“German Rose” Full Dress Set
Chemise with linen dress and overdress
I was a whisper on the breeze and a secret in her ear,
Her hair was a bonfire and eyes shining like wet stone,
Her heart was like a rosebush, stems as hard as bone,
There was a story on her lips, but a song too quiet to hear.
She was like the springtime, our love was fresh and clear,
But I grew thorns, and like ugly wings I sprouted fear.
If I had one chance I’d throw myself below her and atone,
She would be my finest rose.
Without her, autumn came and trees became austere,
And after that the time grew quickly, year by year by year.
Still, I listen for whispers of that song I could have known,
And look to my garden, gnarled and my flowers overgrown.
I tell myself, as winter comes, if I could just have her here,
She would be my finest rose.
“German Rose” German Dress Costume
Chemise with a fitted linen dress and overdress
With this collection, we wanted to prove that just because something is historically inspired does not mean it has to be less striking. Though this medieval German clothing is devoid of fancy trims and sparkly adornment, the cut of the dress and the silhouette more than make up for it! The set in this listing includes three main items: a chemise, a kirtle dress, and an overdress.
The overall look for this collection was inspired particularly by “The Crucifixion”, an oil painting by Anton Woensam circa 1540. In the painting, a woman can be seen kneeling in the foreground wearing a natural coloured chemise with a square-necked dress over top. From here, we have used historical information about garments from Central Europe in this time period to put together a pattern that re-imagines how this dress could have been constructed. The result is a perfect blend of simple and breathtaking.
This particular German costume probably would have been worn by a woman in a strong socioeconomic position, as the back lacing would require a servant to lace up. A working-class woman would likely wear something a bit easier to dress herself in. All three pieces can be worn together, but are also versatile enough to be combined with other similar costumes from the same time period.
Fine Flax Linen Underdress/ Chemise
The chemise for this collection has been completely re-designed from our previous Central-European underdress. It is still made from the same soft fine linen, but we have applied our advanced sewing techniques to make something that stands out just a little bit more in a subtle way. All around the neckline the dress is gathered in with tiny, perfect pleats, which neatly create a border. A tie in the middle of this border is what holds the dress closed. The same neat little pleats are again featured at the bottom of the sleeves, bringing in the voluminous sleeves to gracefully fitted cuffs. The chemise is not full length so you won’t have to worry about accidentally standing on it or tripping - it comes down to just below knee length.
Fitted Renaissance Kirtle with Boning
The middle layer of this collection is actually one of our best-selling dresses. Our linen kirtle is popular for being form-fitting and tight, but also comfortable. Plastic boning has been used to give it a little bit of structure without restricting you too much. It also has the added bonus of being an excellent sleeveless dress, with the option of tying on the stunning buttoned sleeves at the shoulder as well. It is versatile, generic enough to be customised, but gorgeous enough on its own to be perfect for SCA events, Renaissance Faires, LARPs, and tons of other types of parties. The dress features a square neckline that comes down quite low, so it exposes the pleats of the chemise and gives them room to shine as well. Back lacing of the dress keeps the bodice clear and simple, while also maintaining that nice fitted look. The full skirt of the dress flares out from the tight waist, falling to the ground.
Short-Sleeved, Asymmetric Hemmed Overdress
To give you an enviable silhouette and the most flattering fit, the overdress is closed with the help of numerous metal eyelets that allow you to lace it up at the back. This gives the back of the dress a beautiful shape, which helps it to fall beautifully. The hem of this dress is pretty massive - 9 meters around! It trails behind you a little bit, falling in generous pleats at the back and draping to the floor. We don’t want you tripping, though, which is why the front of the dress is shorter than the back, making it much easier to knee and walk in - it comes down to just below your knees. The sleeves of the overdress are shorter than the kirtle, only falling halfway down your bicep. They tie up at the shoulder with a cord to expose the beautiful lining and add another contrasting colour and texture to your dress overall. Just to make sure everything is perfect, the bodice of the dress is lined with the same linen and the bottom hem of the dress has been reinforced with a fine strip of linen to make sure it falls correctly.
All aspects of this German woman costume have been finely finished, including reinforcing around the eyelets, strong cord, and modern tailoring techniques to ensure everything is as neat as possible. The image that this whole collection evokes is one of beauty, grace, and independence. The German Rose is gorgeous and strong behind belief, sure of herself and happy to forge her own way. We hope that in wearing this collection you feel that strength running through you as you make your way in the world.
