Finished costume - Silk damask gown, silk satin kirtle with jewelled neckline and strapwork sleeves

• Finished garment
• Tudor Tailor exclusive

Stunning Tudor style French gown, kirtle and matching sleeves based on documentary evidence for the clothing made for Margaret Douglas in the royal household in 1531. Suitable for an elite or royal lady from 1520 to the 1530s.

The kirtle is made from 100 per cent silk duchess satin and lined with black linen. The bodies are stiffened with paste buckram and lace at both sides, making the garment adjustable to fit a range of sizes. The neckline is decorated with 26 sets of Tudor Tailor exclusive 'Anne Boleyn' style gold-plated jewels alternated with pairs of Czech glass pearls. The hem is bound with a strip of the same silk satin. The matching separate satin foresleeves tie into the gown and are created with multiple rows of strips of crimson satin which are twisted and laid over black silk satin. The rows are caught down at intervals with narrow bands of crimson silk satin to give a puffed appearance.

The gown is made from 100 per cent silk damask which was originally used to make a French gown for a costumed guide at Hampton Court Palace. That gown was subsequently worn by Jane Malcolm-Davies when she portrayed Anne Lowther at Tudor Tailor promotion events. Finally the gown was completely unpicked by Nottingham Trent University costume degree student Eleanor Soulsby and the damask reused to make the gown listed here. Consequently the skirt is pieced (see photo) - a very common Tudor practice! Professor Suzannah Lipscomb wore the ensemble for a Channel 5 Select television series called ‘Walking Tudor England’ in 2021.

The gown is lined with black linen and the hem is bound with a cotton velvet guard. The large box pleats at the top of the skirt have been 'stuffed' or padded. All finishing is by hand and there is no visible machine stitching on the inside or outside. The bodies fasten at the front with handworked eyelets and a separate placard, or stomacher, pins over the top. 

Despite its long history the gown is in excellent condition. The only damage is a couple of places at the upper arms where the silk became a little worn and had to be darned. The repair is barely noticeable in the patterned silk - see the last photo.

French hood, white linen coif and white linen smock are not included.

Measurements:

Waist 26in-30in (66cm-76cm) - can be laced with a 2in (5cm) gap on either side of the kirtle and up to a 4in (10cm) gap at the front of the gown

Bust 32in-36in (81.5cm-91.5cm) - can be laced with a 2in (5cm) gap on either side of the kirtle and up to a 4in (10cm) gap at the front of the gown

Upper arm of gown 13in (33cm) around

Skirt length from waist to hem 45in (114cm) with a train at the back of the gown

Made for a 5' 7" tall woman

We regret that we cannot offer returns or refunds on costumes. Returns on items such as these are not very practical, particularly if shipping internationally where customs duties might be involved. Therefore, please check all measurements (both yours and those of the costume!) carefully. If you have any questions about the garments or need more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.