Display – 15th Century V-neck Gown by Philippa Dyvill

Philippa Dyvill, Barony of Carolingia

This is a dress I created just before I joined the SCA, and it was originally a costume for a LARP I play. The pattern used was one by Reconstructing History for a v-neck gown from the 1450’s. I was pleasantly surprised by the simplicity of the pattern and how easily it all worked up. The materials were from a local discount fabric store. The dress fabric was not marked for content (and is likely very synthetic), but is very pretty and has a good weight. The dress is lined in a medium white linen to give it weight. At the edges where the dress is turned out, the lining was faced with the faux fur. This allows me to show off as usual, but then turn the collar up and the sleeves down when I’m outside in the cold at an event.

Underneath is a basic linen shift and a supportive linen underdress. The somewhat anachronistic headwear is created from a faux silk organza for a sheer look. I’m hoping to create a henin to wear with this ensemble in the future!