Surcoat Aleran, left, blue, wool mix

Product description

Discover the new Mi Parti collection from Burgschneider! The Surcoat Aleran comes in two halves, sold separately — mix and match them to build your own mi parti surcoat. Fasten the left side to the right side using the buttons. Belong to multiple medieval LARP and reenactment groups? Pick up a few left and right sides and create a wide range of color combinations. The surcote is a garment dating back to the 12th century. Warriors wore it over their other clothing, loaded with heraldry and decorative elements, to tell friend from foe in the heat of battle. Made from a heavy wool fabric in a deep color, the Surcoat "Aleran" holds up in all weather conditions. From the 11th to the 16th century, the "mi-parti" (partially colored) style was popular — it joins two different-colored fabrics down the middle for a striking color contrast and dramatic visual effect. In the Middle Ages, mi-parti appeared on cloaks, tabards, dresses, pants, and gowns. The earliest examples go back to the 9th and 10th centuries, where split colors showed up on legs and shoes: boots were half one color, half another. Through the High Middle Ages, the style gained traction as color symbolism in clothing grew more important — colors signaled status and allegiance. By the 13th and 14th centuries, many men, especially vassals, were copying the coats of arms of their feudal lords. The style gradually faded toward the end of the 16th century.