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Early gowns, worn by both men and women 4. Early buttoned gown, late 14th/early 15th century

Buttoned gown

Here shown as a man's version, worn by merchants and minor gentry. It was worn in the same form, though longer, by women. The body, fitted round the shoulders and upper chest, is slightly flared and buttoned for its fuli length. It has a smali two-piece collar and plain straight sleeves. Worn with or without a belt. This style was also worn by children into the 15th century and beyond.

5. Bodice and collars for Fig 4

This example is based on the man's Błock, for a woman’s Błock see Fig 13a. a. Bodice with round-necked collar

Tracę the bodice Błock to waist only. Draw straight CF and CB lines starting 0.5-1 cm outside the Błock neckline. The CB linę should be vertical but the CF may slant out it it would otherwise be morę than 2 cm inside the Błock waist.

Draw straight side seam lines starting 2-3 cm outside and 1-2 cm down tram UP. Re-draw the armholes to match.

Collar - This 2-piece collar has a seam at CB.

Draw new back and front neck curves, 0.5-1 cm belowthe Błock neckline all round. Using a tape on edge, carefully measure the new back and front I necklines, here totalling 25 cm.

Rule a horizontal construction linę to the same length and measure along it the new back neck size a-b, and front neck size b-c. Point b will meet the shoulder seam when the collar is set on. At 1 cm above a, mark point (a), and 2 cm above c, mark point (c). Join them by a gentle curve as shown and check the length still matches the gown neck. (a) and (c) should be lower for smali collar sizes.

From (a) draw a straight CB linę, slanting slightly inwards to the required collar height, here 5 cm. From (c) draw a straight or rounded CF shape the same height. Draw the outer edge of the collar following the curve of the neck edge. Check the outer edge is 1 -2 cm longer than half Neck size. Measure and mark balance points on the neck edges. Mark SG and tracę off the collar.

For making up the collar see Methods, Fig 14a.

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