Costumes

The costumes for *Jamestown* are designed by Lucinda Wright and Maggie Chappelhow.

While some costumes have captivated the essence of early 17th century fashion (1600-50), others are historically inaccurate.

## The Wealthy

### The Women

Jocelyn Castell and Temperance Yeardley are the two high-born women present in Jamestown.

**Wealthy Women's Fashion during the Early 17th century:**

English wealthy women from the early 13th century wore elaborate patterns in their clothes: pomegranate, artichoke and scrolling floral motifs (woven and embroidered). Embroidered linen silk jackets fastened with ribbon ties became fashionable for both men and women during this period. The bodices had high necklines or extremely low, rounded neckline, with winged collars. The notorious cartwheel ruff stopped being fashionable in England around 1613, and in the 1620s the fashion relaxed. However, collars and ruffs were still essential to a wealthy woman’s apparel in early 17th century, and long sleeves were worn with deep cuffs to match the ruff. By mid 1620, ruffs were discarded in favor of wired collars, the *rebatos*. The bodice of the gowns was high-waisted at the beginning of the century, but waistlines began to drop around 1630.

In France and England, lightweight bright or pastel satins replaced dark and heavy fabrics. Stripes were avoided during this period and short strings of pearls become fashionable. The long and tight sleeves grew shorter, fuller and looser: a common style of the 1620s and 1630s was the virago sleeve. Around 1610s and 1620s, in England, unfitted gowns (called nightgowns) with long hanging and short open sleeves, or no sleeves at all, were worn over the bodice and skirt, and tied with a ribbon sash at the waist. Black dresses were wore for formal occasions, but fell out of fashion in England during 1630s in favor of gowns who matched the bodice and petticoat. Skirts might be open in front to reveal an underskirt or petticoat until about 1630s, or closed all around. Corsets were shorter to suit the new bodices. Skirts were held in place by padded rolls, that created a rounded shape around the waist, falling in soft folds to the floor.

Around 1613, hair was worn feathered high over the forehead: married women wore their hair in a linen coif or cap, often with lace trim. Tall hats, like capotain, were popular for outdoor wear. Around 1625-1650, wealthy women worn their hair in loose waves to the shoulders on the sides, with the rest of the hair gathered or braided into a high bun at the back of the head. Married woman abandoned the linen cap and wore their hair uncovered or with a hat.

Hilliard's Unknown Woman, c. 1602: a capotain hat over a linen cap. A black dress and a white stomacher over a chemise with blackwork emboridery trim; her neckline is filled in with a linen partlet.Frans Hals, c.1618–20: a chain girdle over her black vlieger open-fronted gown. Elongated bodice with matching tight sleeves and petticoat.Margaret Laton, c. 1620: a black gown over an embroidered linen jacket tucked into a high-waisted petticoat.Elizabeth, Lady Style of Wateringbury wears an embroidered jacket-bodice and petticoat under a red velvet dress, c. 1620A very low rounded neckline and closed cartwheel ruff of c.1610. The black silk strings on her jewelry were a passing fashion, c. 1622-1625A gold-wrapped wire supportasse is visible through the sheer linen of this girl's collar. Cornelis de Vos, Young Girl at a Virginal, ca. 1624–25Portrait of Marie-Louise de Tassis by Van Dyck. White satin gown with virago sleeves tied with pink ribbon, worn under a black short-sleeved gown, c.1630Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England: a closed satin high-waisted bodice with tabbed skirts and open three-quarter sleeves over full chemise sleeves, c. 1632–1635.
**Costumes of the Wealthy Women of Jamestown: Jocelyn Castell**

Jocelyn’s wardrobe has elements of the early 17th century fashion, however is historically inaccurate most of the times. Collars and ruffs were a essential piece of a English wealthy women’s apparel, and Jocelyn never wears them. Even if wealthy women indeed wore embroidered linen silk jackets, they were usually accompanied by a trim collar and cuffs, all made of lace. Her romantic cloak was not actually wore by the women of the time: it was rather a tendency in portrait after 1630 that didn’t correspond to the reality of everyday fashion. A majority of her gowns are fitter for late 17th century French fashion, than for England at the beginning of the century. If necklines have indeed dropped, they were accompanied by a trim of lace, not with this French low-cut fashion from Versailles period. Her skirts and stomachers, however, are generally fit for this time period, since they are held in place by padded rolls and are closed all around or open in the front to reveal her underskirt.

