Introduction
The armour of a knight (or man-at-arms) looked different throughout the Middle Ages. In this blog, we take a look at the equipment of an Italian man-at-arms in the early fifteenth century to help you choose your own outfit.
The Hundred Years' War between England and France would continue until 1453. Periods of war were interrupted by short periods of peace, which both countries needed to rebuild after intensive warfare. In Italy, a series of long-lasting conflicts was also brewing. The rise of great rivals such as Venice and Genoa had created a kind of cold war between two great alliances in Northern Italy in the late fourteenth century. This would erupt into hot war in 1423, in the form of the Lombardy Wars between the Republic of Venice and the Duchy of Milan. These wars would divide Northern Italy into a number of great power blocs, which emerged from the patchwork of individual city-states of the centuries before. The arms race between the alliances that fought together led to the development of the characteristic 'Milanese' plate armour.
Armour Developments
Throughout the fifteenth century, clear regional differences emerged in the forms of plate armour. The Northern Italian (Milanese) style, which emphasized large, round shapes, can be seen in much art and excavations from this period.
Weak spots in armours were increasingly protected with articulating plate armour. Shoulder plates now also got, for example, besagews, round plates to protect the armpits. In Northern Italy, 'white armour' slowly came into fashion, a style where the armour was no longer covered with fabric. This method of armour construction would later take off in France, England, and the Holy Roman Empire.
The bascinet was gradually replaced in the fifteenth century in France, Italy, and England by the armet. This helmet had a complicated collapsible construction to fit better on the head. The early armet had a bevor that was fastened over the helmet to provide extra neck protection. The armet remained exclusive to the aristocracy, but the sallet, another helmet that had replaced the bascinet, was worn by both ordinary soldiers and knights. In the Holy Roman Empire, the sallet was almost exclusively used as part of the Gothic style. Nevertheless, the bascinet continued to be used as an open helmet.
Outfit
The year is 1433. The young Florentine man-at-arms Lorenzo is caught up in a political power struggle within the republic of his city. Although Florence is nominally a democracy, great and wealthy families hold sway. As a great admirer of ancient Rome, art, and culture, he supports Cosimo de Medici, the 'first among equals' in the republic of Florence. This powerful ruler is, in addition to being a popular politician, a patron of artists such as Donatello, but is banished by his rivals that same year because of his popularity. Lorenzo hopes to help free this 'Pater Patriae' to rebuild Florence as a revival of the Roman republic, which he often fantasizes about in his daily role as a city guard.
NB: this outfit is based on a Northern Italian knight from the early fifteenth century, but in other parts of Europe (such as France during the Hundred Years' War) a similar outfit would have been used
Outfit
When Lorenzo is not wearing his weapons and armour, he wears a cotehardie or arming doublet, leg hose, a red capuchon, a belt with his sword, and pointed shoes.
Undershirt
People preferred to wear bright colours, contrary to how this period is often depicted. If they could afford it, their clothing was richly decorated, but even without decoration, medieval clothing was very expensive. By wearing an undershirt, it became less dirty from the body and the top layer didn't have to be washed as often, which meant it didn't discolour as quickly.
Underbreech with leg hose
In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, leg hose (known as chausses) were generally worn. These long socks were fastened to the underbreech (braies) and usually worn under long robes.
In this period there was also a slow transition to full breeches. It's a personal choice whether to wear chausses or breeches, but later in the fifteenth century people would only wear breeches.
TIP: Leg hose and fifteenth-century breeches should fit snugly to the body. From the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, people often tied a lace or leather cord below the knee to tighten their breeches and leg hose and make them fit better on the legs. This is a matter of personal preference, but it's an easy way to add historical detail to your outfit.
Capuchon
The capuchon was a popular headwear for men in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, especially in Southern Europe. It was worn mainly by men of higher status, such as citizens and nobility.
Cotehardie
The cotehardie was a long, flowing garment that was fashionable throughout the Middle Ages. People preferred to wear bright colours, contrary to how this period is often depicted. If they could afford it, their clothing was richly decorated, but even without decoration, medieval clothing was very expensive. The cloth makers' and weavers' guilds in Florence were therefore an important part in the formation of the republic with their wealth. When he wears his cotehardie, Lorenzo sometimes imagines it as a toga like in ancient Rome.
Lorenzo also wears a shirt under his cotehardie. By wearing an undershirt, medieval clothing became less dirty from the body and the top layer didn't have to be washed as often, which meant it didn't discolour as quickly.
Arming Doublet
In the fifteenth century, fashion changed from long, flowing garments to short, fitted clothing. Men began wearing doublets, which ended around the hips and emphasized the chest and waist. Full-length breeches consequently also became increasingly fashionable.
A gambeson provides a layer of quilted protection under mail and plate armour, but was worn by poor soldiers on its own. With the development of armour, thick gambesons became unnecessary for knights and they began to wear a thinner, lighter quilted variant that also matched the fashion of the day, the so-called arming doublet. Pieces of armour could be attached to this fitted variant of the gambeson that fitted well to the body.
In Italy, the arming doublet was even worn as ordinary clothing by citizens and non-military nobility to give a warlike appearance, comparable to wearing combat boots or camouflage print clothing in our present day. Lorenzo likes to show this off and wears his arming doublet in his everyday life.
Belt
People from all walks of life hung purses and other items of use from their belt. When putting together your outfit, think about what you would find important to carry with you in your daily life as a knight, such as your cutlery but also your sword.
TIP: Medieval belts were extra long, often as a status symbol to show how much leather the wearer could 'afford extra'. To wear these types of belts comfortably, people made a small loop at the buckle that caused the long belt end to hang downwards.
Shoes
In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, men wore pointed shoes. Over time, the fashion trend became to make these increasingly longer and more pointed. On the battlefield, form followed function and the pointiness of the shoes was much more modest, so one wouldn't trip over them during a fight.
Armour
As armour, Lorenzo wears an open helmet, mail shirt, breastplate, shoulder and arm armour, gauntlets, and leg armour.
TIP: Throughout the Middle Ages, knights had squires or other servants who helped them put on their armour: plate armour was almost never made to be put on by the wearer alone. We recommend asking someone if they would like to help you with fitting, dressing, and adjusting your armour. Click here to read how to put on armour.
Armour Belt (Fauld)
Often an arming doublet or other gambeson was provided with points to hang lower body armour from, but this was not always the case. To attach leg pieces and mail skirts to the body, an armour belt was often worn.
Mail Shirt
The haubergeon, the mail shirt with short sleeves, came into increasing use in the fifteenth century due to developments in arm armour. Italian knights would continue to wear full mail shirts until the end of the fifteenth century.
TIP: You can adjust your mail shirt to your own size by removing rings, but a simple way is to tie the sleeves with leather cords at your elbow.
