A shirt for a 16th century peasant soldier

Sankt Örjens gille is a group recreating the life in 16th century Sweden, and in particularly Dalarna/Dalecarlia, the area were Im from.  But there is not that much information so everything we can find about 16th century Sweden really....

Im making clothes for me, actually a bit untrue, I have not even started yet, I still only have my German clothes. But they are quite the same so it works for now. But I also make clothes for some other people in the group. A couple of month ago I finished a pair of trousers for a friend and now I have an order for another pair and also a shirt. Here you can read about the trousers. 

In these times, with covid, there is difficult to take measurements for the trousers so I started with the shirt. And while making one, I thought I could make another at the same time. So now I have two! Anyone in need of a shirt?

We say that we are doing the first half of the century but most of us, I belive, think early 16th century, and the fighting and life around the future king Gustav Vasa. He was seeking support in Dalecarlia to get rid of the Danes that occupied the country. The people from Dalecarlia were quite old fashion and later during his regime they complained about him using the new German fashion. The only drawings we have of Swedish 16th century soldiers made during that time is Paul Dolsteins drawings. And on these we dont see any shirts. So, with this in mind, and us doing early 16th century I actually decided to make them with squared pieces and gussets, a bit more 15th century. Not as much fabric in them as in the ones I usually do. This style is seen throughout the medieval period in illuminated manuscripts and where later worn by the lower classes of society for a couple of hundred years. We can still see them being used during the 19th century in the countryside.

They are made in white linen. And to get the price down I actually made some of the long seams by sewing-machine. A bit uncommon for me... The seam allowance and the linings are made by hand using white waxed linen thread.  My machine actually died while making the second one so that one is almost entirely made by hand. 

 

I made small differences between the two. I dont want everything to look exactly the same. Small differences makes it look more realistic I think. One has broader arms than the other, and that one also is a bit bigger in the bodice. The arm gusset on this one is also 12 cm and the other is 10. Next one I make might be made in a natural colour. That might actually be more historically accurate. They were soldiers, not all wealthy  and out in the field. A pure white linen shirt would not stay white for long, if they would have afford it from the beginning.

The first one.

The bodice on the first one is 92 cm long and 72 cm wide. Arms are 28 cm wide and 61 cm long.

And the second.

 

 

The bodice on the second one is 89 cm long and 70 cm wide. Arms are 24 cm wide and 62 cm long. The neckline is also a bit different. 

All the seam allowance is folded down and whip stitched by hand. To do this is almost relaxing to me. It makes a garment look so good, so complete.

 

And now some ironing and then C is going to choose which one he likes and the other is going to be sold. Both are probably around Large to extra Large in size.