Review: Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn

I've had Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn on my virtual TBR for - ahem - years but when I started reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel back in January, I thought it was finally time to request it from my local library. Eleri Lynn is the former curator of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Historic Royal Palaces and if the name rings a bell, that's because I recently reviewed another of her books Underwear - Fashion in Detail.

During the 1500s, dress was a form of competitive magnificence and was regularly reported on across the continent by ambassadors. And it's thanks to these letters that we have some detailed descriptions of the clothes being worn at court, particularly by the reigning monarch.

During the Tudor period (1485-1603), Sumptuary Laws were still in place and every member of society knew what they were - and were not - permitted to wear, creating clear class divides. However, a book about Tudor fashion is obviously going to focus on the most exquisite fabrics, needlework, embellishments, jewels and accessories of the time as that's where the level of craftsmanship is at its highest.

Much of what we know about fashion in the Tudor period - and earlier - has been obtained by studying the portraits painted at the time. To this end, several artworks are included in the book and serve to complement various descriptions of garments, jewels and accessories. Also included are photographs of several exhibits held by the V&A Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and other Trusts, museums and galleries around the world.

Given my motivation for exploring Tudor Fashion while reading Wolf Hall, I was thrilled to see the portrait of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex painted by Hans Holbein the Younger. Wolf Hall is about the life of Cromwell and this very portrait features in Mantel's book. Lynn also explains that Cromwell avoided the trappings of his station and instead chose to dress as a simple lawyer in black robes as he was not born into nobility.

I love reading about the Tudor period in particular but was still shocked to read just how enormous the Tudor household was.

"The Tudor household was vast: Henry VIII's numbered 1,500 at its height. The household consisted of three sections: the household above stairs, which fell under the control of the Lord Chamberlain; the household below stairs, which was presided over by the Lord Steward; and the stables, which was overseen by the Master of the Horse." Page 109

Fascinating isn't it? Lynn goes into further detail, outlining which staff were assigned to which areas of the household, who was entitled to wear livery and how it was produced and funded.

I thoroughly enjoyed the detailed section about dressing a Tudor lady or queen and given women didn't wash their hair often, I appreciated this insight as to how they kept their hair from becoming greasy:

"A combing cloth was then placed over her shoulders while her hair was rubbed with a warm cloth to remove grease and dandruff, then combed. A ready-styled and dressed wig would then be put on her hair." Page 137

It was also a nice reminder - for me - to read how crucial pins were in Tudor dress. Pins were the primary means of holding the various layers of clothing together and in 1559, 24,000 pins of different sizes were supplied to Queen Elizabeth I, with similar numbers provided every 6 months. In How To Be a Tudor by Ruth Goodman I learned that pins from this era are still being found in the Thames today and in Mudlarking - Lost and Found on the River Thames by Lara Maiklem, the author explained that pins accumulate and wash together in tangled metallic nests and that they're one of her favourite treasures to find because they're so ordinary.

Tudor Fashion by Eleri Lynn is an informative and enjoyable read and will appeal to those with an interest in fashion, history, conservation, art and the Tudor period.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen

* Copy courtesy of Transit Lounge *

Miranda and Richard answer an advertisement in a nature magazine and agree to stay on an island off the coast of Tasmania for a period of six months. They'll be taking over from the previous caretakers but otherwise they'll be on their own in the remote wilderness the entire time. Taking all of their own supplies, the couple will be responsible for looking after the automated lighthouse and recording regular weather observations.

Miranda is recovering from a near death experience and the couple is reeling from Richard's infidelity. The environment is hostile, with winds so fierce that animals blow off the cliffs and down onto the rocks below. Yet somehow Miranda and Richard believe the seclusion, shared experience and time together will offer them the chance to heal their marriage. Yeah right! Obviously things were going to go wrong but I could never have guessed how.

Miranda is a Marine Biologist with a love of the ocean and spreadsheets.

"Keeping spreadsheets was not enough to distract her. She had revelled in the sorting and labelling of their produce, bought sticky labels for the bags, noting the date of drying, the variety of apple or pear or orange. She listed the total weight on each bag. When she had sealed one she lined it up next to all the others. The various colours and shapes were pleasing. This task appealed to something in her nature, perhaps the same thing that had drawn her to a career in marine biology." Page 21

The beginning of the book was easily my favourite part. Their arrival at the island demonstrates just how remote and cut off from the rest of the world they are, and the list of maintenance items was enormous. The weather takes a toll on every fixture and fitting and they're both energised by the physical challenges ahead. I especially enjoyed Miranda's planning for their trip.

