Real-Life Communication
You are a costume designer and own your own business. You handle
all aspects of the operation, from designing and sewing the costumes to advertising
and bookkeeping. Business is good, almost too good! Sometimes the workload
can be challenging.
A client enters your shop one morning. She is attending
a costume party with an Elizabethan theme next month.
She wants you
to design and make her a costume for the party. After discussing what price
range she has in mind, you quickly decide against a gold brocade number suitable
for a nobleman's wife. The question now is whether she wants to attend the
party dressed as a peasant woman or a member of the middle class. But when
you ask her, she isn't sure.
"I just want something with a full skirt
and puffy sleeves," she replies. "Like you see in the movies."
You're
fairly certain that she wants a peasant-style dress. Still, you know from
experience that it's much better to have a firm idea of what the client wants
before you start cutting material. You pull out a book with information on
the Elizabethan period.
Middle-class women dressed as
well as they could afford. Their chemise (similar to an undershirt, only longer
and fancier) was high necked and made out of a fine fabric. Often, it was
embroidered.
The lady would wear a busk or corset, bum-roll or a farthingale
(hoopskirts) over the chemise. Her bodice was high necked. She would wear
a matching overskirt. She often wore knitted hose. Her hat, pouch and shoes
might be decorated to match the embroidery decorating her garments.
A
middle-class woman could wear almost any colors except pink, purple and fuchsia.
Her hair would be arranged in a fancy style to imitate the ladies of the court.
A
peasant woman wore a long-sleeved shift, with at least two skirts over top.
The upper skirt would be tucked up to make sure it remained free of dirt.
Most of the time, she wore an apron over the skirts to help keep them clean.
Like
middle-class women, a peasant woman also wore a bodice. However, her bodice
often had removable sleeves. In warm weather, she would wear the bodice without
the sleeves.
Her hair would probably be braided, and she would wear
some sort of cap or garland of flowers, depending on the weather. She would
favor earth colors, such as moss green and shades of brown. If she wore a
chemise, it would be off-white instead of white. Her clothing would be made
out of materials such as cotton, linen or wool.
Use the
above information to write up a set of questions that will help the woman
decide what type of dress she wants.