The Duel in 1670

writing a dumb little story

[theduelin1670]

1661 first draft chapter 2, 16 May 2026

[theduelin1670]

1661 first draft chapter 1, 5 May 2026

[theduelin1670]

second draft, 1 March 2026

[cutetanuki-chan]

Commission for @restingsusvibes with swordfighting Corona

commission info

[rowzien]

The Trans Court Suit

This was my big project I made over the summer! I am beyond proud of and happy with the coat.

The first initial project I wanted for this was a pink waistcoat. I grew up liking pink and most of my stuff was, but that (along with growing up in a hot pink room) made me start to resent pink a lot especially as a teenager. (I think a lot of trans guys have similar stories.) But of course pink was very popular for men throughout a lot of European fashion history. So in many ways this was a self healing project for me, at least in that regard. Which I think was a success!

I actually found the first two portraits after I started working on the outfit, they looked perfect! The first especially is super close to my hair.

The silks for the coat as well as the linen interfacings were second hand or scraps in my stash. The cotton sateen was from Burnley and Trowbridge. This is the first project I fully drafted myself. The waistcoat and breeches were made from an 1820s manual and the coat was primarily taken from Period Patterns by Doris Edison, using also Agreeable Tyrant for interfacings and The Taylor's Complete Guide (for shape reference).

This is also the most hand sewing I’ve done for an outfit. Both of the fronts of the coat and waistcoat are completely by hand. Most of the coat is by hand with machine for structural/backstitches, mostly the seams but not the edges. In total there are 22 buttons.

I made the waistcoat straight across for two reasons A. So I can wear it with my other stuff B. I didn’t have any more trim, that was it. I’ll probably make a more 18th century style waistcoat out of white for this (at some point).

The breeches ended up being too small for my thighs so I started getting frustrated with the fit and rushed them by the end so I could move on. (I accidentally sewed the buttonholes on the wrong side).

[theduelin1670]

Alexander's birthday (2 April) and also first draft finished (2 April 2025)

[history-of-fashion]

1678-1679 Jacob Ferdinand Voet - Portrait of Sir Philip Perceval

(Private collection)

[theduelin1670]

first draft of chapter 12, 26 March 2025

so, when I go back and fill in a few missing paragraphs of chapter 1... the first draft of the first book... is finished.

[history-of-fashion]

17th century Giovanni Bernardo Carbone - Portrait of a woman with a boy

(Private collection)

[history-of-fashion]

ab. 1730 Banyan (England or Netherlands)

silk damask

(Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin)

[valtsv]

[theduelin1670]

First draft chapter 11, 28 Feb 2025… I just squeezed it into February……

[theduelin1670]

I FORGOT TO POST

First draft chapter 10, 20 Jan 2025

[jeannepompadour]

Portrait of a young girl; Unknown artist, Dutch or Flemish, c. 1660.

[history-of-fashion]

1655-1564 Nicolaas Wieringa - Portrait of boy of five or six years old

(Fries Museum)

[history-of-fashion]

ab. 1650-1660 Francesco Maffei - Giambattista Bufalini

(Staatsgalerie Stuttgart)

[history-of-fashion]

17th century Circle of Louis Ferdinand Elle the Elder - Portrait of a gentleman, half-length, in a gold tunic adorned with red ribbons, standing beside his helmet

(Private collection via Sotheby’s)