"Her skills were easily transferrable to the planning for the island. She had measured out each meal - breakfast, lunch and snacks - planning them six months in advance, adding a few extra weeks of food in case the weather turned and stranded them on the island for longer than expected." Page 15

Getting set up and unpacking their supplies as the wind was howling outside my own bedroom window made me wish I could watch all of this unfolding on the big screen. Their optimism burst from the page and I was quick to share it. However, it soon becomes apparent Miranda is going through a lot more than first realised; she's physically recovering from a nasty accident, going through menopause and was already a person in flux.

It would be a spoiler to mention how things shift, but I can tell you there's a lot of sex in the book. If you're uncomfortable reading graphic sex scenes - and I'm not - then this is not for you. Having said that, the narrative goes further than just lots of sex and I think I'd call it dark erotica bordering on erotic horror.

There's quite a lot of poetry included in the book but much of it felt personal to the author and I had trouble connecting it to the narrative. There's also a heavy emphasis on Miranda feeling a lack of belonging her entire life and being different from everyone else that I couldn't relate to. It made me wonder if perhaps this was more of the author bleeding through into the character on the page.

And what's with the cover? I love the cover design, it's suggestive, erotic and intriguing but having read the book I can't see the relevance whatsoever. While the conditions are frigid, Miranda does take her clothes off on quite a few occasions however this isn't her body type. The reader is frequently reminded that Miranda is overweight:

"Miranda's body held its own in his company. She was corporeal. Short but fat, sturdy. She weighed more than he did, even though he was easily a head and shoulders taller than her." Page 175

After that one description - and there's plenty more - it's clear the woman on the cover is not Miranda. I also have no idea what the significance of the blackberries and blackberry juice smeared on her abdomen is all about. Perhaps it's suggestive or evocative of blood and something to do with menstruation but the torso of the woman doesn't look menopausal. It's a great cover, I just didn't understand the relevance.

The author mentioned in a recent interview that the idea for the book came after their friend sent them an ad just like this, thinking Kris might consider it a writing retreat of sorts. The position didn't appeal but they took the idea and ran with it and I hope the friend passes on more ads in the future.

I originally wondered if the title of The Rite of Spring was a reference to the piece of music by Stravinsky, but in the same interview I referenced earlier, I learned there are going to be four books with themes of queerness, gender, science, nature and the supernatural; one for each season.

The ending of the book reaches an exciting climax (pun intended) although I was left with unanswered questions in the denouement about the supernatural element. The Rite of Spring by Kris Kneen is dark erotic Australian fiction and will appeal to literary readers open to self discovery, sex and the supernatural.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Devil Mountain is a debut novel by Inessa Jackson and the author has certainly made an arresting entrance into the somewhat crowded scene of Australian crime fiction.

Based in Sydney, Detective Sergeant Anastasia Brown is reeling from an unjust workplace suspension when she's sent to Stony Creek - a small town in NSW - to investigate the murder of a local GP. Pairing up with local Detective Harry Frost, Ana gets a quick run down of the unusual crime scene and seeks to find out more about the victim and why someone would want to kill him.

This police procedural moves quickly and several motives are swiftly identified. I loved this phrase summing up the motives for murder and haven't heard or seen it before:

"It met the criteria for one of the most common motivations for murder: love, lust, loot and loathing." Page 38

The mountain of the title overlooks Stony Creek and forms part of the Stony Creek State Forest where lights have been seen and the vengeful spirit of a wronged woman is said to haunt the mountain for eternity. Yikes!

DS Ana Brown is an easy protagonist to cheer for as she tackles misogyny in the workplace, peels back layers of lies in the small town to reveal adultery and addiction, investigates a Wiccan coven and plunges headlong into the forest despite the reported hauntings.

Detective Harry Frost was a highlight and my favourite character and I'd love to see Ana and Harry working together again in the future if this becomes a series.