Because this is a very fitted dress, please ensure you measure yourself correctly, overtop of the undergarments you intend to wear with it.
To check how to measure yourself please click here.
Please contact us if you have any additional questions.
- 100% fine linen
- 100% flax linen;
- Plastic boning;
- Metal eyelets;
- Metal buttons;
- Cord.
- 100% flax linen;
- 100% fine linen (sleeves lining);
- Metal eyelets,
- Cord.
- Tiny neat pleats;
- Gathered at the neck and cuff;
- Billowy sleeves;
- Soft, fine linen.
- Corset-style bodice;
- Low, square neckline;
- Wide skirt;
- Back lacing;
- Detachable sleeves;
- Metal buttons.
- Low, square neckline;
- Tightly fitted bodice with lining;
- Short sleeves with lining;
- Asymmetric hem;
- Wide skirt.
This item is part of the “Renaissance Memories” collection View collection
The whole ensemble is beautiful, well-made, fits perfectly, and is surprisingly comfortable as well! I've worn it about 10 times so far, and I'm so happy with this purchase. I'll definitely continue to order from Armstreet! I decided to tea-dye the chemise because I the bright white I ordered ended up being too bright for me. Next time I order a chemise, I'll get the natural linen color. But if pure white is what you're going for, don't hesitate to order it!
LOVE it! Ordered 10/25/21 and received 2/16/22 for a custom sized full ensemble. It's perfectly fitted, lots of fabric, a massively gorgeous, well made outfit that is absolutely worth what you pay. I'm so happy with it and will be wearing it in just a few days for our festival!
Absolutely gorgeous outfit. I did end up replacing the too slippery lacing with waxed jute cord, but it's a beautiful and comfortable dress.
I can't express my happiness enough with this gorgeous outfit! And the team at Armstreet was incredibly kind and accommodating of all my questions, adjustments, and requests, which was above and beyond what they had to do to deliver a quality experience. They truly cared and made sure I got exactly what I wanted! I am in love with this dress, and will definitely do business with you wonderful folks again. Thank you for delivering so much more than a dress. You gave me a year's worth of fulfilled dreams!
Hello! I have a question. Is it possible to get the plastic boning replaced by metal ones if an extra cost is made? Plastic boning sadly doesn't stand up to a lot of wear in my experience.
Hello Jeanne, unfortunately, it is not possible. We use only plastic boning, sorry.
Hi, which color is the model in blue costume wearing for the chemise and counterpoints? Is it natural or white?
Hi Vanisa, it is natural linen color.
The moment I opened the package, I fell in love with this dress! Every bit of it fits like a glove with not even a quarter inch to spare in any fashion. This is absolutely the best dress I have ever owned! I love the quality of the fabric and the beautiful colors. My dress is blue flax with the midnight overdress and it is gorgeous. I have discovered with this dress set, exactly how many ways I can wear this! With so many pieces to choose from, I can mix this dress up for any occasion. Thank you so much Armstreet for your attention to detail in even the smallest of things!
I finally broke down and bought this dress I’d been looking at for a couple years... Got it in Red Burgundy with a Yellow Flax overgown, and golly, is this ever a lovely dress!! It’s a striking silhouette, especially with the overgown cut shorter in the front to see the skirt underneath for extra interest and color. The detachable sleeves add so much versatility to the style. And the undergown can look lovely on its own, especially with the very flattering boning in the bodice. Absolutely a great buy, especially with Armstreet’s quality and thoughtful construction behind it. Love this addition to my historical clothing closet!
Ordered German Rose dress with blue dress and midnight overdress, made to measure, fitted like a glove and as always I was blown away by the quality. The colours are so bright and vivid, design beautiful and execution flawless. Definitely happy with my purchase.
Good to hear! Thank you for your feedback :-)
Do you anticipate getting any of the out-of-stock fabric colors back in stock? Thank you!
Yes, of course! The missing linen colors should be back in stock within a couple of weeks.
Hi! I have a question about the length of the sleeves on the corset dress, how long are they? I have somewhat short arms and am worried that the sleeves will be awkwardly long, is there a way to get the arms shortened?
This costume is made in custom size according to your personal measurements and the sleeves will be shortened accordingly