16th C arming doublet, patterns?

[J.G.Elmslie]

since my shoulder's still a wee bit wrecked from an injury last winter, I'm rather starting to contemplate that a bit more protection is needed for fighting...

therefore, to kill two birds with one stone, and get something to use in reenactment/living history, I'm thinking mid 16th C half-harness. But, if I'm going to do that, I need to get the undergarments right first...

so, can anyone reccommend sources for patterns for 16th C arming doublets, possibly with small voiders, similar to this painting?

I know Janet Arnold's patterns of fashion 3 has fencing doublets, but I dont know of any with points suited to armour, and I'd really rather not go through the headache of adapting something completely from scratch, if there's any reccommended sources lurking out there online, or for sale that can save me some effort before I peek up needle and thread...




Thanks in advance for any replies!

[Dansknecht]

Hi Suzerain,

I think you're looking at three different garments. A doublet (black), a leather jerkin, and then the maille gussets. In 16th century sources as far as arming garments are concerned, there is a mix between complete doublets purpose built for wear under armor, leather jerkins similar to the above, and regular civilian doublets worn beneath armor (for some funny thoughts on that, read Sir John Smythe's "Certain Discourses Military"). Fencing doublets are *not* made for the same purposes; many feature stiff inserts and are overly padded.

Please allow me to shamelessly submit my in progress website for some great images of arming garments from the period that I've collected- http://livingelizabethan.weebly.com/sol ... ilors.html

The Hever Castle doublet in Patterns of Fashion (and seen in the first two images of my link), if not ever used under armor as it shows no strain, is built to be functional. That might be a good starting point; like many of those seen in art, it features eyelets at the shoulder heads for point on armor components. There are no other extant arming garments from that century that I'm aware of .

Hope that helps

-Dan

[Tom B.]

Suzerain,

How about getting full 6mm round riveted mail sleeves?
Patterned bu Mac based on extant sleeves in Wade Allen's collection.

Take a look at this thread.