Tatiana's Fancy Schmancy Late Period Garb

Updated 26 May 2009

The following information has been posted on behalf of Her Excellency, Viscountess Tatiana Nikolaeva Tumanova, OL. Please contact her if you have any questions.


Here is one set of my very fancy garb, usually worn for the big Twelfth Night Coronation, feasts and other indoor events. As such, I don't normally wear the two outer layers because otherwise I'd sweat to death at indoor events. The clothing would be paired up with a headdress/viscountal coronet, jewelry/accessories, and boots.


Layer 1 – a bleached white linen rubkaha with short, straight (wrist-length) sleeves, a round neck buttoned with a wooden button/knotted thread loop, straight yoke turned to the outside and held down by embroidered stitching, and belted with a plain leather belt.

Layer 2 – a green and blue silk rubakha with a gathered neck and gold woven trim along the shoulders, long straight sleeves (which would be gathered up along the arms and held in place by wide metal bracelets), closed at the neck with a filigree ball button and knotted thread loop.

Layer 3 – a red silk and gold thread brocade sarafan, trimmed down the front wth blue moire silk and woven gold trim, decorated with metal filigree ball buttons. This is a late period sarafan: the front decoration has expanded to cover the entire front panel and the buttons are decorative; the sarafan is pulled on over the head and does not actually open up down the front. Cut on a period pattern: the front/back pieces are rectangles with the neck opening notched out; sides are four right-triangles used as gores (note the "square" armholes).

Layer 4 – a white silk and gold thread brocade dushegria, trimmed down the front opening and along the front edges with woven red silk and gold thread trim, fastened down the front by gold cord loops and metal filigree ball buttons. This garment does open up down the front, and it was cut on a period pattern.

Layer 5 – a red silk velvet shugai with long straight sleeves (which would be gathered up to the wrists), trimmed with woven gold cord and lined with red taffeta. Shown here thrown over the shoulders, rather than lapped over at the front.

Layer 6 – a European lined woolen hooded cloak, closed with brass and malachite fasteners. (This should be a shuba, and I swear I'm going to make myself one!)

Layer 1 - Rubakha with Gathered Neck and Shorter Sleeves Layer 2 - Silk Outer Rubakha with Long Sleeves

Layer 3 - Silk Brocade Sarafan Layer 4 - Silk Brocade Dushegria

Layer 5 - Shugai

Layer 6 - European Style Outer Cloak


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