Dressing the Coven, Period Corsets® and Salem

Pin It Tweet

   For Salem, Season 2, Period Corsets® outfitted the dark world of the Essex witches coven.  Each character had their own unique signature silhouette and colorway, which quietly molded their personality for the screen. The costume's role in theatre and film is to help build the character presented before us. The use of color and subtle details silently sways our perception of a character and allows the actor to truly become that person. Salem was no exception in utilizing the costume to further develop each character.

The cast of Salem, Season 2

Mary Sibley, the Withering Queen-

   As we delve into Season 2, we find Mary Sibley trying to retain her grasp over the town and the witches of Salem. She faces power struggles and questions of morality as her position as head of the coven is threatened by a new powerful witch, the Countess Marburg. 

Mary's corset by Period Corsets®, shown with lace collar and skirt by the Salem costumers.

   As the reigning witch, and a lady of high standing in the community, Mary's bodices needed to convey her wealth and power. Her ensembles were elegantly decorated with intricate beading and delicate embroidery, as compared to those of her ostentatious counterpart, the Countess Marburg. Mary's ensembles were more subdued with fine detailing and modest shaping. Mary's signature shape was a rigidly boned bodice with a high neckline. She had set-in three quarter length sleeves, and tabs at the waist that spread out beautifully over the full skirts at her hip.

   Mary's colors remained mostly black with occasional touches of brightness highlighted by various embellishments or unique fabrics. As the season went on, her costumes evolved to be darker and more spare as her status in the town was lowered.

Some of Mary's wardrobe of boned bodices by Period Corsets®

   One of the most beautiful creations this season was our gold lame' bodice with intricately beaded monograms. Designer Joseph Porro used the talents of hand embroidery masters in India to create many decorated stomachers, sleeve cuffs and skirts. The stomachers would come straight to us on an uncut piece of yardage which we then cut and fitted into our boned bodice design.  The handiwork on these pieces was astonishing with its elaborate beading and bullion embroidery.

Gold lame' beaded boned bodice for Mary by Period Corsets®

Anne Hale, Coming into Power-

   Anne Hale came to us in Season 1 as a meek and innocent young lady. In Season 2, she makes surprising discoveries and insights into her own personality and family history. We watch this character as she awakens the witch inside her, embraces her new found power, and tests her limits to finally gain the strength to stand on her own. 

Designer's sketch, boned bodice by Period Corsets®, on screen with finishing touches

   Anne is a mostly quiet and well-respected figure in town. Her wardrobe consisted of the usual period shaping but in much more demure examples as compared to her sister witches. The cut of her boned bodices was less revealing, having more coverage across the bust and shoulders with three quarter length set-in sleeves. Her color palette primarily remained within navy blues, blacks and an occasional splash of purple. Her fabrics were a collection of fine silks, foulards, and boucles.
   Only slight touches of finery were added to Anne's finished ensembles, thus keeping her look simple, but socially above that than the average villager. It will be interesting to see how she blossoms and moves into her new role as one of the "power witches" of Salem, and how that will affect her wardrobe for Season 3.

Anne Hale in quiet blues and purples

Tituba's Secrets and Lies-

   In an attempt to further her own goals, the mysterious former slave, Tituba, continued her backstabbing ways by manipulating Mary Sibley . Her standing as Mary's handmaiden kept her clothed in less extravagant clothing appropriate for a character of little means.
   Titubas corsets were constructed in rough, natural fibers such as linens and chenille, all in darker hues of navy or black.  Although she has a low-standing position in society, she still conveys an alluring air about her. Her tightly-laced corsets, worn over loose, off the shoulder chemises, featured seductive front lacing and cleavage enhancing support.

Tituba's signature corset with front lacing and tie-on straps, all by Period Corsets®

Period Corsets® constructed several of Tituba's signature rugged corsets from various kinds of distressed leather, some with tattered leather trim.  Her well-worn wardrobe gives us a sense of her history.  It's suffered along with her and survived through a long life of hard work and troubles. 

Some of Tituba's many leather corsets made by Period Corsets®

Mercy Lewis, to the Depths and Back-
   Mercy continued her struggle to gain power, uniting for a time with the Countess Marburg. Together she hoped they could steal the witch throne from Mary Sibley.  For Season 2, Mercy's rise from the ashes was a grand one. We see her go from dirty rags to elegant silks in heavily-decorated gowns fit for a princess or protege' of the Countess Marburg.

Mercy in a coral brocade "Marie Antoinette" corset with tie-on sleeves by Period Corsets®

   To exemplify Mercy's rise, designer Joseph Porro created gorgeous ensembles in rich pinks and sweet lilacs. Her attire exuded femininity with added bows, ruffles, flowers and trims.
   Once they reached the design teams costume shop on location, our corsets and boned bodices-much like Mercy's transformation- underwent a dramatic change of their own . Based on the designer's requests, Period Corsets built many bodices that were base garments for the costumers to embellish. Although initially the bodices were beautiful on their own, the addition of multiple layers of ribbons, trims and other details, created pieces that are works of art.

Mercy's corset by Period Corsets® before and after the many bows, lace and trim added by Salem costumers.

