If you are planning on joining King Henry for the celebrations of his last wedding at Henry VIII: heads and hearts, you'll need a great gown to wear!
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We have created a costume for you that is inspired by a variety of historical sources, including paintings and existing examples of clothing from the 16th century. The pattern is intended to interpret a look whilst being simple to make.
This pattern has been developed to fit an average ten year old; however the loose fit means it will still look great on boys 9-12 without alteration.
Time to make: three full days
Download the pattern
Click here to download the pattern (PDF, 7.69MB) >
Download the instructions
Click here for the instructions for gown without fur collar (PDF, 1.19MB) >
Click here for the instructions for gown with fur collar (PDF, 1.39MB) >
Choosing the fabric for your gown
High fashion?
If you would like the gown to look expensive and fashionable, you might choose a silky fabric in rich colours such as red, gold or black. The heavier the fabric, the more expensive the gown will look. Velvet will look very luxurious and a patterned fabric was very fashionable. The Tudors liked big simplified floral and geometric patterns. You could make the gown look more expensive by using a silky fabric for the collar and to line the inside of the gown.
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You could also add trimming to the gown to display even more wealth. Bands of trimming called ‘guards’ were often added to the edge of garments to decorate them; the more bands that were added,the more expensive the gown. You could use strips of velvet ribbon to achieve this effect or you could add lengths of gold braid to create a more sumptuous garment.
High street – or hunter?
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If you would like the gown to look practical and sporty, you might choose a more hard-wearing fabric such as wool. Green and russet, a dark copper or brown, were popular colours for hunting which was a fashionable pastime and a favourite of kings. You could continue the hunting theme by using fur to trim the collar and lapels of the gown.
Use your imagination to think about who might have worn this gown in the past, what they might like and what they would have been able to afford. You can use some of these ideas and combine them in different ways according to your personality.
Be creative!
We are celebrating the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII becoming King of England. Think about the fabrics, colours and trimmings which are fashionable now, think about the ways we express ourselves through clothing, our status symbols and our favourite pastimes.
Henry VIII was a fashionable king who used clothing to send messages to his courtiers and subjects. What message might you like to send to Henry VIII when you visit him at Hampton Court Palace?
