The Tudor Revolution

Have you ever noticed the difference between a pretty Henrician ensemble and an exquisite one? What made the difference for you? For myself and many others, the difference that makes our heart stop is the detail and care put into the outfit. during Henry VIII's reign there are numerous ways to embellish your clothing, and most of these techniques are best done the same way there were back then-- by hand. There are legends that state that Katherine of Aragon brought this technique to England. In the modern era, costume historians have corrected this assumption. Blackwork was indeed popularized in England by Katherine, but it was a style that had already existed in the tiny island kingdom. Miniature of Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, painted by Lucas Horenbout. Fitzroy wears an intimate cap with a repeating blackwork pattern worked across it. Through the numerous portraits from this period, as well as some later extent garments, costume and textile researc...

Anne Boleyn is one of the most recognizable figures in English history. She was born the second daughter of  Sir Thomas Boleyn and Lady Elizabeth Howard around 1501. When Anne and her sister Mary were sent abroad to receive an education. Anne spent many years at the court of Queen  Claude of France and became one of the Queens favorite maids. While in France, Anne learned to speak and read fluent French, dancing, music, fashion or power dressing, and theology. Queen Claude supported and sheltered many protestants in her court, and this exposure is often seen by historians as the source for Anne’s more radical spirituality in later years. The positioning of Anne so strongly on the continent leads many historians to think she was never meant to return to England. Instead they argue that she was meant to be married off to a French noble. When war between England and France became more likely, Sir Thomas recalled Anne to England. When Anne was brought home she was betrothed to ...

People are always telling me, "I could never wear something like that, its just too uncomfortable." With all due respect, I have to disagree with their assumptions. Please take some time and consider these thoughts to make your experience wearing this clothing more comfortable. Get help from a knowledgeable person to dress you in complex clothing . Yes, there are times in our lives when for special occasions we wear uncomfortable clothing. It was true in the sixteenth century and it is today. There are not many of us who run around in strapless, poofy ball gowns on a daily basis. Many extreme fashions you find in some portraits and written accounts were put on with assistance of others (grooms, ladies, maids, etc), but not everyone could afford to be followed all the time and have multiple other people assisting them. It is my understanding that at the English and French courts, and probably several others. Ladies would assist each other, if they were sharing...

The Tudor Project was one of the most informative and incredible experiences I have had in my young career. The goal of this group was for each person to commit to reproducing a portrait from the court of Henry VIII of England. Everyone thought it sounded simple at first, but then many of us started to research and examine the details of this clothing. Eventually we were discovering things that had fallen in the cracks of previous researchers or re-creationists. This is not to say that we think we are better than those before us, or who have different views on the construction of this clothing. Everyone that I worked with feels that we are standing on the shoulders of giants, but that we are the ones choosing to reach for the sky. There are many different stories to how this started, but what it all boils down to is that we were a group of people willing to find our way into the right places at the right time and help each other to finish our goal. When the procession s...