16th century

The 16th century is the century of lace, ruffles and collars. This category holds the ruffled and turn-down collar shirts — with high (11 cm), medium (8 cm) and low (4 cm) collars, because we are not all alike — together with the vests of the period and the laced chemise.
The patterns are based on Janet Arnold's research. The shirts are made of linen with French seams, with neck and underarm gussets, in both women's and men's sizes.

Shirts and Chemises from the 16th Century

The 16th century is the century of lace, ruffles and collars. Our shirt patterns are based on the research of Janet Arnold, without whose precise work these pieces could not be made so accurately. Every shirt is made of linen with French seams and underarm gussets.

Ruffled and Turn-Down Collars

We make the ruffled collar shirt with three collar heights: high (11 cm), medium (8 cm) and low (4 cm), because no two bodies are alike. It is available with or without a neck gusset, and lace can be added to the top of the ruffle, in women's sizes too. The turn-down collar shirt has neck and underarm gussets, comes with wide or narrow lace, and also exists with an extra-wide collar. Its pattern appears in Janet Arnold's book, from the Blackborne Collection at the Bowes Museum.

Lace-Trimmed Chemise and Simple Lace-Trimmed Shirt

The lace-trimmed chemise is a very full linen garment with a fixed neck width, worn in both the 15th and 16th centuries. The simple lace-trimmed shirt has fine lace along the neckline and widening sleeves that allow free movement. In the period it was often worn under a vest or doublet, but it looks good on its own too. We make it in both men's and women's sizes.

Each piece is made to the size chart or to your own measurements, and a 10% deposit secures your order.

• Guide: how to measure for made-to-measure medieval clothing
• 15th-century clothing