This outfit comes in the “wild hair” category. I decided that I wanted to build a very late Elizabethan gown. First I had to build the farthingale. I was inspired by both the “Ditcherly” portrait and the “Armada” portrait of Elizabeth. I decided to take the elements  I like best from the paintings add a few from other sources. 
     This gown has a underskirt, overskirt, bodice with stomacher, under sleeves and over sleeves. The under skirt, under sleeves, stomacher and inside of oversleeves are stitched with metallic ribbon folded in half to make a tube. The crossover points have a 10mm pearl. The overskirt, bodice and outside of the over sleeves are gold Fleur de leis on black brocade. I put a 8mm pearl on each of the fleur de leis. All the edges of the overskirt, oversleeves and stomacher are edges with pearls. Of all my dresses this one is the heaviest because I used the higher grade glass pearls. 
     I wear with it a large neck ruff rather then a open ruff.