Corset Renaissance Dress “German Rose”

Linen Boned Renaissance Kirtle

This German medieval dress is elegant and simple, allowing your natural beauty to speak for itself while enhancing your best assets in all the right places. For many years, our boned kirtle has been one of our best-selling dresses. Though it’s not as embellished as some of our other collections or adorned with trim, it holds a simple, respectful beauty that is hard to deny. High-quality flax linen is combined with a flattering silhouette, a tight bodice, and an elegantly draped skirt. Tie-on sleeves add a touch of elegance, with a few bold buttons along the forearm for functional decoration.

This dress is heavily inspired by the 16th century, particularly the works of the Woensam painters. We begin to see the basic garments of the XIV-XV century branch out and become more structured and higher-waisted. A woman of higher status would have likely worn this design, as the back lacing would be intricate for her to do alone, so that she would have had a servant or handmaiden. The base of the German dress is gorgeously simple, though, leaving lots of room for you to make it your own and customize it in a way that suits your persona or character. Who knows - maybe your peasant character happens to be very good at doing up her own back lacing!

Traditionally, this German woman's dress would have been worn with a chemise, as the bust is relatively low. The square neckline and boned bodice work together to create a dainty waist and a high bust, which pairs well with the voluminous skirt that drapes to the ground. The sleeves are fitted at the wrist, giving your arms a delicate look, and the buttons break up the fabric, creating contrast with your chemise or shirt underneath. Because the sleeves are detachable, you can wear your kirtle with or without them.

100% flax linen would not have been traditionally used for this kind of dress (more likely wool), but we aim to create items that are comfortable for our customers today! Linen has a lovely weave, so it breathes well, making it a perfect all-weather fabric. The eyelets at the back of the dress are metal, so you can pull the lacing tight without risking damage to the dress.

Please note that the matching chemise is not included, but is available from our store.