Dressing A Tudor Lady from the Court of Henry VIII 

Great video, but a few minor corrections; the word “stays” did not come about until the 18th century. In the Tudor era they were only called “bodies.” Also, bodies did not come into style until the 1560s or 1570s. And what she calls “aglets” are actually called “ouches.” “Aglets” are the ends of laces.

This is so helpful. I’ve been doing extensive research as I’m making my own Tudor dress, and this saves me so much headache!

This was fascinating to watch and listen to. It's a pity the lady talking didn't wear the french hood to finish off the look. The lady on the right is so beautiful she looks just like Anne Boleyn. She also has the poise and mannerisms of a Tudor lady. The costumes are fantastic. Very talented ladies. Thank you.

The dresses are amazing. They are so noisy! Imagine a court full of women, and all the dresses, swishing and swaying. The noise must of been so loud.

The long pieces of cloth that hang down from a coif or hood are called lappets.

the 14-15th centuries was before the 'little ice age' which occurred during the 16th century. So the gown over the kirtle may have been a response to the colder climate

Such an interesting and informative presentation! I'll be sure to check out more videos from this channel. One thing needs to be addressed though regarding Victorian corsets, as they were mentioned at least twice in the context of tight lacing. The purpose of corsets in the Victorian era was still the same as in the earlier centuries, that is: to support the bust and provide the base for the fashionable silhouette. The latter was achieved not by lacing yourself down to the point of not being able to breathe, as popculture would like us to believe, but rather by building the curves out. The corset smoothed out the belly and provided a sturdy base for adding all the petticoats, bum pads, bustles, whatever was necessary in particular decades, plus meters of heavy fabric on top of that - preventing it all from digging painfully into the wearer's flesh. With the help of all these hidden layers, the bust and hips were made larger, so that the waist appeared thin, regardless of its actual size. Yes, the practice of tight lacing developed during this time, and was practiced by some ladies (aided by photo manipulation - which is how we've got all these photographs of impossibly tiny-waisted women). It was definitely far from the norm though, in fact it was rather frowned upon by the society.

Fashion and feminity have always fascinated. Clothing and accessories, as I see it, are used to express individuality, the ideals and values of the time and as a piece of wearable art and iconography. There is so much more to clothing than just something to wear as it is most often used as so much more than to just cover our bodies.

That was fascinating and very beautiful. Both ladies were gorgeous in their stunning gowns. Thank you.

Fascinating, entertaining. My Lady is a natural presenter, offering expertees and humour. Loved this! Thanks 😊

Thank god for leggings and a comfy jumper :)

Lovely and interesting. Only wish the camera had been closer. Thank you.

Month 9 of where quarantine has taken me, and almost 20 years of where RU-vid has taken people

Well I’m super impressed with this video Sarah . Serena has an amazing talent ,to be able to replicate these gowns and work out how they were constructed is just fabulous. I did a fashion degree and although I much preferred the design element , the pattern construction was very interesting . So you think way back into another century and figure it all out is just wonderful . As always you make your videos very easy to watch and full of interesting facts . I will be re-watching this one

Excellent portrayal. I feel like I’m alive again 👏👏

As a lover off all things Tudor,...I thoroughly enjoyed this video..Both ladies looked beautiful.TY

Gorgeous dresses and very informative, however, stays were not a thing in the early-mid 16th century, they would wear kirtles with stiffened bodices and sometimes even gowns with stiffened bodices. Stays became apparent in the late 16th century. :) so Anne Boleyn would probably not have worn stays in her life.

Just fyi pairs of bodies were not used at this time. They came around the 1590s. The bodice of the Kirtle would be stiffened. Also a pair of bodies and stays were different garments, and a corset was never designed to cinch the waist or used on that way. A pair of bodies came about in the 1590s, most likely because the increase of the whaling industry; Stays came about in the late mid to late 1600s; and a true corset came about in the 1830s

A very informative talk. Thank you for sharing. If the store you mentioned is your big box everything store, I myself have worn my renaissance gown into our local Walmart on my way home from a re-enactment. Oh the looks I received!

