Charles II; The Power and the Passion

The BBC series on the life of Charles II is one of my favouite Tv series, i recently watched it again and screencapped some of the images of the costumes, especially the male ones to try and get some more reference photos.

Nell Gwyn Portrait

I found this portrait of a lady in the 17th century, and i think that the dress she wore looks quite similar to the one worn by Nell Gwynn in her portrait by Peter Lely

They are both of a similar colour, but the first one is a bit more formal and looks like a fully fastened up version of Nell's Dress. Poppea's costume could be made to look either done up or undone depending on the situation and who she is talking to. For example, when Poppea is with Nero she could be looser and more undone, but when she meets with Ottone and rejects him she could be more formal.

Fashion postcard

While i was in Venice this summer i bought a few fashion postcards, this one has what i believe is a 17th century Italian dress.

Costume of the 17th Century; Iris Brooke

Early 17th century

Late seventeenth century

Man in the Iron Mask

I like this dress worn by Jennifer Connolly in The Man in the Iron Mask

Stage Costumes

I found a website which shows costumes that are hired out for stage productions, and i have collected images of the 17th century ones that they had available. These show how the 17th century could be intepreted on the stage.

Mode in Costume

Early 17th century

Hair and accessories

Later 17th century

Molière

Molière is a french film by director Laurent Tirard. It follows a period of life of the Playwright that is generally unknown to historians. It begins in 1658 and follows Moliere's interactions with a family, suggesting that his real life experiences inspired one of his most famous plays, 'Tartuffe'.

I like the braided decoration down the front seams of this dress

This dress is similar to the loose robes worn in the baroque paintings of nell gwynn, This could be another way to have Poppea in a slight state of undress. It seems a bit like a dressing gown type dress, worn only in her Boudoir.

I like the overall colour pallette of this film, and all the fabric manipulations and decorations on the dresses.

The Devils Whore

The Devils whore was a Channel 4 TV miniseries, made in 2008, based in the years 1638 and 1660. The Series follows the life of Angelica Fanshawe, and intertiwnes with the lives of real historical characters following the course of the English Civil War

The dress that the other woman is wearing here is similar to the ones that were shown in the paintings, like the one of Nell Gwynn

I quite like how the Chemise is showing above the neckline of this dress

Romanticized robe

In the mid seventeeth century a new fashion arose to have a ladys portrait painted in a state of undress, wearing only a loosley fastened gown. The style is shown in many of the portraits by Peter Lely, as seen in his portrait of the mistress of Charles II, Nell Gwynn

Although this style does not directly represent true fashion of the time, looser gowns were beginning to be worn. I quite like the idea of Poppea being shown in a dress like this as it hints at her sexual relationships with men, both Ottone and Nero, and also suggests a looseness of character.

I also really like this image of Barbara Villiers, another of Charles II mistresses. i like the way that it is fastened up the front of the dress with buttons/clasps. Perhaps for Poppea i could use elements of both these dresses

Dress Design; Talbot Hughs

The Hair was now allowed to fall in ringlets around the back and sides, with a few flat curl on the brow...the ladies were wearing long corseted bodices with a richly decorated stomacher which curved outwards to set on the very full skirts... Square starched collars rounded at the back, sometimes set up at the back off the neck or flat on the shoulder...ruffs were still seen round the neck with collars as well but they were seldom met with after 1635...The bodices were often slashed and the full sleeves,cut into bands were sometimes gathered by cross bands from one to three times

The body is usually decorated with long slashes from shoulder to the breast...all sleeves start fom a stiff epaulet...a short or long circular cloak was worn...shoes became very square in the front...the heels varied very much in height, that mostly favoued being a large, low heel.

The hair was set out from the head on combs with falling ringlets...the back of the hair was plaitied into a knot and pearl strings were interlaced...many corset bodices took a round point, and a round neck coming well off the shoulders...ruffs and collas were no longer seen amongst the upper classes...large opened sleeves were tied o clasped over full lawm ones amd at times seperated from the shouldes...loose robes and robes shaped to the figure, opening down the front from the neck to the waist, with a clasp or several holding them together...hihg heeled shoes with long square toes were affected in immatation of the male shoe, but most ladies began to wear a very pointed shoe

Corsets and Crinolines

Norah Waugh's book 'Corsets and crinolines shows two photographs of seventeenth century bodices, one of which i think may be the same one as is shown in detail in the V&A book, and it also has a pattern for an off the shoulder pair of stays.

The illustration of the stays shows how the arm holes were set quite far back in the bodice, to alter the posture of the woman wearing them

Costume; John Peacock

I love the John Peacock book as a resource, although it doesn't show real historical dresses the drawings clearly illustrate the way that fashion developed through the ages. Here are the two double pages showing the development through the seventeenth century.