underwear

so a few friends have been really on me to get to the meat and potatoes of the challenge: the dress. I know I'm up against the deadline and if I went uber simple and plain I could finish my underwear in a day or two. They have seen the embroidery I have been doing on the undergarments that no one would ever see once the dress is on- so why am I wasting my time?

The reasoning is simple. I am doing this for me. I deserve pretty things and like some women who buy lacy bras this is what makes me feel pretty in garb. True on most folks no one else would ever see it and as someone who does not like to show off my bras in public I have a confession.... Are you ready- I wish more folks would show off their medieval undies. within reason. If folks (at least late period) wore all the layers they should we would be more covered then most normal people on the street. If we had more people showing off the correct undergarments maybe more people would wear them! I'm not saying only to wear your undies to all events all the time either but there are excuses to hold a class or a get together and show off your medieval undies! Nothing kills a beautiful Elizabethan gown for me faster then it not having enough support. A lumpy wrinkled bodice just kills the look no matter how much beading you put on it. The saddest thing is many folks just don't know or understand why such things as corsets and petticoats are important. Don't get me started on the fact the Tudors have made the chemise a rare item. I have had folks tell me that they didn't want to wear a chemise with their gowns because it made them look prudish. Yup thanks to the Tudors no chemise= sexy. All I can picture is the dancing scenes where the woman lifts up her amazing slashed sleeve to flash us a sexy armpit looking way out of place with all that fabric.

I teach a class where I start in my underwear and get dressed. A lot of people are interested finding out exactly what we wear under our gowns. I would love to see more people showing off amazing underwear! I would love to see Undie Sundays at SCA events every where a chance to show off the petticoat you put in hours upon hours cording or that chemise you blackworked- while playing games drinking tea and having a good time. Now I do ask to be in good taste of course I have a slightly sheer chemise I wear for some of my classes that in the right light reveals A LOT- that is why I bought a nude unitard and I wear it underneath. And to the woman who told me her persona from Greenland wouldn't wear underwear- I beg to differ what else do you call all those under gowns that are worn under their dresses?