Patterns
17th C. Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth Costume
Boleslav Orlicki's Horse Artillery
More on Delias and Ferezjas (of less interest because they are not campaign gear)
Costume details and Domestic items Page, e.g. buttons, belts, mugs, chairs
How To make a Kontuz or Dragoon’s Coat
Additional Polish Patterns (and great costume resources) are at: http://www.vertetsable.com/
Stitches http://www.virtue.to/guest_authors/archaeological_sewing.html
Best knot buttons http://www.9v.com/crystal/kerij-e/docs/knots.htm
more knot buttons
Have completed 'phase 2' research for the best pattern to use for the artillery and dragoons pants and other items. I have made up full scale patterns for several folks, if you need them, let me (Rick) know.
Colpak (Cowpak) hat.
This is my guess for a likely pattern. Some hats are clearly fur lined, (and so look
very puffy, like they are hiding a very bushy head of hair.) This is more of the summer
weight unlined version. Some are more bag-like, and sometimes, especially in
Hungary, the bag becomes more like a long sock that flops over - a proto-busby.
Images of hats and delia from around 1605-1625
The Official
kafkan/outer coat/kontuz for Boleslav Orlicki, from the 1550s-1660s. The construction details
are published (see how-to).
Measurements penciled in is for a size 41. The pattern needs adjustment: I would
further increase the width around the chest. For artillery, Red soft wool, yellow linen
lining and trim, half-lined. Important note: The
Polish garments button from the right, (right overlaps the left), unlike modern western
mens clothes that button from the left! (This shows their eastern heritage.)
Based on:
From the late 17th C, this is a bit longer and with a fuller
skirt. Also this is for a young man with a very slim waist, the one above is
somewhat modified for the American 'relaxed fit' generation.
Another Kontuz
kontuz were trimmed with pelticami knots/frogging, up to 12 knot and buttons sets
for this kontuz with dangling arms, from the 2nd half of the century, belonging
to Alexander Jablonowski (fig. 108). Rows of knots and buttons finish this crimson kontuz of 1655-1660 that Is housed in Stockholm (fig 109). This
kontuz has a strongly marked indentation, of the line it it clear that the rear is made of a single panel of fabric. To which sides are attached
triangular panels for the skirt. The collar is low and standing, finished with a sharp angle, as are zupans of 1660. The narrow arms have a flap cuff
covering the hand. It is lined with the same material. The simple kontuz was cut in this way that when one
pannel deeply covers another, then both panels were under the collar, rather widening, with
passamentre/pelticami button-braid cover the zupan. Of this, they used great care and originality in finishing kontuz
with passamentre. There is evidence that from the very beginning galloon was used in trim. This red kontuz was finished with silver galloon 5mm in
width.
Early 17th
C. Zupan - a good pattern to use. I made one of this pattern as well. I was
surprised that the sleeves were rather narrow, but I think that is consistent with most
zupan pictures. I think sleeves tended a bit looser in the 2nd half of the
17th. C. When I sized this pattern to a size 44, I further trimmed the waist, since
it seemed to be also about a 44. However, it seems to be intended to be loose
fitting, and needs a belt.
The squarish design with the triangles under the arms shout, I AM A KAFTAN! Many zupans later in the century seem to have been more like the 18th C. cut pattern below.
However, if you look at
Sobieski's 1683 zupan, it is cut almost like the one above, square, triangles, and all.
A Zupan for 1670s based on a
gusset-less early 18th C. design: 
Note
that this 18th C. zupan is cut with a 'tail' and a rear triangle pattern like a kontuz,
but the back is seamed in the center, whereas the kontuz back is always one piece.
This garment is also somewhat fitted. I have two patterns of this general type (one
clearly from the 17th C.) that seem quite similar. The second one does not have the
tail/triangle combination, however. I can supply the pattern for this on request.