Devil Mountain by Inessa Jackson is an enjoyable Aussie noir crime novel although I wish the supernatural element was more prominent.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

Review: Five by Ilona Bannister

* Copy courtesy of Harlequin Australia & Harper Collins *

I love a book with an enticing premise, and Five by Ilona Bannister has just that. Five commuters are waiting on a train platform and in five minutes the next train to London is going to arrive and one of them is going to die. The unnamed narrator takes us away from the present so we can get to know the back stories of each of the five characters and how they came to be standing at the train platform that morning.

We're introduced to mother Emma and her out of control child Gideon, Sonny, a young man who has gambled his life away, a cranky older woman named Mrs Worth who's refusing help even though she's having a medical episode and a successful looking businessman named Liam.

"There are many other mundane but poignant details we could explore in the lives of these ordinary commuters, but we have time constraints. Let's just say that you've seen them before, on some other train platform in some other suburb, weighed down by bags and coats and unmet goals and unrealised dreams." Page 20*

As you can see, the narrator breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly and I came to see the narrator as the author herself, occasionally breaking into the story to communicate directly with me.

I love people watching and always wonder about the lives of those passing me by; or am I passing them by? Other characters on the platform are given nicknames like Bad Back and To Do List, and while on the periphery of this story, we're also given insight as to their behaviours and choices on the train platform.

Fans of Benjamin Stevenson will love the author's sense of humour and the way in which she foreshadows precisely what will happen, leaving the reader to reach the destination on their own. The thrilling nature of the plot is supported by surprisingly deep character development and the back stories of these five flawed characters really made me sit up and take notice.

This next quote is from a scene where Liam - one of the five main characters - is sitting with his brother and mother watching TV. It's an excellent example of the author's writing style and such a relatable family moment. That moment suddenly becomes shockingly poignant and I found it very moving.

"She sips her sweet, sweet tea and thinks to herself for the thousandth time in twenty years that she really should launder those curtains, and regrets that now she won't have the chance, as a thunderclap no one else can hear explodes inside her head. The pain is immense, but she sees her Liam, so big and muscular and broad and handsome pointing at the screen and making his brother laugh. As the feeling drains from her left side, Doreen regrets that she never had the money to fix the gap between his teeth that she knows secretly bothers him, but that she has always loved. The last thing she sees before her vision is lost and another blood vessel explodes in her brain is her Danny, smiling with the box of biscuits in his lap. As her breath stops, Doreen can still hear his hoarse, gasping laugh as Liam says something rude about the lady on stage impersonating Barbra Streisand. Lads, she thinks, her lads, and the word feels like a smile. And as the mug of tea drops from her hand and her soul leaves the room, she regrets nothing at all." Page 211*

At the end of the book, the death is revealed and the narrator addresses the reader about their feelings on who survived, who died and whether there was any disappointment about the outcome. I certainly had my preference for who was going to survive and who wasn't but this fourth wall questioning was so engaging I felt sad it was all over. I also enjoyed reading about the aftermath for some of the characters and immediately wished Bannister was in a book club to discuss it all.

Five stars for Five by Ilona Bannister, very highly recommended! (Why don't you take five minutes to read a sample, you won't regret it).

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

* I read an ARC so page numbers may vary.

Review: Underwear by Eleri Lynn

I've always been curious about underwear across history and I enjoy the snippets that occasionally pop up in the books I read* but where those authors may have touched on one or two fascinating facts from history, in Underwear - Fashion in Detail by Eleri Lynn it's the author's sole focus.

Eleri Lynn is a curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the book is published by V&A Publishing which tells me she's at the height of her field with access to some of the best artefacts from history. It also tells me she's more than qualified to guide the reader through an evolution of underwear in this book.

Surprisingly, this evolution doesn't follow a chronological path, and the history of underwear is instead divided into the following chapters: Covering Up, Decoration, Control and Constrict, Fastenings, Support and Uplift, Volume and Inside Out.

This did create a little content overlap from time to time but not so much that I minded and in some cases it was helpful. I did have to smile when I read about drawers and knickers which were open at the crotch and weren't common in Britain until the 19th century.

