Black & Gold Silk Venetian Courtesan Gown Redux

The Bella Donna Historical Performers were invited to perform at Carnevale in Venice for the Boticelli’s Primavera Dinner. While I don’t sing with the group, I’m a supporting member and needed to dress the part. Alas, my old black and gold gown was in sorry shape, and the bodice no longer fit. Also, I’d always wanted to make more elaborate sleeves since that was my second Venetian gown with “straight” sleeves. Luckily, Kendra had found more of the same fabric for me, and we held several bodice-fitting workshops with the group where Jenn helped drape a new bodice pattern on me. True confession: I messed up a crucial measurement in said pattern and had to sew the whole bodice twice! But this is why I start early, and I had most of this gown done by Christmas.

I reused the skirt from the old gown, but I thought that with the new bodice size, the skirt might need to be wider. So that meant a split-front skirt over a petticoat. This style isn’t super common for late 16th-century Venice, but it was done occasionally.

I’d made a black silk petticoat for another gown recently and could use that here too. I found a wide black and gold trim on AliExpress, plus pearls, which I sewed to the trim along the bodice and the sleeves.

I made sleeves with a top slashed puff, and they tie on with velvet ribbons that have gold aglets.

I styled a black wig and decorated it with pearls and gold (including a head necklace!) and both bought and made some new jewelry.

The event itself was glorious! Our hostess, Flavia, graciously welcomed us into her home, and the performance went wonderfully.