Gussets, Gore and Godet

Gores and gussets are specific types of fabric inserts. They were widely used throughout the Renaissance in the construction of underwear. Gores and gussets can also be found in clothing throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia in the construction of outer garments. These types of inserts are very ancient. Gores and Gusset insertions can be found in all sorts of period garments. In rectangular construction techniques, gores and gussets form the foundation for shaping the garment around the body.

Gores, also known as Godets, are generally triangular shaped pieces of fabric inserted into a slash or seam to give extra fullness to a garment.

Gussets are usually square or diamond shaped  pieces of fabric, sewn in under the arm or crotch of a garment to allow for more range of motion.

The magic of Gores and gussets comes not only from where they are inserted but how they are cut from the fabric. The fact that they are triangular and square shaped means that they are bias.

A book called Cut My Cote by Dorothy Burnham has excellent examples of Gore/Godet and  gussets detailed in the garments it discusses. This is an excellent source to get the flavor of clothing construction and how it changed from the earliest times to the 1600's;

This diagram of a woman's shirt (dating from 17th Century Italy, detailed in Cut My Cote) shows square gussets inserted under the arms.

This diagram of a man's shirt (dating from 13th Century France,  also detailed in  Cut My Cote)  shows the insertion of  a Gore into the centre front  of the shirt.