"Early drawers, called pantaloons or pantalettes (long trouser-like undergarments for women), were introduced around the beginning of the century, but were not popular as they were considered too masculine and unhygienic. They were also considered immodest because they were cut quite long and were visible below the hem of the dress." Page 20

In the middle of the century (1850s) they were cut to a mid-calf length so as not to show beneath the skirt. Contrast that level of modesty with women's leggings, bike shorts and scrunch bum shorts today and I wonder what our ancestors would have made of our modesty standards - or the lack thereof - in the 2020s.

The author highlights the constantly evolving nature of fashion, showing how corset styles and construction changed and adapted across decades and centuries. A detail I found surprising was:

"The average corset was only expected to last about a year, as even very sturdy corsets would distort with wear." Page 94

As you would expect, the photographs of the V&A exhibits were detailed although sometimes it was hard to gain an appreciation of the entire garment. The accompanying illustrations were helpful but as a layperson, I would have appreciated some indication as to the front, back and side views as they weren't always obvious to me.

I've always found the bullet or torpedo shaped bra of the 1950s a strange fashion trend, and cringe when I see photos of Marilyn Monroe wearing them under a sweater. I remember when Madonna wore the conical corset designed by Jean Paul Gaultier in 1990 and in doing so turned soft feminine lingerie into a symbol of power and domination. This book helped me understand why it was that rosy pink colour, which was the most popular colour of underwear in the early to mid 1900s. That aside, I hope the bullet shaped bra never makes a return for the masses.

Here though, the author explains that the conical shaped bra included intricate concentric stitching and required padded inserts called falsies to fill out the shape and keep them from collapsing. I hadn't given much thought as to how the look was achieved so it was fun to consider it here. I wonder what the sweater girls would have made of the silicone chicken fillet inserts popular in the 1990s.

The sports bra gets a mention, but for some reason Lynn doesn't show us the plunge bra, and includes a photograph of the 'Ultrabra Perfection' balcony bra instead which was disappointing.

"Gossard launched the Ultrabra plunge bra in 1994, with the advertising tagline: 'Ultrabra, creating the ultimate cleavage'. It was followed by additions to the range, including 'Ultrabra Perfection', 'Ultrabra Light' and the 'Ultrabra Super Boost', which launched in 1999 with the slogan: 'Biggest Cleavage EVER... Or your money back!'"

I was also surprised not to see the wonder bra or push up bra, both of which seemed like significant fashion developments in the last 50 years and worthy of inclusion in a book like this. There was also no mention of Skims and the current shapewear trend which is as popular as ever.

Underwear - Fashion in Detail by Eleri Lynn ends suddenly and doesn't offer a conclusion on shifting trends over the centuries or any observations about the future of underwear. I did wonder if that was because the Victoria and Albert Museum collection includes historical items and curators focus on the past and present perhaps but not the potential future. That may be the reason, but given her expertise, I was keen to know Eleri's thoughts on the impact of changing technology and how future fabrics and changing materials will impact the underwear we wear in the future.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carpe Librum!

* Those interested in intimate snippets about underwear from previous books I've read, might enjoy the following:

In The Dirt on Clean - An Unsanitized History by Katherine Ashenburg we're told the the Marquis d'Argens wore a flannel under-waistcoat to keep warm in the 1700s and wouldn't take it off for fear of catching cold. It was revealed he'd worn the waistcoat for four years, but when he finally agreed to take it off, it had "so fixed itself upon him that pieces of his skin came away with it." Eeek!

In How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman I learned that the long tails of shirts once acted as a barrier between the body and the trousers, essentially performing the role of underwear (or drawers) for men. Men's shirts reached down to just above the knees with a slit at both sides, so they could be tucked around one's nether regions without impeding movement. As a result, to see a man with his shirt tails hanging out was 'disgusting' and now I understand why!

More recently in The Stuff of History by Steven Moore, I read about the 14 year old boy who broke into Buckingham Palace between 1838-1841, allegedly lived there in secret by hiding in rooms and chimneys and stole a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. I was reminded of this when reading Underwear by Eleri Lynn, when we see a pair of Queen Victoria's underwear. Historians know they were worn by the Queen as they're embroidered with her monogram.

When reading Black - The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau I learned that white was once the most common colour of underwear but that this trend has reversed and black is now the most popular. Wearing black underwear was once transgressive but no longer draws attention the way it once did. Go figure!