Clothes Make the Persona
by Erin MacLeavage, Mistress of the Whips, House Dunn Phalin 

So, you've decided that you'd like to try on this Dagorhir stuff, but you
haven't got any appropriate equipment. Dressing in jeans, t-shirt and
mom's cooking pot for a helmet tends to disrupt the fantasy feeling quite
a bit. And it would probably get you laughed off the battle field as well. 
Wearing a tunic, woolen leggings, and chain mail, or a beautiful gown is a
lot more fun. Use these descriptions for basic ideas and inspiration, and
then experiment as you go along. Try different shapes, materials,
embroidery, ribbons etc. until you're satisfied. The only limits are the
limits you enclose your imagination within. We’ll start with the basic
T-tunic, very simple to make, doesn’t take a lot of effort. Use material
that is easy to clean (like cotton blends) and has a rougher, more earthy
texture. Stretch knits are bad for period garb. You’ll want to stick with
earthy colors as well;  browns, greys, dark greens, black, even darker
shades of red are okay. 


You'’ll need an average of 3-4 yards of 45"  width (unless you are a stout
person, then try for 54" or 60" width) material. Start by determining how
long you want your tunic to be; just below the groin, mid-thigh, or just
at or below knee level. Measure from the nape of your neck to this point
(or have someone else do it for you) and add 11/2" for the hem. You will
also need chest, waist, and sleeve measurements. Begin by folding the
material in half, length-wise (be sure it’s open completely in width), the
top fold is the top of your shoulders. Find the half-way point of the
width, this is where you will measure out from for the body of your tunic.
Measure one quarter of your chest plus 1" from this center point on each
side and mark your place. At that point, on each side, measure down about
10" for your sleeves, mark a horizontal line from this place to the edge
of the material on both sides. Vertically, measure the rest of your nape
to whichever point and draw a line, on each side (this will be on the
inside line of the sleeves, not the fabric edges), and then connect the
two lines at the bottom. These will be your cutting lines. Also from the
center, at the top, measure 5"  on either side, and down approx. 3" down
from each, connecting these lines, this will be the neck hole. Now just
cut on your lines, pin the material so the two sides stay together, and
sew. Use a 5/8" seam for the sides and underarms, and a 5/8" seam for the
hem at the bottom. The neck line will be a little more tricky, but just
fold a small amount in order to make for a finished edge. Hem at the
sleeves, turn the garment inside out, and wah-la!, it’s finished. You can
add trim to the sleeves, neckline and bottom hem if you like, but it is
not necessary.


Now, you’ll notice that the left over material from the tunic, if turned
upside down, looks amazingly like a pair of breeches...very cleaver, eh?
What you’ll need to do though, is to remove some material from the center,
for a proper fit in the waist (thus, the need for measuring your waist). 
Each side of the breeches (front and back) will measure half your waist
measurement, plus 2 inches for seam allowance. Measure in from the
outer-most edge, inward, 1/4 of the waist measurement plus ½ inch (do this
4 times, and it becomes the whole waist measure, plus 2 inches, just like
you want). At the hipline you’ll want to do the same thing (or else you
won’t have room for your...ummm, rear end). Then you’ll need to sew, inner
and outer legs, center of crotch, hem, and waist-band. At the waist,
you’ll want to sew in a manner as to leave a small opening in which you
can thread some sort of draw string, this allows you to tie your breeches
in place, and alleviates the embarrassment of losing your pants in battle.
You now have a tunic and breeches for your first battle. Add a simple
leather belt at the waist, and you’re ready to go (no, the tunic doesn’t
get tucked into the breeches...it’s supposed to hang). 

Now ladies, you can dress in the same manner if you like, tunics can be
quite comfortable, but if you prefer to be a lady we can do that too.
First thing you'’ll need is a chemise, that’s the undergarment you wear
under just about anything, and sometimes it'’ll be seen as well. You want
to get some kind of good cotton material, in white or natural shades, make
sure it isn’t sheer enough to see through (we still like to maintains some
sense of dignity, do we not?). Material that’s a 60 inch width works well
for fullness. The pattern included is a 1:8 ratio, 1 inch on the pattern
equals 8 inches in real life (this does not include a seam allowance, so
make sure you add an inch all around). Using the pattern, you get a simple
chemise, and it’s easy to sew as well. Once you take care of the basics
(seams and hems) you’ll need to turn your attention to the neckline.
Instead of a simple seam, you’ll want to make it about an inch, and leave
a small space open. Then take ½ inch elastic and thread it through (attach
a safety pin to one end and feed it through the opening, works really
well). You’ll want a length that is smaller than the length of the
neckline, so as to give the gathered appearance. And then your chemise is
complete. Dresses can be as simple or as complex as you like. I will
include a couple of simple patterns, with sleeves that can be altered and
exchanged for different looks. You want to use material in mostly earthen
tones, or muted colors...bright colors are not period. Some pastels will
work, mostly in blues and reds. Purple is a no-no, having been reserved
for royalty in days gone by, don’t wear it unless you plan to be harassed
and maybe even ridiculed. The patterns to be included are fairly self
explanatory, but if problems should occur, just email me and I’ll see if I
can help. There are also patterns for basic cloaks, these are best made
from wool, or other heavy material....some like to line them with fleece
or fake fur for warmth, be sure whatever you use is washable or cleanable
in some manner...cloaks get dirty very easily. 

Here are some reference books that will give you ideas of more elaborate
costumes, patterns, colors, textiles, etc. The costume pattern books
mentioned, that are used for theatrical design are especially good for
those of us who like easy, simple patterns. Many of these are meant to be
quickly made outfits that look good on stage, perfect for medieval
re-creation. 

Period Costume for Stage & Screen : Patterns for Women's Dress,
Medieval-1500; Jean Hunnisett, Kathryn Turner (Illustrator)

Western European Costume 13th to 17th Century; Iris Brooke, William-Alan
Landes. 

Vecellio's Renaissance Costume Book : All 500 Woodcut Illustrations from
the Famous Sixteenth-Century Compendium of World Costume; Cesare,
Vecellio.

Cut of Men's Clothes : 1600-1900 , Norah Waugh. 

The Cut of Women's Clothes, 1600-1930 , Norah Waugh. 

Stage Costume Step-By-Step : The Complete Guide to Designing and Making
Stage Costumes for All Major Drama Periods; Mary T. Kidd.

Patterns of Fashion : The Cut and Construction of Clothes for Men and
Women c.1560-1620; Janet Arnold.

Patterns for Theatrical Costumes : Garments, Trims, and Accessories from
Ancient Egypt to 1915; Katherine Strand Holkeboer

Costume Patterns and Designs : A Survey of Costume Patterns and Designs of
All Periods and Nations from Antiquity to Modern Times; Max, Tilke

A History of Costume, Karl Kohler.