Kats Pale Sottana

Styles:
The following are portraits of sottana from 1540s Florence.

1. Bacchiacca's Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music, 2.Bronzino's Bia, The Illegitimate Daughter of Cosimo I de' Medici 1542. 3. Bronzino 1545-46. portrait 4.Bronzino's Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi, 1540. (Uffuzi). 5. Bronzino's Eleanora di Toledo, 1543.

Some similarities and some differences can be seen. This is possibly due to the differing social stature, with the more affluent wearing the more current fashions.
Bia's sottana is influenced by the general fashions, but also by the fashions worn by her mother, Eleanora di Toledo. (5). So it seems that there was a reasonable variation of fashions, possibly local and influenced by Eleanora's fashions (?) Below is based on portraits 1-4, with the fifth to compare to Eleanora's 'official' fashion which became more fashionable in the 1550's.

1-4 have smaller rouched baragoni, varyin in size. (they decrease in size as the decade progresses).
the lower sleeves can be of the same or different colours and were often slashed.
Most are red (this is not surprising as it was a very popular colour).
The first two have trim around the neckline, the first has trim that can also be seen around the hemline. The other two have no trim.
there is no farthingale (Florentines were not keen on them).
Cartridge pleating is seen at the waistline in most portraits. The second portrait shows pleating that is becomes popular by the end of the 1540s.
The girdles vary from material, beads (not hanging and hanging) and a 'hanging' chain.
All are wearing two necklaces of varying size and expense. (not necessarily matching).
The giorgeria (partlet) ranges from a simple handkerchief type arrangement to a collarless giorgeria, fastened with a button. The final two are intricately pleated. Bia is not wearing a giorgeria.

CONSTRUCTION:
Pattern:
I adapted the pattern from the extant burial dress of Eleanora d' Toledo from Janet Arnold's Pattern of Fashion, and the Red Pisa Sottana discussed in L'Abito della Granduchessa; Vesti di corte di Madonne nel Palazzo Reale di Pisa.(seen in the section on sleeves). I adapted the imbusto and waistline for a decade or two earlier. There were no available extant sleeves for the burial gown, so I based the sleeve pattern from L'Abito della Granduchessa.

Lining:

The imbusto was interlined with cotton drill. I then decided that I wanted a stiffer bodice and added some cotton canvas. For this dress, the strength of the imbusto was critical. I could not add the 'felt layer' as this would make the imbusto weaker to penetration.

It is best to stitch the interlining layers together to reduce movement and wrinkling. (right)

I have heard some people glue the layers together. However, good construction techniques show in the final look of an outfit (just look at haute couture vs. off the rack). Stitching also makes the final imbusto much stronger and will not be effected by heat or washing, like some glue would. It is also a more period contruction method. The final linen lining, visible from the inside, was hand stitched to the main imbusto (bodice) material.The edges were then stab-stitched with 2mm stitches. In keeping with the common Florentine edging, I used a clipped 'bias strip' around the neckline. (left).
The main points in theconstruction are: sewn interlining (above), snipped neckline edging (left), non-bagged lining (hemstitched in), handsewn eyelets, stabstitching on edge of imbusto (right) and the final fit is seen far right.

The skirt openings (side back) were lined with a bias strip made from the sottana material. This is in keeping with research shown in Janet Arnold's Patterns of Fashion, for Eleanora's burial dress. The skirt was pleated to the imbusto. Finally, I made a pintuck pleat around the hem and used a felted edging to stiffen the skirt. This is consistent with the construction methods used for the extant sottana menioned above.
Maniche/ Sleeves:

With this sottana, I trialed a more period pattern found in L'Abito della Granduchessa; Vesti di corte di Madonne nel Palazzo Reale di Pisa. (The Dress of the Granduchessa Garments of Court and Madonne in the Royal Palace of Pisa).

This book shows three examples of 16th century Tuscan extant sottana which were restored. One of these was the red velvet dress found in Pisa. A proposed pattern is seen on the right. Far right is the sleeve pattern I made based on this. This is the first time I have used this pattern, so it will be interesting to see how it sits. I am confident that it will sit on the wider shouldered imbusto pattern. Modern sleeves have the rounded convex sleeve head to fit a bodice with a shoulder strap high up on the shoulder. The 16th century imbusto has a shoulder strap sitting on or outside the tip of the shoulder.

I have never made a rouched sleeve before, so this is a learning experience.

One way this can be achieved by making a two part sleeve with the full slender undersleeve which can be removed, and a separate top 'baragoni' over sleeve. This method also makes it easier if you are using a different coloured undersleeve, as seen above in Bacchiacca's Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music and Bronzino's Portrait of Lucrezia Panciatichi, 1540. It allows for versatility in the Lochac summers, where it can be worn without the lower sleeve.

There are a few non-Florentine paintings showing the wearer with no lower sleeve, such as Titian's Madonna and Child with St Catherine, St Dominic and Donor or Lotto's Vestiture of St Brigid, 1524 (right). So removing the lower sleeve is not unheard of. La Moda a Fiorenze also states that sottana could be worn at home without sleeves. Eleanora's guardaroba also specifically lists sottana senza maniche - dresses without sleeves. This suggests that the sottana was actually ordered, or at least listed withougt the sleeves.
For the upper part of the sleeve, I used a base sleeve with a gathered (larger about 3x sleeve) on the outside.

Below are pics of the sleeve in progress. Left is the baragoni pattern for the 'base sleeve'. The gathered top was increased by 3x in size and gathered (far left).
Tabs were put on the bottom of the baragoni, as seen in Bia's portrait (seen in second pic).This can be worn without the under sleeve, for summer.
The under sleeve was clipped at the cuff, also to match the portrait. The third picture shows the undersleeve tied in. The baragoni was handsewn in at the top.
Below right is the final sleeve - both baragoni and undersleeve.

Decoration:

I had some braid that I bought very cheaply, a year or so ago. It was perfect for this project. I used two rows around the neckline and the sleeves, as in the portrait. I used two lines around the hem, as in Bacchiacca's Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music, a contemporary portrait to the of Bia.
Middle right is the decoration on the sottana. Far right is the finished sleeve.