Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Farthingales and Ruffs

Farthingales and ruffs! 1 Farthingales came in two major varieties: Spanish (Verdingales) and French (cartwheel). Spanish farthingales were round, and were shaped like a bell. Made of wool, silk, and velvets. The round shape was maintained by hoops or bents made of rushes, wood, wire or whalebone. A woman's kurtle flowed over the hoops. Of the French (cartwheel) farthingales, the shape was maintained by a "bum roll", or doughnut shaped, cotton filled "roll" that sat upon a woman's hips, tied in place. A woman's kurtle flowed over the bum roll. For more extreme shapes, a "pannier" or "basket" was used.

In addition to farthingales, ruffs were used. Ruffs were expensive, often of black or white lace, shaped in figure eights ("8"). Ruffs could be several layers of figure eights, or could extend even two feet outwards from the neck. To help prevent soiling ruffs from the face and neck, a "partlet" (often rectangular shaped and of lace) was placed between clothing and the ruff. Sometimes very large "cartwheel" ruffs were used, that were held in position by a "supportasse". Ruffs could be pleated, as well. To display a woman's breasts, ruffs evolved into square and open forms.

Sleeves also evolved into several forms. There were "French" sleeves, "leg-o-mutton" sleeves, "hanging" oversleeves.

Hairstyles also evolved. One hairstyle was called the "heart-shaped"" hair style.

Accessories: Partlets, Panniers, Plackets, Girandoles Tonnelet (illuminated), Illuminated stomacher
  1. Partlet
  2. Panniers (baskets)
  3. Placket
  4. Girandoles (earrings): Princess Parma (daughter of Philip of Spain)
  5. Tonnelet (Dance Costume as illumination)
  6. Illuminated stomacher
Accessories: Ruffs
  1. Squared ruff
  2. Open ruff
  3. Cartwheel ruff with Supportasse
  4. Big ruff
  5. Large pleated ruff
Accessories: Sleeves and Shoulder Wings
  1. Shoulder Wings
  2. French sleeve
  3. Leg-o-mutton sleeves
  4. Hanging oversleeves
Farthingales, Bumrolls, Fans, Masks, Muffs
  1. Wheel Farthingale
  2. French (verdugale) Farthingale
  3. Elizabeth Ditchley in Fatheringale
  4. Bumroll waist
  5. French farthingales, masks, and bumrolls
  6. Masks
  7. Fans
  8. Muffs
Hairstyles (not including Perukes)
  1. Heart-shaped Hairstyle
  2. Gable Headdress
Footwear, Underwear, Miscellaneous
  1. Pantofle and Chopines (Buskins)
  2. Lady's Kirtle body
  3. Lady's Gown
  4. Girl's Smock
  5. Iron body (corset)
  6. Child's kirtle and gown with Spanish farthingale
  7. Falling band and Pickadil: Lace
  8. Lady's coif
  9. Caleçons (underwear): Venetian Courtesan 1591

1 One should recall that on Baroque theatre stages such as at Drottningholm, there was not a lot of space between the flats (wings). Actresses and dancers had to squeeze between the flats to make entrance from the wings onto the raked stage. Wearing farthingales supported by panniers made this at times, a very difficult task. Thus it has been noted that the use of farthingales with panniers created difficulties in these theatre environments.

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