Pancerni and Hussar military zupans should be padded, as they function as arming coats. They can be made of wool or linen, the padding can be wool or cotton wool, flax fiber, or even a loose cloth woven from yarn. The illustration to the right shows one stitching pattern (to hold the padding wool into place) used in western padded coats. I suppose a straight parallel quilting stitch is fine too, but am not sure what is most characteristic.
Buttons for a
zupan typically follow the first of these three basic patterns, illustrated to the left.
Pan Zagloba below models Arrangement A, with buttons to the right on the edge of the right breast - my favorite arrangement in terms of function, and by far the most common, historically (e.g. reenactors should use this one).. The second picture illustrates buttons to left, loops to right - 'arrangement B' on a red zupan. Buttonholes are very rare in a Polish zupan context, but may be more common for muscovite or cossack dress. The elite ottoman Turks and Turkish cavalry used arrangement B as well. Janissaries used left over right breast and button holes.
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Dragoon Coat, also based on the above
zupan pattern, and essentially similar to a dolman. In 1683, our dragoons wear cravats. In 1674, they are an optional
accessory. Don't wear them in a 1650s scenario.
Zupan
Zupan
Zupan
The Daniliowicz Zupan
The Delia is a outer coat, usually with a hood, that preceded the Kontuz and was used until about the1650s, longer in the full-fur winter version.
Delia
For pants, there will be no specified uniform. These are some variations of the right general type. In the mid century, esp the 1650-1670 period, full-pants, like western trunkhose/slops, or turkish pants, were in and out of fashion. Mostly they were tight; at any rate, they are largely hidden by the other garmets. 17th C. tight pants for cavalry were known to have been sometimes made out of soft thin leather, like Napoleonic era hussar pants; linen and wool work fine.. Kate is making pants with a partial leather seat, for cavalry.
Extracts from Tilke, Costume Patterns and Design.
Turkish type, from Turnau.
Some Other Coats / Zupans
Late 16th C. Polish
Kopieniak. (Cassock)
Commoner's 'Lamka'
or caftan, XVII C. Until the economic crisis of the 1640s, peasants were fairly well
off. Most owned several shirts and, a couple of sets of summer and winter work
cloths, some spare items, and festive clothing.
18th Century kontuz, outer garment of soft wool, unlined. Some details are wrong for our period, including the gathered waist, but general cut is OK. Most kontuz of the 17th C. seem to have two side slits rather than a back slit.
A zupan garment owned by King Sobieski in 1683. Brocade silk. Very caftan-like... and a tad exotic, I think. Ol' fellow made a point to always wear Polish costume in public, unlike all those Vasas and Bourbons before him.
For contrast, a Hungarian style zupan or 'menthe'. This is also for the 18th C., I think. Also, it is a bit short, which is also characteristic of the menthe. Note the very nice passamentre buttons.
For contrast, a Western coat, 1670-1680. This is slightly more shaped at the waist and torso than Polish coats, but fix that, make right breast over left, add (lots of) fullness to the skirt, get rid of the pocket and change the sleeve and it is close to being like a zupan. The skirt fullness is actually the giveaway at a distance - Polish coats always accommodate the hang over the horse, while western coats fake it perhaps because they were more often on foot, but mostly to save a few coins.
A Polish woman's garment.
A noble woman's dress, XVII C.
Wykroj z ksiegi krawcow poznanskich z XVII w., sztuka X, Wojewodzlde Archiwum w Poznaniu, cechy nr. 253
Kabat
Peasant Lamka and dress
Kaptur with Dress (sukna)
Dress with Corset (structured upper part)
Early 18th C. Zupan
Early 18th C. Kontush
18th C. Dress. Note wide
sash/belt, very incorrect for our period.
Zupan. The long length of the hem, and
the pointy down-hanging sleeves, both identify this as an 18th C. zupan, and one more for
show than function. Like, a lounge lizard's smoking jacket. The cut is otherwise fine.
Notice that the rear panel is one piece, with the split at the side ( better design for
the 17th C. than those with 2-piece backs and a split in the middle.
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