A Red Velvet Giornea

		This tabard-like garment is made of dark-red cotton velvet, with a 100% cotton quilted lining (two layers of black cotton with thin cotton batting between them, sewn by machine in long rows every 4" or so). It is edged in fake white fur. Like many tabards, it has no side seams at all. The pleats are also only hinted at by way of taping on the inside -- they aren't sewn down solidly.
		Here you see the giornea's taping (burgundy against the black lining). The taping is lightly held on by tacking stitches every few inches that force the material to pleat. This keeps the pleats from moving around all too much. This technique is seen only in a few places, since there aren't many portraits of the insides of men's clothes, but it is period.
		Now you see the giornea belted. Note that the sides overlap greatly -- the model was concerned about people seeing his butt, so while the garment is sideless in the sense it has no side seams, I made it so it wraps around his lower torso completely. This is entirely period, as you may see from the "Triumph of May" fresco. If the giornea were thinner, it might not be, but as it is, it stands out quite nicely from him at the hem.
		And here is the back of it. Note that the front wraps back a ways. Also note how the belt is arranged. Sometimes belts are worn buckle in front, but buckle in back appears to have been popular. Here you also see the very popular v-back construction.

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This page last updated: July 10, 2009

All text copyright Vangelista di Antonio Dellaluna, except where otherwise noted. All portraits are understood to be copyright- free and are presented as research aids only.