This project required a little guesswork. All the surviving shifts I've seen are from an earlier or later date and neither seem to fit the shifts seen in artwork of the era. I can only hope the garments in the paintings have true likeness for the shifts they wore and are not just something artistic designed for the portrait.
Nell Gwyn by Simon Verelst c. 1680
Nell Gwyn, anonymous, date unknown
Nell Gwyn by Simon Verelst c. 1680
Hortense Mancini by Jacob Ferdinend Voet c.1675
But there was one that I liked the best. And, depending on source, could be dated to 1660's.
Portrait of Charlotte Fitzroy with her Indian page by Peter Ley, 1664-1679
I wanted to make the body with gores but I wanted to do something different that I had already made with my 18th century shifts. I chose one of those one piece gore smocks from 1620-1630 in Patterns of Fashion 4.
Since the shift is going to be worn under a dress inspired by a painting by Gabriël Metsu, I tried to achieve a similar sleeve length and ruffle on the cuff that can be seen peeking under her gown sleeves.
They seem to have these pearl bands around their arms in several of those portraits. I have no idea what that's about, but I tried it with mine too.
Construction:
The main pieces.
First I cut slits to the gores and inserted the sleeve gussets. Then I did the sleeve seams and the attached the sleeves to the gussets. Then I did the four long side seams. After hemming, the main body was done.
Then I gathered the neckline and made a neckband.
Lastly I finished the sleeves.
