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Partlet & Detatchable Sleeves
By Madeline | January 31, 2008
For those in the Tudor era who were a little too conservative to wear the low cut stomachers that all but served as a platter for displaying their pushed up bosoms, there was the partlet. A partlet was kind of like a small yoke piece that covered the shoulders and chest. This was a rectangular piece of cloth that was solid in the back and open in the front with a standing collar attached to it. For the poorer people who wore partlets, this was usually made of rough linen or whatever fabric their smock/chemise was made out of. For the rich, this could be made of anything from silk to gauze to lace cloth of gold. The partlet had small ties attached to each corner of the piece. The purpose of the strings was to tie them under the armpits to keep the partlet into place.
The partlet served several purposes. Of course, it was a shield for the modest to keep from exposing all their goods. It was also a way to help keep a little warmer in the winter time and avoid sunburns in the summer time. As the ruff came into fashion, the partlets proved very helpful as it kept the neck from being itched by the starched ruff and kept the ruff from getting dirty so quickly and reduced the amount of laundering needed. The use of partlets became very, very popular during Elizabeth I’s reign and the fad not restricted to women alone as men also picked up on the fashion trend.
The partlet could be worn many ways: it could be secured at the chest and neck for full closure, open at the chest and neck, open at the chest yet closed at the neck and closed at the chest yet open at the neck. Typically in Tudor fashion, most of Elizabeth’s courtiers wore theirs open at the chest and closed at the neck. Several sites I found stated there was a rumor that unwed women were to wear their partlets open, where married women were to wear theirs fully closed. There is no truth to this, although I can only imagine that unwed women most likely left theirs open in an attempt to win a husband easier - especially if they had a lot to show off.
If you want something more modern to associate this to, think of the dickie. The ‘pretend’ shirt. :)
I’m including detatchable sleeves in this because I don’t think it really merits it’s own post. As the partlet grew in popularity, detatchable sleeves became an extension. Patlets were altered to accommodate the detatchable sleeves that attached to the partlet that was secured over the chemise and under the gown. Often times, the detatchable sleeves were made of the same fabric as the partlet and made the wearer appear to actually have a shirt under their gown, though this was obviously not the case.
I would think this would probably be one of the least comfortable items of clothing since it ties under the armpits, which it usually sensitive anyway - I imagine that in order to secure it well, you would have to tie it pretty tight. Also, while the lace made of cloth of gold was very pretty, I can’t imagine it would be very comfortable to lay next to the skin. I think I’ll be passing on th partlet as I dress for the Ren Fair this year…
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