Catherine de Medici wearing a dress with French sleeves

Catherinde de Medici is shown wearing a gown with archtypical French sleeves.

This came from the Costume History portion of the Costumer's Manifesto site. The 16th century is covered with, among other things, an extensive and impressive collection of links here.

This is a good summary of mid-1500s fashion! The sleeves emerging from a puff or roll at the top and rapidly becoming close-fitting down to the cuff were called "French sleeves" in England.

Keywords:  Catherine de Medici, Medici family, Valois family, Queen, French, curly coiffure, crescent neckline, French hood, neck ruff, jeweled headdress, jeweled partlet, jeweled neckline, jeweled bodice, girdle, jeweled bodice ornament, French sleeves, fan, farthingale


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