"earnest; why do you assume everyone is "well to do"? Lots of "poor knights" documented in period times and lots of poor conditions on campaign too! If you look "too good" you may be portraying beyond your station! "
Yep, does poor knight mean scruffily attired or simply not hugely landed? Poor does not mean looking like a bum, but not being rich.
So, not an assumption in that way a counter assumption if you will, but even poor knights are above commons in status and have expectations, or in other words why assume that poor knight meant a sack of rags. But you will note that I allowed for old clothes in the mix, the regrated items, very proper and period and would, to the so inclined produce much kudos for going the extra mile. I declare an interest here, as I have my eyes on a colleague's coat, his is black and made of a good cloth, but has seen better days. His role is of a clerk, well paid and regularly liveried, so he gets a change of clothing when they are not at their best, as his assistant I am hoping that I get his old one, recut it, re-sew the weak seams, re-button it and I end up with a much nicer coat than my role might have afforded in the first instance - hence me being somewhat in favour of this approach
Being campaign worn is not the same as normally attired, so, even poor knights might have a change of clothing, the context is important here.
Evidently the OP wants a campaign look, in which case the best way would be to wear it all in all conditions for a bit. He will find where the stresses are and how they affect the points, the gussets in the undercarriage, which bits wear most when in contact, which do not, how it dries if wet by rain, how the knees look after mud has been brushed out, where the nap wears, etc.
My only caution with hanging clothes out in the sun is twofold:
sun bleaching will happen in different parts of the cloth than when worn
modern dyes are very sun resistant and may need more sunlight than period dyes.
Depends on how realistically the OP wants it.
The following pics show some work wear on woolen doublets, the spattering is the usual kitchen muck, dirty water, fat and grease. That kind of filth does not take long to acquire when in the kitchens. It is recorded that people complained at the state of many of the kitchen staff for looking so scruffy and unkempt. We only do 20+ days a year, so we can imagine how quickly an item gets dirty/worn in the proper environment.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61677792@N00/4076300832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61677792@N ... 076300940/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61677792@N00/3288573845/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61677792@N00/3273202068/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61677792@N ... 076300940/
Might help in terms of what looks can be achieved.
