K, a bit of background, first... Around this time Persian warriors would have been incorporated into the ranks of various Islamic states that were thriving alongside the Crusader kingdoms (Outremer) in Palestine and Syria. A typical fighter (whether serving as infantry or cavalry) from the Islamic orbit who identified himself as a Persian would have had a number of traditional elements incorporated into his armor. One of the most peculiar would be the covering of helmets in decorated fabric, both for practical (think heat) issues and aesthetics. According to Dr. David Nicolle in his brief analysis of a Persian cavalryman's harness in his Osprey entitled "Saracen Faris AD 1050-1250," Persian lamellar fragments that have survived seem to look rather unique in the way they were affixed to their backing material, but not a lot of evidence comes down, particularly about the lacing techniques.
The idea of padded armor is rather risky when we're discussing this era. Muslim authors noted the insanity of all of the armor worn by the Crusaders under the Arabian sun, and also of the vast protective qualities of their layered armor (i.e. mail over padded garments known as gambesons). A popular form of armor among the Arab and Persian warriors of this time was known as the kazaghand. This was essentially a coat made of a few layers that would have served as a sole armor garment. A light layer of padding and a coat of mail were sandwiched with rivets between layers of finer material such as silk, typically decorated in various ways - a personal touch that has no historically noted consistency.
If your client is an SCA fighter and wants padding, I would suggest making a faux kazaghand. Personally, I'd do this by making a layered linen garment based on a typical pattern for a European gambeson. For the outermost layer I would apply a quality fabric with Persian patterns - most used on modern fabrics will probably suffice for giving a generally historic flavor. Just stay away from anything too complex or obviously modern in its appeal!
A second option is to just rely on a regular European style gambeson worn beneath whatever Persian armor your client plans on using - little of it should be visible beneath required SCA or mock combat armor.
If your client is a historical reenactor, he needs to do some homework. Padded armor from this era is very scarce and the sources we have usually reflect the common use of the kazaghand or else very typical, plain padding which would be virtually indistinguishable from European styles of arming garb. Because of the intense heat in this region of the world, padding was probably excluded or incorporated lightly (as with the kazaghand) and this would be considered sufficient for local warriors.
I would strongly suggest that your client or yourself considers picking up David Nicolle's "Saracen Faris AD 1050-1250" and "Saladin and the Saracens," both published by Osprey. These will assist in this project and a general understanding of Islamic military dress during the time frame in question. I hope this helps you, Kevat. Please post your finished product here, it will be nice to see! Cheers!
-Gerhard
Below: Illustration by Christa Hook from the "Saracen Faris" book showing a Persian cavalryman c. 1200.
http://thelosttreasurechest.files.wordp ... rusade.jpg