Polish Jacket, The First Post
In the weekend before Waitangi Day, I spent a lot of time trying to get the pattern right for a Polish jacket I am making for G, based on those worn in the 17th Century, I think. It is a zupan. Or a kontusz. It is hard to decide as it has elements of both, so it kind of depends on when the pattern was from. But I say it is a zupan - an under jacket rather than an over one, because the sleeves are closed and the neckline high. But many jackets of that type are also labeled kontusz, so who really knows.
I had already made the pattern and made and modified the mock-up a couple of times, and I did several more mock-ups and alterations and eventually I think it is mostly right!! If I had started off with the pattern as it is now I would probably have tried to make it better, but I think it is good enough and both of us are sick of it.
The problems came that I had to scale up a pattern from a picture on the computer which was not the right size and proportions for Gary anyway. This picture:
I was going to try and find the site I got that from, but it is all over the place, so I can't really attribute it. I have no idea where it originally came from.
And then, I don't have any pictures of one of this style made up, nor do any of the pictures I do have of similar things show seam lines and so on. The sleeves are very odd, I don't know how it makes sense to have the cuff and line of the end of the sleeve like that. It would have been easier to go with one of the other sleeves and had the seam and the buttons on the inside of the arm, rather than down the front or back, thus enabling me to have the fancy shaped bit that sticks out over the back of the hand, like in this picture for example:
I also couldn't work out why it seemed to have lacing holes down the centre of the back and on the collar, and once again, no pictures of this.
Problems with fitting mainly stemmed from the difficulty of providing a fairly fitted jacket with plenty of room across the back because when men move their arms it adds inches to the measurement across their shoulders. The front always fitted very well though throughout the process.
I've done more since I first wrote this, so I shall write some more updates to post. Perhaps in small bites so I don't get bored or anything.
If anyone has any resources about historical Polish clothing, in any language, send them to me. Leave a comment or whatever.
I had already made the pattern and made and modified the mock-up a couple of times, and I did several more mock-ups and alterations and eventually I think it is mostly right!! If I had started off with the pattern as it is now I would probably have tried to make it better, but I think it is good enough and both of us are sick of it.
The problems came that I had to scale up a pattern from a picture on the computer which was not the right size and proportions for Gary anyway. This picture:
I was going to try and find the site I got that from, but it is all over the place, so I can't really attribute it. I have no idea where it originally came from.And then, I don't have any pictures of one of this style made up, nor do any of the pictures I do have of similar things show seam lines and so on. The sleeves are very odd, I don't know how it makes sense to have the cuff and line of the end of the sleeve like that. It would have been easier to go with one of the other sleeves and had the seam and the buttons on the inside of the arm, rather than down the front or back, thus enabling me to have the fancy shaped bit that sticks out over the back of the hand, like in this picture for example:
I also couldn't work out why it seemed to have lacing holes down the centre of the back and on the collar, and once again, no pictures of this.
Problems with fitting mainly stemmed from the difficulty of providing a fairly fitted jacket with plenty of room across the back because when men move their arms it adds inches to the measurement across their shoulders. The front always fitted very well though throughout the process.
I've done more since I first wrote this, so I shall write some more updates to post. Perhaps in small bites so I don't get bored or anything.
If anyone has any resources about historical Polish clothing, in any language, send them to me. Leave a comment or whatever.
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