman isn't wearing anything between her smock and her overdress. Sometimes the layer under the overdress is the same color as the aprons the women are wearing, so that's what I'm toying with as a more likely possibility versus a stomacher which is a piece specifically for under the dress. For the sake of trying different methods, a stomacher is what Gianetta is getting.

I met with Gianetta today to go over our options.

Her overdress with sewn in short sleeves will be made a wool/acrylic blend in a color called sunset, her stomacher/apron and underskirt will be a linen in dried herb, her pin-on sleeves will be made of a blue wool dyed brown, her jacket will be a beautiful red wool, her veil will be hankie weight linen, her coif will be a slightly thicker white linen, a smock out of 3.5 ounce linen, a black wool partlet, a white linen partlet, and an apron of blue linen she gave me. Because we live in California, the skirt will be unlined. I am using 1 layer of linen to line the bodice of the overdress only.

We looked at images and I explained the difference in the dress of the older women versus the younger women depicted in the paintings. She was fine with the older women's dress and is on board with wearing it.

Joachim Beuckelaer Detail from The Vegetable Market 1567

Joachim Beuckelaer Detail from A Dutch Kitchen Scene year unknown

Joachim Beuckelaer. Detail fromThe Four Elements (Water) 1569

Joachim Beuckelaer detail from The Flight Into Egypt year unknown

Pieter Aertsen detail from Market Scene year unknown

The primary difference with the older women are how they wear their veils. The veils are not starched or wired. Another difference that is clearly visible in one image is the front of their dresses. The lacing across the chest can be narrower than that on the young women. Their smocks are also a bit higher in the neck.

I am aiming to have the overdress, sleeves, stomacher, skirt, coif and veil completed by March 27th. The partlets are my first stretch goal, the smock is the next stretch goal. The jacket may have to wait until after June as I have 2 other people to clothe anyway.

*versus just calling it a kirtle, or a stomacher and skirt I'm going to use this for awhile.