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Analysing
the Style in the Palma Vecchio and early Titian Era:
Pre 1510 - 1540
The
Layers and Basic Construction
The layers during this period were:
1.
Shift (Camicia)
2. Dress
3. Mantle for cold weather
(Mantello)
4. Accessories
 1.
Shift
(Camicia): During the
first years of this period, like the last period, the camicia isn't
seen at the neckline. It is not until the mid 1510s, when the
neckline begins to drop dramatically, that it becomes very visible
(see pic at left). Much of it shows poufing out from sleeve
openings, along the front and back of the arm, but unlike the
previous period, very little to none shows at the wrist. The camicia
of this period is very big in the neckline, to match the dress. This
style, with very large and extra long sleeves and lots of fabric
pleated or gathered into a smaller neckband, will remain the same
throughout the rest of the century, with only minor changes to the
width and length of the sleeves.*
2. Dress
I have yet to find evidence
for the use, as in the previous period, of the
over-dress/under-dress combination. There are three distinct bodice
styles during this period:
1. Boat-shaped,
almost-off-the-shoulder neckline; big sleeves with openings through
which the camicia can be seen; waistline at or slightly above the
natural waistline. This basic style of bodice will persist in the
Venetian provinces, until the 1530s - only the sleeves will undergo
changes there. The next two styles are not usually seen in the
provinces, with one or two exceptions.
2. Boat-shaped,
almost-off-the-shoulder neckline drops to reveal lots of the
camicia-covered chest, which is sometimes covered by a little
waistcoat-like garment worn inside the bodice or out; sleeves are
still big but start to utilise large cuffs, waistline is a little
higher.
 3. Boat-shape
almost-off-the-shoulder neckline with wide to narrow opening in
front, the edges of which are tied together in front by ribbons;
sleeves continue to be large, although smaller than previous period,
and have openings which are tied together at intervals; separate
under-sleeves may also be used; waistline drops - by the 1530s
waistline is at natural waistline level, front opening has narrowed,
still tied by ribbons.
Skirts appear to
have been knife or box pleated for the most part, but the beginnings
of loose cartridge pleating can be seen.
 4. Mantle (Mantello): A rectangular legth of fabric used for warmth. Seen here on
the left, it appears to be worn casually thrown around the
shoulders.
4. Accessories
 The headwear seen includes the loose bag-like
caul (scuffia), usually made from sheer, semi-sheer or
opaque plain, striped, or less commonly, figured fabric. But also
seen in a provincial example as a large netted caul
(scuffia)- almost a snood. Unstructured
balze/capigliare also appear in the art of the Venetian
provinces, and in one case a nursemaid wears a coif-like
scuffia**.
Partlets, when they are
seen, appear to be a more kerchief-like item than the later, more
fitted style, and often appear loose on the shoulders like
shawl/scarf.
Belts appear also, from
that which looks like a fabric cummerbund, to a leather belt with
fancy gold work and jewel clasp, a fabric belt matching the gown
with what appears to be fancy gold weights/tassels on the ends,
large metallic links with fancy beads/filigree and an ornate gold
plaque belt.
Gloves are seen, in a
couple of instances trimmed with piccadils or a folded and snipped
strip of leather, and in another case plain and quite loose at the
wrist.
And of course jewellery in
the form of gold chains, strings of pearls, or pearl and jewelled
pendant necklaces.
The Bust and Waistline
 At the beginning of this period,
bodices cover the chest completely, although they could by no means
be considered high necklines, and very little of the camicia can be
seen at the neckline as in the previous period. Waistlines approach
close to normal waistline level.
By the middle of the 1510s
though, the bodice drops dramatically to reveal the woman's camicia
which is the only thing covering her breasts (see pic above), and
waistline appears higher. There may exist in this period, as in
other periods of the sixteenth century, an under-garment such as a
breast-binding or corselet which performs the function of our modern
bra - support - but this is sheer guesswork at best. Common sense
would indicate the presence of such a garment, especially during
this stage of camicia exposure, but there is no solid evidence for
it. Art of this period indicates that sometimes a little jacket-like
garment was worn over the dress to cover the camicia. There is also
something that appears to be a separate under-dress, but which could
in fact be a sleeveless jacket-like garment worn inside/tucked into
the low neckline (Palma Vecchio's Three Sisters).
By the time that the
ribbon-tied dress appears, the waistline appears to hover somewhere
between waist and under-bust, but by the 1530s it has dropped to
natural waistline level.
The
Sleeves
This is my favourite feature of this period.
For most of it sleeves are marvellously large and angel-like. There
are four basic styles:
1. The super-large,
angel-wing style with openings/slits to reveal the
camicia
2. The smaller, less
angel-wing shaped sleeves, often with slits or openings, which are
sometimes seen worn with separate undersleeves. The undersleeves
sometimes perform the function of restraining both the lower end of
the oversleeve and the similarly large camicia sleeves. There is
also a transitional style with large cuffs.
1.
2.
3 
1 and 2: Unrestrained
sleeves. 3. Sleeve with lower end restrained by
undersleeve.
4.
4. Transitional style
with large cuff
3. The large
tube-like but cuffed sleeves which have no openings or slits.
 
4. By the 1530s sleeves
had narrowed to the more usual sleeve shape and were decorative at
their top. In the provinces, the lower and upper sleeves were often
treated differently, in that the top, often no more than a small
puff, was attached to the dress, but the lower, often slashed and
pinked, sleeve appears to have been tied on.
The
Closures
 Most costumers tend to favour the
back-closure idea, the main reason for this being that surely it is
difficult, if not impossible, to do side-lacing with set-in sleeves?
I do not favour this idea. Since the back of dresses, when we can
see them, appear to have been as decorative as the front, it makes
more sense to put the lacing opening at the sides, directly under
the arms. This opening continues down into the skirt, as can be seen
at left in Judith by Venetian artist Pordenone. The problem of the
set-in sleeve isn't so much of a problem if we stop to think that
there is evidence from a later sixteenth century period for laced-in
sleeves. Laced in sleeves (as opposed to tied in) don't leave any
gaps between the sleeve head and garment, and what may actually be
laced-in sleeve can look remarkably like a set-in one. It is also
possible that the opening didn't begin at the armhole, but an inch
or two down from it.
The
Colours
The
colours during this period, in order from most common to least
common, are:
1. Shades of red: rust,
true red, deep red, deep orange-red, light orange-red, purple-red,
pink-red.
2. Greens: Deep grey-green,
deep forest-green.
3. Grey
4. Black, deep inky blue,
true purple, brown, white, yellow, burnt orange.
*For more information on the Venetian
camicia, see The Sixteenth Century Venetian Camicia and How to Sew a Venetian Camicia
**For more information on headwear and hairstyles in this
period see 1510 to 1540
from my article "A Crowning Glory: Hair Styles
and Headwear in 16th Century Venice.
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