At some point during the summer of 2022, I was cleaning out my costume closet and decided I could revamp my old 1570s French Valois Gown into something … my friend Loren of The Costumer’s Closet had made some very pretty gowns inspired by The Borgias (2011-13) TV show, and that gave me an idea. I removed the skirt from my old gown and cut apart the bodice and sleeves, plus I scrounged around my fabric stash for any remnants of the original fabric, trims, or coordinating pieces. Then I draped a modified bodice pattern over my 16th-c. corset for my current shape and compared that with the old bodice to see where to add material.
The old gown had a lovely front line and big sleeves…
Worn at the Italian Heritage Parade in 2011 with Bella Donna Historical Performers.
Those would have to go, but I wanted to keep the split-front skirt and the velvet guarding at the neckline.
Italian Heritage Parade 2011
I split the front of the bodice, and used scraps of velvet for guarding all around the neckline, plus loads of trim.
The back is where I had to add more fabric, and there just wasn’t a way to do it elegantly, but whatever, it’s the back!
I think the sweep train with velvet guarding is a nice distraction, especially since I wear a long hairpiece with this outfit!
For the sleeves, I used fabric scraps, trims, and gold cord to make laced-up, multi-part sleeves.
I also made a new chemise from a very lightweight cotton with extra-long sleeves so I could pull it up through the sleeve sections and create puffs.
At Costume-Con 39 in San Jose in spring 2023, I finally got to wear this gown because a few of us had a Borgias meetup!
Sabrina, Alyxx, Loren, & me.
And because the hotel setting is rather bland, I inserted our pic into a more historical background from a photo I took in Venice.
