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.