16th Century Italian Linen Calzone

16th Century Italian Linen Calzone
Underthings of the first half of the 16th century: Part 1)
by La Signora Onorata Katerina da Brescia.
One of my interests is the underpinnings of the 16th century. This article is one method of
making one of the more controversial items of underwear - the calzone (also known as
drawers).
History:
Extant examples of women's calzone can be found in Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd
and Moda a Firenze. A History of Underclothes also has an Italian extant example. Both
appear to be from the late 16th century. Pictorial representations such as Pierto Bertelli's
Cortigiana Veneza (Venetian courtesan) can be found in Diversarum Nationum Habitus,
1591 (V&A Museum) & 1594-1596 (Banca dati Biblioteca Riccardiana). From Hispanic
Costuming 1480-1520, drawers were mentioned in the 1479 inventory of Duchess of
Alburqurque (linen with white silk cords). Queen Juana had drawers lined with fur. Yellow
drawers of satin, trimmed with strips of cloth of silver belonged to the Empress. Drawers
were used in Spain before England or France. Lucrezia Borgia made calzone fashionable in
Italy (Ferarra).
Calzone or drawers were not popular in England as they were apparently associated with
courtesans and not appropriate for the upperclass. It seems that the Italians and Spanish
upperclass did not always hold the same opinion. It cannot be assumed that all Italian women
wore calzoni. One would have to look to individual inventories.
Eleanora d'Toledo's Gardaroba (from the mid 16th century) does record one pair of calzone
made of red satin. It is difficult to know what style Eleanora's calzoni were, as the details
were not recorded. We cannot assume from this entry, that all Florentine wore calzone.
Eleanora was spanish and this could reflect that heritage, but it does confirm that they were
present at the time, so plausible.
Pattern:
A close look at the extant example in Figure 1 (at the front opening) suggests that the calzone
are probably lined (most likely with linen). This would make sense as the calzoni are heavily
blackworked and would protect the outer layer from soiling. The waistline appears to have
knife pleats into the waistband. There does not appear to be a lot of gathering at the bottom
leg.

16th Century Italian Linen Calzone
Both Italian examples, in Figure 2, do not have a gathered leg at the bottom. The one on the
left has the waistband ungathered. This allows us to see more clearly how the shapes of the
pieces used to construct these calzone.
Based on Figures 1 and 3, my pattern has an angled leg pattern, with gussets for the crotch, as
seen in Figures 4 and 5. The waist is pleated to the waistband. The shape can be better seen in
Figure 3, from Diversarum Nationum Habitus. The lower leg can be finished in a cuff or ties,
as seen in Figures 1 and 3. A wider lower leg will give a pattern more suitable for calzoni as
seen in Figure 2.

16th Century Italian Linen Calzone
Bibliography:
1. Anderson, Ruth Mathilde. Hispanic Costuming 1480-1520 p 215 (supplied by Mistress
Constanzia de Zamora)
2. Arnold Janet, Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, Maney, Leeds, 1988, ISBN:0-
901286-20-6
3. Kovesi Killerby, Catherine, Sumptuary Law in Italy 1200-1500, Oxford University Press.
NY. 2002. ISBN:0-19-924793-5
4. Crowfoot E, Pritchard F & Staniland K, Textiles and Clothing 1150-1450, Boydell Press,
Woodridge, 2001 (ed) ISBN: 0-85115-840-4
5. Frick, Carole Collier. Dressing Renaissance Florence.: Families Fortunes & Clothing.
John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 2002. ISBN: 0-8018-6939-0
6. Fennel Mazzoui, Maureen. The Italian Cotton Industry in the Later Middles Ages 1100-
1600, Cambridge University press, 1981. (thanks to Galiana de Baiona).
7. Orsi Landini, Roberta & Niccoli, Bruna. Moda a Firenze 1540-1580. Pagliai Polistampa,
Firenze, 2005. ISBN: 88-8304-867-9
8. Veccellio, Cesare. Vecellio's renaissance Costume Book. Dover Publications. NY. 1977.
ISBN: 0 48623441X
9. Willet, C. & Cunnington, Phillis, A History of Underclothes, Dover Publications, NY,
1992, ISBN: 0-486-27124-2
Web Sites:
1. V&A Museum website: http://images.vam.ac.uk
2. Bath Museum of Costume: http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/
http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/index.cfmfuseAction=SM.nav&UUID=013DFA14-
32A6-4A33-B3CDA4E8E00C9D49)
3. Warwickshire Museum Website www.datavista.co.uk
4. Diversarum nationum habitus -
http://www.istitutodatini.it/biblio/images/riccard/12886/htm/vol1.htm
5. Oonagh's Own: http://oonagh.actewagl.net.au/
6. "How much yardage is enough" Susan Reed, 1994.
http://patriot.net/~nachtanz/SReed/fabuse.html
7. Suggested Yardages for Elizabethan Garments by Drae Leed.
http://costume.dm.net/yardages.html# (29/5/03)