Thanks so much for sharing, I am from the US but I do love the English history. There are a couple of ladies from here who have videos showing clothing they make and share one of them actually moved to the UK.

This popped into my list out of the blue and I found it charming! Very entertaining and enjoyable. Thank you. 👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻

Wedding gowns have transparent neckline now..beautifully made everything old gets new again….

Fascinating and very informative Thank you , never knew they wore so many layers, beautiful gowns.

Beautiful gowns, I would have loved to wear them at the time, very feminine and regal. Maybe they will come back to fashion, since they help in social distancing with all that structure and space they need .... 😄

I enjoyed your presentation. Having two ladies with varied backgrounds giving their experiences was wonderful. I would like to have seen you dress in the whole 'outfit' from the chemise, the stays/bodies the whole way up to and including the headgear. I was looking forward to how lovely you would look in a complete Tudor ensemble. Great visual enjoyment. Thank you.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, thank you. 😊

very interesting. I can't wait to get my hands on your book

Rather sad about poor Eleanor of Toledo stripped of her beautiful funeral clothes after resting in peace for hundreds of years. They can now be viewed in a museum. Look her up an amazing woman, married at 16 died only 40 mother of 11 children

I read elsewhere that in the first half of the 16th century stays were not used, and that the kirtle served as support....can you talk about when bodies/stays came into wide use among noblewomen, and whether you've found any historical mention of their introduction? Thanks for a highly informative video!

What a great host and guide. So likeable and approachable!

That was very informative. I always wondered a lot about the Victorian Era. You did a wonderful job. Thanks, Tonya A.

Thank you for posting!

You give very good talks about the Tudor age Sarah!x.

Best historical dressing demonstration I've seen, yet. Usually when such presentations come about either the presenter only wears it 'for show' prancing around in front of the screen. Rarely, does a viewer get treated to such a FULL presentation. For this you are to be commended for your efforts. Future suggestion: If ever you have the chance to do another demo (possibly JUST with you in front of a camera) it would be nice if we could get a close up of you WHILE you were demonstrating period clothing -- maybe while you are in a private setting; not necessarily in front of a live audience. FURTHER suggestion: To get an idea of what I mean you may want to tap into the channel called, "Prior Attire". Hope this helps. You did a nice job on your demonstration to your audiences.

I'm fascinated by historical clothing. Nicely done and thank you!

Thank you for this video it is very interesting and very educational.

Fantastic talk very informative

Well explained and the gowns were just beautiful too .Thank you 🥰

The dress really typifies something on the brink of medieval era and 'elizabethan' onwards.... it's not ostentatious and neither plain as well... just look so versatile and practical. Now I can imagine how the ladies can going through that small spiral staircase on that corner

That was a brilliant and totally interesting talk! Thank you so much for sharing.

I would have liked to get a better view of the french hood and how to place it on the head.

What a lovely presentation. and very informative. Bravo!

The dresses were very beautiful back then, I've always wanted to go to a renaissance festival. Would be very interesting Christina's dress looks more like velvet than wool. The triangular headdress looked too much like a house on thier head, whereas the rounded ones looked softer and more feminine

The presenter and the other lady looked really gorgeous in their garments. Nevertheless, I had to cope with that 'granny' bonnet. I call it so because I remember, when being a small boy in Dortmund, Germany in the 60ties, some very old ladies (who obviously had been born in the last quarter of the 19th century) still wore that kind of plain white head dress.

Very informative! Thank you!

Very interesting. Thanks for uploading!

in my 1st comment , in no way did i want to give the impression of disrepect of the fasions of Tudor times , as Anne B is a much removed Aunt , im very intersted in how she got 'dressed' . they were really no differnt from us showing off our wealth in fasion . thank you ,so much ladies .

Very enjoyable talk.

Planning a trip to see Hampton Court in the future, do any of you give lectures like this one over at the building?