For more on Salem Season 2, see our Pinterest album:
https://www.pinterest.com/periodcorsets/salem-from-design-to-finish/
and our related blog post:
http://periodcorsets.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-witchs-wardrobe-period-corsets-and.html

The Witch's Wardrobe, Period Corsets® and Lucy Lawless

Pin It Tweet

    Period Corsets® again had the pleasure of working with gifted costume designer Joseph Porro for Salem, Season 2. This year brought us an awe inspiring collection of embroidered and embellished Corsets and Bodices with exquisite stomachers. The luxurious and unique materials graced a new character played by the fabulous Lucy Lawless.

Lucy Lawless as "Marburg" wearing a boned bodice by Period Corsets®

    Entering the second season of Salem, we meet the commanding Countess Palatine Ingrid Von Marburg, the last true sorceress in an ancient line of powerful German witches. The Countess is determined to dethrone Mary Sibley through a power battle, bring the devil to Earth, and leave a trail of death and destruction behind her. Her past, rife with scandal and rich in misbegotten evil schemes, is perpetuated through her power of resurrection.

    The storied past of Countess Marburg's complex character is reflected in the textured layers of her intricately  constructed costumes.

Lawless in bronze lame boned bodice with captive Tituba in leather corset, both by Period Corsets® 

  "I have had so many names: Hecate, Medea, and  Bathory are just a few. I'm the Swallower of Souls, She who flowers from her wounds. I'm the last of the first, I am the last of the true witches."                            -Countess Marburg

Marburg preps her potions while wearing a Period Corsets® Kristina  corset in purple silk.

    A third of the custom boned bodices Period Corsets® made for Salem this season were for the Countess Marburg. Her wardrobe consisted of rich jewel tones in lush fabrics- silk, velvet, lame, fur and leather.  As a Countess, her wardrobe had to be dripping with emblems of her wealth and power, which were evoked by heavily beaded and embroidered stomachers.

A few of the fabulous embellished stomachers for "Countess Marburg"

Gold beaded and embroidered Period Corsets® custom boned bodice with sleeves

    It was a true collaboration between Period Corsets®  and the Salem costume designer, Joseph Porro, and his talented costuming team.

    Period Corsets® tailored every bodice to showcase the hand embroidery of the center front panel. The stomacher, as it is called in historic garments, is usually a removable piece, but for this series we decided to build the stomachers into the garments.

Fitting in the custom embroidered stomacher to a velvet boned bodice. 

   The raw and uncut lengths of yardage of each type of fabric arrived from India, where artisans had masterfully embroidered the custom design motifs specified by Mr. Porro and the Salem design team. These fabrics exceeded our wildest imagination. They were exquisitely hand embroidered with thick coiled bullion and beaded in fantastic ornamental designs sometimes incorporating the character's monogrammed single initial.

Embroidered real silver lame yardage from India 

Detail of silver embroidered bullion stomacher in a Period Corsets® bodice

Lucy Lawless wears a custom boned bodice with embroidered stomacher by Period Corsets®

    Period Corsets® then had the challenge of fitting these extraordinary pieces of artwork into the pattern of each particular bodice and stomacher shape. Every garment was pinned or tucked and altered to perfection, depending on the length and width of these fabulous embroidered one-of-a-kind works of art.

Marburg's golden bodices with heavy embroidery and beaded monograms. 

Marburg's ensembles are heavily laden with detail, overtly displaying her weighty role in society. Her color palette consisted of romantic jewel tones and golden hues in contrast to that of her nemesis Mary Sibley's less ostentatious darker tones. Her fabrics capture the bold and the passionate, with deep Gothic touches; a kaleidoscope of shimmering facets, from added embellishments or fibers in the fabric itself.  Seeing her stroll into a scene gives you the immediate sense of the power and importance she embodies.

Burgundy velvet bonded bodice with tie-on sleeves and embroidered stomacher

 Period Corsets® bodices and corsets provided the base palette for the Salem costumers to build on. After  the bodices arrived in their studio, their design team added more detail.  Period Corsets® applauds Mr. Porro's talent in combining unique base fabrics with  overlays of sheers, nets and textures to create  dynamic  ensembles that encapsulate the feeling of  the character.  He  creates depth to his costumes that intrigue the mind of the viewer.

Unique Materials- left, green satin with webbed sequin lace overlay
right top, navy and silver bodice with navy velvet bullion embroidery
right bottom, tie-dye velvet in greens, blues and black

For Marburg's finale, we see her in a black on black leather and fur ensemble made from no less than four types of material. The front stomacher piece was crafted of embossed leather, to give the appearance of crocodile skin. The rest of the bodice used various textured furs that had been trimmed to match the pattern of the leather. Sewing with leather requires its own unique set of skills and tools.

 By choosing such exotic materials, Mr. Porro's designs literally mold Countess Marburg into the tough-minded and fierce character we see on screen, transforming her into the wild animal she truly is.

Marburg's Finale- boned bodices made of embossed crocodile leather with textured fur sides.

For more photos of our work with Joseph Porro and Salem, see our Pinterest Board "Salem, From Design to Finish"

and our related blog posts:
Period Corsets and Salem; Witch War, the battle of the stomachers!

Period Corsets and Lucy Lawless in Salem