Renaissance. The word inspires visions of a time when commerce, learning and the arts flourished, of an emergence from darkness into the light. Lifestyles changed dramatically during this prosperous period, particularly in Western Europe.
.jpg)
Three years ago, Denise Yekulis, academic secretary and office manager for the Organizational Studies Program, found herself immersed in this world by way of restoring costumes from the period.
“My interest in restoring Renaissance costumes started with my daughter,” Yekulis says. Her daughter had joined the Siena Heights University Madrigal Singers. Every Christmas, the group would perform a dinner concert, reminiscent of festivities held five centuries ago.
“When she brought her costume home, I saw that it needed work. The costumes they had were more than 20 years old, and imagine what happens when you have different-sized people wearing the same costumes year after year. I just went back in and replaced a lot of things,” Yekulis says.
The Madrigal Singers director saw what Yekulis did and loved it, and asked her if she wanted to help refurbish the rest of the costumes. Before she knew it, Yekulis and her sewing machine were busy making old costumes new again.
Restoring the outfits was a labor of love. The costumes were copied from Renaissance paintings, so there were no patterns Yekulis could follow. “I would take a skirt apart and use it as a pattern. The director also gave me information about the costumes.”
Sixteenth-century clothing is very different from what people wear today. Women wore a bun-like headgear, and their clothes had interchangeable sleeves, so they could have different outfits just by changing the sleeves. Their jewelry was stitched right onto the sleeves, and the amount indicated one’s status. Another important distinction was the absence of buttons and zippers. Dresses were laced up tightly through grommets, and it was in this area where most of the madrigal costumes wore out.
“When the grommets come out there’s a hole and it would grow larger over time,” Yekulis explains. “I would cut out the fabric where the grommets were and replace it with new fabric twice as wide. I fold the fabric, put stiff material in between and stitch it. I also put in boning to stabilize the fabric.”
After having restored 18 outfits, Yekulis now looks at Renaissance costumes with an educated eye. “At the annual Renaissance Festival in Detroit, they have the genuine costumes, and they’re incredible,” she says.
Leafing through her daughter’s scrapbook, she reminisces about the camaraderie she had shared with the students and the director.
“The students took a great deal of pride in their performance, and having a costume that was in good shape meant a lot to them. They always appreciated what I did for them, and that meant a lot to me.”