During this period, clothing was far more complex and full of details than Jocelyn’s overall apparel. Also, Jocelyn’s fitting is too tight for this period, when wealthy women's clothes were looser and purposely unfitting. A woman of her social rank, especially since she’s being presented as a fashionable wealthy woman, should wear far more jewelry than Jocelyn has been displaying so far: pearl earrings, a pearl necklace (once), a ruby brooch and a hairpin.

Her black mourning dress is also historical inaccurate, since black only became a color for mourning after Queen Victoria, in the 19th century. While some of her hairstyles are fit for the time period, others aren’t. While married women did indeed started wearing their hair more “loosely” and uncovered during this period, they would never wear it falling down (like Jocelyn did in her wedding to Samuel Castell). Also, wearing flowers in the hair during a wedding ceremony only became fashionable in Europe after Queen Victoria, since before that they were perceived as “pagan”.

**Costumes of the Wealthy Women of Jamestown: Temperance Yeardley**

While Jocelyn is meant to illustrate a fashionable woman from the Early 17th century, Temperance is meant to represent a Puritan way of dressing, since in most Protestant countries there were attempts during this time period to simplify and reform the extravagances of clothing.

Puritans advocated a conservative form of attire, characterized by somber colors and modest cuts: both men and women avoided bright colors, shiny fabrics and over-ornamentation. High-necked smocks, wide collars, covered hair with a linen cap and tall black hats. Contrary to popular belief, most Puritans (especially in England and Colonial America) did not wear black everyday for it was an expensive color. Puritans usually wore brown, mulberry, dull greens and tawny colors. Many high-born Puritan women wore embroidery and lace, for they believed various ranks of society were divided and that should be reflected even in the most modest gown. Many Puritan women rejected long and curled hair.

While Jocelyn Castell manages to get some elements of the early 17th century fashion, Temperance Yeardley wardrobe is completely historical inaccurate. In spite of the attempt of portraying her like a Puritan, the only basic elements of the fashion of the time her wardrobe includes are the color pallet and the modesty of the clothes and the small amount of jewelry. However, the shape and elements of her dressing don’t belong in the early 17th century. A large majority of her growns resemble that of the Renaissance rather than her own period of time. The real Lady Yeardley was born in 1590, one century after these sort of garments fall out of fashion.

Like Jocelyn, she never wears ruffles or lace cuffs, basic elements to this period apparel. Lady Yeardley is seen wearing high-neck doublets, something no women would ever wear because a doublet is a male garment. Temperance is also seen wearing stripes, a pattern that was not fabricated during this time. However, the beads details on her gowns are accurate; they should be made of pearls, since she’s a woman of high social rank and the governor’s wife nonetheless. The pearl hairnets Lady Yeardley wears were fashionable during the Tudor period and while some wore them during the Elizabethan period, high born Puritans start wearing linen coifs and black hats instead.

### The Men

Sir George Yeardley, Nicholas Farlow, Thomas Redwick and Samuel Castell are the wealthy men present in Jamestown.

**Wealthy Men's Fashion during the Early 17th century:**

English wealthy men from the early 17th century wore linen shirts with deep cuffs and silk doublets with tight sleeves and fastened with ties, short laces or ribbons. Sleeveless leather jerkins were worn by soldiers and military men. Shirt sleeves became fuller throughout the early 17th century. Collars and ruffles were popular among wealthy men. Around 1620, a horizontal collar (called a whisk) became popular.

Pansied trunks were wore during this period over cannions. Trunk hose were longer than in the Elizabethan age and were pear-shaped, with less volume around the waist and more at mid-thigh. Around 1620, these were replaced by breeches, which fastened up the other leg with buttons or buckles over a full lining. Doublets were fastened with ties, short laces or ribbons. As outerwear, short cloaks and capes, usually hip-length, often with sleeves, were worn, usually slung over the left shoulder. Longer cloaks were worn for inclement weather.

During the early 17th century, men wear their hair collar-length and brushed back from the forehead. Pointed beards and wide mustaches were fashionable during this time period. Until 1620, the fashionable hat was the capotain. By the 1630s, the hats became shorter in height but wider in length, often decorated with a mass of ostrich plumes.

James of England: a satin doublet, wired whisk, short cape, and hose over cannions. Narrow points are tied in bows at his waist, c. 1603-1610Richard Sackville, 3rd Earl of Dorset: his doublet, shoes, and the cuffs of his gloves are embroidered to match, and he wears a sleeved cloak on one arm and very full hose, c. 1613Don Carlos of Spain wears a black patterned doublet with full black breeches, black stockings, and flat black shoes with roses. He carried a wide-brimmed black hat, c. 1628Charles I: slashed doublet with paned sleeves, breeches, and tall narrow boots with turned-over tops, c. 1631