What is a peasant woman?

We define the peasant woman as a lower classed merchant woman, a working woman, or even a beggar, depending on the fabric choices and the level of society you are looking for.  The popular wench costume is included in this group.

Do I have any Pictures?

How period accurate do I want to be?

Wench costumes are designed to lace in front (that is the only way that our style of bodice fits properly).  Your skirt can be drawstring, elastic waist, or fasten and have a zipper in back.  The choice is yours.  Usually the biggest period accuracy problem with wench costumes is fabric choice and color.  In our modern world, almost any color is open to you as are brocades and velvets which peasants would never have been able to afford.  Wench costumes are typically less expensive than the other classes and easy to wear.  This is the reason for their popularity.

How often do I plan to wear my costume?  How often will it need to be cleaned?

Whether you plan to wear your costume once or every day of the faire, wench costumes are pretty forgiving as far as cleaning goes.  They really can be the workhorse of your Renaissance wardrobe.  A peasant costume can be a great back-up costume for a noble or merchant in case of bad weather or muddy conditions.  It is, again, important to wash all of your fabrics before cutting them if you want to be able to machine wash your garment.

What Color(s)?

We tend to think that peasants wore only browns and grays and other drab colors, but in actuality they wore a much bigger variety in colors than we think of today.  Light blue and saffron yellow were the least expensive and easiest dyes to obtain, and peasants all over Europe wore these colors.  Really, many colors are acceptable.  The colors to avoid include, as always, purple, black, and white.  You will, however, find a lot of wenches in these colors.  Usually, in a wench costume the main concern, before accuracy, is looking and feeling good in the colors you have selected.

How many pieces?

In a wench costume there are fewer possible pieces to decide about than in the other classes.  These costumes come in five to six pieces: blouse, skirt, bloomers, cinch vest (bodice), hat, and in some cases an extra skirt.  The best way for you to decide how many pieces you want is to wear the costume and decide what you are comfortable with, rent or borrow a costume to determine what you're going to want.

What kind of hat?

Hats are a wonderful way to express what country you are from as well as defining your position in society.  Peasant women worked.  They labored in the fields, sold flowers and food in the streets, maybe tended bar or worked as maids.  Their head gear served a more functional purpose than those of other classes.  Usually designed more to keep her hair out of the way than to conform to fashion, a working woman favored the mob cap (a gathered hat with a ruffle close to the face) or muffin cap (hat gathered into a band which frames the face).  The benefit of these styles is that they can hide short hair or keep long hair out of the way.  Flower garlands are also acceptable as women often wore them on festival and fair days.

How much fabric will I need?

This is one of the questions that is very hard to answer without a specific idea of the style of dress you want.  Generally speaking, the following amounts. It is suggested that you have a preliminary meeting with one of our staff prior to purchasing fabrics.
NOTE:  All amounts are given assuming that the width of the fabric is 44/45 inches or wider.  It is always better to buy too much fabric than not enough.  Matching fabrics is difficult at best and impossible at worst.  These amounts do not apply for specialty styles.  Matching stripes and patterns may require more fabric.  Very small sizes and larger sizes may want to contact us for recommendations.

Blouse (long sleeve): 2- 2½ yards
Bloomers (ankle length): 3 yards
Chemise (full length with long sleeves): 8-12 yards
Skirt (full length): 4-6 yards
Cinch dress: 5-7 yards and 1-1½ yards of lining
Bodice (no sleeves or trimming): 1-1½ yards and same of lining
Peplums, shoulder rolls, tabs, epaulettes, etc.: ½  to 2 yards of face and lining

How soon can I get the finished dress?

The typical time given for any building project is four to six weeks from the time we receive your deposit and fabric.

How much is this going to cost?

Cost, again,  is one of the few questions that is very hard to answer without a specific idea of the style of the dress you want.  The cost can range from as little as $100.00 to more than $1,500.00. A final cost of $2,500.00 is not unheard of.  The difference is often made in the number of pieces you want, trimming and any hand work necessary.  After having your first meeting you will have a better idea of what the finished garment will cost.  It is helpful for you to come into the meeting with some idea of what you would like to spend.

Do I need to come in for a fitting?

Fittings are essential.  The only way to ensure the overall comfort and attractiveness of the garment is through fittings.  There are usually 1-3 fittings for any gown over the course of construction.

What else do I need to do to get my dress made?

You'll need to schedule to have a  preliminary meeting with us to talk about your outfit. This is where the decisions will start being made: what it will look like, what features it will have, basic color scheme, trimming ideas, fabrics needed.  The meeting is a first step.  After the preliminaries are discussed, you are free to do further research, look at additional pictures or movies. This is also the time to begin looking for fabrics and trims.  After fabrics are selected, a second meeting is scheduled.  In this meeting the definite plans for construction are determined.  By the second meeting you must know what you want.  This is the time that a final sketch may be done and measurements are taken.  The estimated building time is started from the time we receive fabrics.  After construction has begun, you will be called in for fittings.  The number of fittings can range between 1-3.

What should I do now?

The best place to start is with a little research.  With a base of knowledge to utilize, you will find the building process less intimidating.  After some initial research, schedule a meeting and begin.  Don't feel overwhelmed by this list of questions.  It seems like a lot of work only because it can be.  The best way to save time is to research.  Have some idea of what you're looking for before you go fabric shopping it will save time in the long run.
 

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