Quite a while ago, I attempted to combine a wraparound Viking apron dress with gores, to give more room and a nice flare to the skirt. My result was awkward looking, and based on how it came out, I decided that it was implausible, at best, that Viking women would have added gores to a wrapped dress.
Recently, however, I found a picture of a garment based on the same idea on the blog A Most Peculiar Mademoiselle, now revamped and renamed A Most Peculiar Seamstress. You can see a picture of Sarah's dress here, although the accompanying post doesn't really discuss its construction; it mostly talks about what she did with the wrapped apron dress after it was vandalized by carpet beetles.
Sarah's dress does not look at all like mine; it is sleek and its hemline is beautifully even. Of course, my wraparound dress was made from linen. Sarah's dress was made from wool (which is why the carpet beetles were eager to eat it). That would have made a considerable difference to the way the dress hung and draped. I shall have to write to her and see if she can tell me more about her design.
At any rate, Sarah's successful design contradicts my original conclusion and leaves open the possibility that gored, wrapped apron dresses were worn by some Viking women.
Sarah's dress does not look at all like mine; it is sleek and its hemline is beautifully even. Of course, my wraparound dress was made from linen. Sarah's dress was made from wool (which is why the carpet beetles were eager to eat it). That would have made a considerable difference to the way the dress hung and draped. I shall have to write to her and see if she can tell me more about her design.
At any rate, Sarah's successful design contradicts my original conclusion and leaves open the possibility that gored, wrapped apron dresses were worn by some Viking women.
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