This outfit was inspiried by a couple of primary sources (shown above). I wanted a simple and elegant gown in black with striking white accents (I have a big thing for black & white at the moment... I kind of think of them as my signature colors). It is a high-necked gown (meaning that the skirt and bodice are attached) with short sleeves, meant to either be worn alone or with mix-n-match lower sleeves. In the first two pictures, I'm wearing it with a kirtle made from a black & gold jacquard (mysterious fiber content... I picked it up years ago at Joann's on sale). In the third photo, I'm wearing it with a burgundy silk petticoat.

The sleeves on the bodice were slashed and then puffings of linen were pulled through and stitched down to secure them (a period cheat). I did the same thing with the slashings on the front of the doublet as well. The wool was pre-washed and therefore felted a little, preventing it from fraying, so I could leave the slashings unbound. If you want to see a hi-res image of the doublet, click here.