Judith Proctor's Journal

 I've just been watching Shardlake - 

Overall, with a few minor reservations, I liked it.  Particularly on the costume (given that I currently have an interest in Tudor/early Stuart costume)

I was virtually drooling over Alice Fetewer. See that headwrap?

And look at those detachable sleeves!

On screen they looked as though they were knitted, but I can't be sure in this clip. Knitted or fabric could both have been correct for the period - I'm contemplating knitting a pair for myself when time allows.

The period illustrations I've seen show the sleeves at pinned on, rather than sewn, but that's not to say they were never sewn (but would have made them harder to wash separately).

 

I will say that everyone was underdressed, though. Snow on the ground all the time, in a big cold monastery?  No central heating, fires are expensive.  People would have had more layers of clothing.

Alice should have been had ties on her smock to fasten it at the neck when it was cold. And a piece of linen round her shoulders.  And probably a waistcoat as well. (In this particular context, a 'waistcoat' would be more like a jumper worn on top of the smock at underwear - 'waistcoat' has a lot of meanings during this era..)

It's even more obvious when she's out of doors. She would have a had a gown of some kind and probably a short cloak as well.

So, great clothes for summer, but you have to image a very warm monastery, and suspect that as a love interest, she is required to have a lower neckline....

 

You'll notice that the men got  more cold weather clothing...

Shardlake appears to suffer from the popular misconceptions about cloaks with hoods, but it looks as though Jack may possibly have a separate hood, which would be more correct (and far easier to wear in a way that keeps your neck warm and the hood from billowing round your face.

but overall, pretty good and could have been far worse.