My parents have those handles on their dressers, I can hear them in childhood mind as I realize I have to get up soon

Interesting point about children’s dress & childhood in Tudor times generally: There was no real concept of child development, & certainly no thought whatsoever of a defined period of adolescence before adulthood. Tudor society considered a person’s childhood to be at an end by the age of six. Therefore one was automatically considered an adult at six, (albeit a young one), since there was no other defined category into which a person could fall. That’s why you read about things like Edward VI having command of multiple languages by the time he was twelve, having been relegated to study under multiple tutors for 8 hours a day from the time he was six years old. The same for Henry VIII’s other two children. All three had their own separate residences with a full complement of servants and personal attendants. And they were dressed like miniature adults. Talk about uncomfortable! Children in the lower strata of society were put to work tilling fields, or tending to household duties or the care of younger children. There was no such thing as public school, and there wouldn’t be until long after the beginning of the industrial revolution. Play time was o-v-e-r at age 6. (When today’s kids are hitting first grade.) So it makes complete sense that there was nobody advocating for the needs of children (mental health, functioning, easy clothing, toys, entertainment, food etc.) during the Tudor era. This would have been considered a shockingly indulgent waste of thought, time, & money. On the other hand, nobody at that time was thinking in terms of mental health or nutrition for adults either. Child abuse you wonder? Oh hell yes! By our standards most assuredly, & even by theirs it was rampant. One’s children were one’s property, just like one’s livestock or one’s furniture, & one could dispose of them as one wished. There was nothing an adult could not demand of a child. Women had no rights in any regard either, but that’s another story. What a wild thought: an adult servant taking orders from a 7-year-old “master”. Yikes!

Jane Seymour did wear French Hoods. She owned more French Hoods than English, but she made her ladies in waiting wear the English Hoods only so she would look better next to them. The English Hood was perhaps regarded as more traditional but not old fashioned. Similar to comparing a Lamborghini to a Rolls Royce. Bodies were not worn until the reign of Elizabeth I. Anne Boleyn would have worn a stiffened kirtle bodice, made with paste, a glued fabric. Also should be noted how very expensive a dress like this would be. A tv show showed a Hampton Court guides recreated dress would have cost a knight his entire years income. Even at the palace very few people would have dressed like this.

Love this

This was wonderful thank you 😊

On the subject of the hair of Elizabeth 1 not being covered - or less covered ... I have heard elsewhere that it was because an Elizabethan maiden or unmarried woman could her hair out until marriage - and Elizabeth 1 never married.

Beautiful dresses wish we still dressed so amazingly but minus the super flammable crenel stuff, one of my great great aunts was holding one of her babies when her crenel went up in flames she died soon after but the poor babe lingered on for a week.

This is so interesting! Where is a reliable source for historically accurate patterns?

Wonderfully done and very informative. I have often dreamed of what it would be like to live back in the Tudor/Elizabethan era. Just the thought of those stunningly beautiful long swirling gowns and parties that were attended on an almost nightly basis. Then I think about practicing Catholicism when it was abolished in England, or what they considered treason back then and I am quickly shaken from my dream. The horrific remembrances of history, how ladies and gentlemen paid the price with their lives in the most ghastly ways imaginable. If you ask me to many men and women died very young being convicted and sentenced to death without even the smallest hint of representation. Sorry to get a bit off subject, but seeing the well thought out recreations of the dresses is really enough for me, I don’t think I want to live back then. Needless to say the fashions back then for women are still admired for their beauty today. But for men, I don’t know for sure, but probably not so much. What do you’all think? The one lady asked a question in the video about a garment worn by men back then, I think she may have been talking about the bulbous shorts. Thank you again for the informative video, really well done!

I wanna wear these dresses! Maybe I’ll make myself a Tudor dress!

I really enjoyed this but it would be even more informative to have a gentleman’s example side by side of the same period to compare. Thanks very much.

About bathing. It is not necessary to have all over baths in a rub to keep your body very clean. You can use a bucket of water and a washer. So I am not sure how unclean people were during these times.

READY SAINT QUEEN MARY

Exquisitely done. I wish I had a quarter of your talent. What was worn in the hot summer months?

Brilliant! Thank you

Please, not flea furs!. They had nothing to do with catching fleas - they were a status item, often made of a sable skin, with jewelled gold heads and feet.

So strange that she skipped putting on the stays. I don't understand that at all.

I wonder how they kept their necks warm, especially in wind and rain.

Magnifique ♥️

Im looking forward to this video👍😊 I have subscribed! Moira From England.

Were is Anne Boleyn buried!

Hoo so happy to be a sixties baby.A pair of jeans a tee -shirt ..happy😅

Was the linen under garment worn to bed? I assume the robe was not, at least not on its at least non alone?

i thought red petticoats meant they were a martyr or catholic mary queen of scotts went to her execution and her petticoats were red. but im not sure if that was the only reason.

Where can u buy these dresses because I would really wear this in the street

Hme encanta la historia de ana bbolena y tambien los vestidos son hermosos!

How would they control there menustration of time of month no panniers or nickers

So if the linen chemise was the first layer, and the ladies did not wear panties or sneakers, how they managed through those special days of the month? Did they let all running down the chemise or whatever? A beauty outside, a mess inside sometimes?

I love history and I'm really interested in Anne Boleyn and if she really was accused of adultery and treason

Ive found shirts with jewelry embedded into them is coming back into fashion -Tuder Fashion is unmatched and a bastardised evolution of the European coloniser fashion - England gained French, Saxon and Italians fashion ideas...major cities like London are the result...

loved the video, thanks for uploading, about the hunting, they had of course the huntsmen who would drive the big game towards the hunting party.. They had also men of no ranks or stations called beaters that would drive out the fowl game and they had dogs that when a bird fell the dogs would fetch them and bring them to the huntsmen who brought them to the hunting party. The Hawks and Falcons were trained to drop the prey they caught for the dogs to fetch.

They wore their wealth.

Is there a link for the lady who makes the cloths?

What's the speakers name? She's great.

What if Henry and his queens lived in our modrn era?

Where the cloth , soils and everything come from, where did velvet come from, would the ladies go get the material….

37:13 -- Whose supposed wedding dress is this? I couldn't quite catch the name of the person.

So many layers on the body, then bare shoulders and upper chest. They must have worn fur partlets constantly in winter.

on every portraits woman has the same clothes but in "The Tudors" actors were dressed more "modern" style . Is it possible that woman in this age wored clothes like in "the Tudors"?

Did a lady have a different outfit for riding and ride sidesaddle…

Most likely they would have worn riding habits for hunting. Would have been beautiful ornate gowns but likely without the hoops so they could sit on a horse side saddle.

What is the name of that girl in a Tudor dress again? Lady Serena?

Side saddle skirts. Or they rode astride. I’m a rider this is how they went riding but women didn’t go dear hunting or wolf hunting it was a mans sport, thank you.

The kirtle plus the forepart look very much like Bavarian/Austrian dirndels with aprons

What’s a petticoat

o hell to the naw , naw ! i'd upset a lot of Tudor people wearing my jeans print T shirt and flip flops

It must have been quite the challenge to use the bathroom in a farthingale....

I have a very stupid question. If Elizabeth I and these other ladies were wearing these stays in their coffins and they were removed, I assume there were put back onto the body of her Majesty? Isn't it a bit disrespectful to remove such intimate clothing from the Queen of England? She may have been the Queen hundreds of years ago, but she was still an anointed Queen, chosen by God. I just feel so bad, that their resting place number one is disturbed, but I understand why we do it because we want to study and keep this information for our children and grandchildren. But why must we strip these bodies down, isn't that disrespectful to who these women were? This is just a personal question for myself, because if I am interred in 400 years, not that anyone would really care I would just be some chick that died, but if I were it would offend me greatly for people to just rip off my clothes or remove them gently and have my body there in such an exposed way.

Vorrei ricordarvi che esiste anche la lingua italiana!

Fix your camera

Oh God, all that fabric, all that weight , all that time spent on getting dressed. Needing assistance to do it.Beautiful, but a lot of that fabric looks to be unnecessary just to get the look. Glad we don't dress like that anymore.just too much stuff.However, they are gorgeous to look at.I can see why the styles changed though, these fashions were quite cumbersome.