House Rules/Discussion
Clothing in the Nentir Vale
A short treatise on Nentir Vale Clothing...
Clothing typically consists of undergarments, outer garments, shoes and hats.
Men's Clothing:
The undergarments are drawers (generally open crotch), a loose shirt or a tight fitting shirt called a chemise (we'd call this a tee shirt) with long sleeves, and woolen/linen leggings that go up above the knee. These garments were to provide a layer between the oils and smells of your body and your outer clothing. The idea was to keep your outer garments cleaner so you only had to wash the undergarments regularly.
The outer garments are be a doublet (long sleeve) or vest (short sleeve) worn over the under shirt. Breeches (or kilts) are worn over the drawers and extended to the bottom of the leggings. A fastener, generally a strip of cloth or leather holds the breeches closed and the leggings up. Over the doublet or vest men can wear jackets of various types. Long robes over doublets is a style often adopted by clerics and others who don't need the extra mobility that breeches provide.
Cloaks, hooded or not, are worn to provide extra warmth and protect against rain and snow.
Hats and gloves cover heads and hands respectively at the wearers option depending on utility, weather and style. It is unusual to see a man not wearing some sort of head covering whether a hat, cap, or even a kerchief tied around their hair.
Women's Clothing:
The clothing for women is much the same as for men with slightly different terms and lengths.
Undergarments are generally a loose chemise (or shift) over leggings and drawers. Leggings and drawers are the same for men and women. The chemise for women is typically longer than for men and often goes down to the ankles, Shorter chemises are not uncommon, however, and could stop at any point from ankle to above her knees depending on her modesty, the weather, and style. Sometimes the length of a chemise can be adjusted with a belt, buttons or hooks. In colder weather a second, or third shift/chemise can be worn over the first. These are considered undergarments and night clothing, though, and aren't all a modest woman wears. It should be noted that "wenches" and "serving girls" often wear a chemise (or two) with only a skirt (waist to ankle) and perhaps a no sleeve vest over the chemise to improve mobility and because of the heat inside taverns, however, this also gives an impression of naughtiness whether deserved on not. A tight or low cut chemise showcasing a woman's figure is universally considered risque.
The outer garment for women is the kirtle or gown. The extends down to a woman's ankles or to the ground. Occasionally an unmarried woman might wear a kirtle that ends just below the knee, but that is not typical. Kirtles might or not have long sleeves, but if not the chemise worn under it will. Again in colder weather a lady might wear two kirtles. Some kirtles have side slits where hands can be inserted to keep them warm, or to allow access to a purse tied to a belt around a lady's waist. Purses were not worn on the outside of clothing least they be taken by a Cut Purse thief. Women would not typically wear a tight fitting or low cut kirtle, as that would be seen as indecent...see "tavern wenches."
Shawls and cloaks, rather than jackets, are typically the outer most layer for women.
Unmarried women typically wear only a linen cap over their hair, or leave their heads uncovered with hair loose or in some sort of braids. Married women typically cover their hair with a cap and with a wimple (or veil) pinned over that.
Shoes:
For tramping about outside everyone wears sturdy boots with thick soles and sides that reach up to the ankle or even mid calf. Each of you, however, might have much lighter leather or leather/cloth slippers for wear inside or for dancing. Slippers would be ruined if you wore them while running around outside, even in town, but boots are considered uncouth to wear in "polite company." Much more rustic folk might even go barefoot in the woods and fields, but even they would need shoes in town and slippers indoors. The only shoes with heels are for riding horses with saddles that have stirrups.
Armor:
From leather to plate the pieces of armor are much the same. The parts are: chaps over the legs, a jacket over the upper body and arms, and a helm to protect your head.
Chaps are worn over a man's breeches. The breeches often go only a little below the knee leaving a short gap between their bottoms and the top of your boots. The chaps extend down to boot tops covering the leggings you wear on your feet up to your knee. The chaps protect the entire leg, but leave the wearer's bottom and frontal area exposed. Chaps are held around the waist with a belt and hooks that attach to the jacket.
The jacket is worn over the doublet (or if a looser fit a chemise/shirt) and protects the upper body and arms. The jacket has sleeves that extend down to the wrists and flaps that extend down front and back to cover the exposed backside and groin areas. Leather jackets close down the front with a series of loops and pegs sewn under a leather flap. When closed it gets hot inside the leather jacket, but if the front is left open it stays much cooler...less protection, but cooler. Metal jackets generally are closed at the sides and held in place by a series of loops and pegs on either side and various belts and ties holding chaps and jacket together. This is all much harder for a wearer to do themselves which is why those rich enough to afford metal armor typically have a squire (or henchman) to help with this. Putting on and taking off metal armor is a lengthy procedure.
A metal or stiffened Breastplate can be worn over the jacket for extra protection against frontal attacks. A breastplate is held in place by loops and pegs, hooks, or ties to points on the jacket. Backplates also exist but are less common.
Gloves can be worn to protect hands. They are attached by loops and pegs at the wrists of the jacket. They can be pulled on when needed or left off. Leather gloves as part of armor generally have thin bone, wood or metal strips sewn into the top for stiffness and extra protection.
Lastly, a helm can be worn to protect the wearer's head. Leather helms have wooden or bone strips sewn in but can fold down when not worn. It is hot in a helm so it isn't worn all the time.
Armor for women is the same as for men. Chaps are pulled on under the kirtle or chemise and jackets are worn over whatever is the outer garment. Woman in combat situations might forgo the kirtle entirely and fold their chemise up to only cover themselves down to their knees. They wear the jacket directly over the chemise and chaps over their leggings tied around their waist above their chemise. An alternative is to forgo the chaps and either wear only the jacket or a breastplate.
Clothing typically consists of undergarments, outer garments, shoes and hats.
Men's Clothing:
The undergarments are drawers (generally open crotch), a loose shirt or a tight fitting shirt called a chemise (we'd call this a tee shirt) with long sleeves, and woolen/linen leggings that go up above the knee. These garments were to provide a layer between the oils and smells of your body and your outer clothing. The idea was to keep your outer garments cleaner so you only had to wash the undergarments regularly.
The outer garments are be a doublet (long sleeve) or vest (short sleeve) worn over the under shirt. Breeches (or kilts) are worn over the drawers and extended to the bottom of the leggings. A fastener, generally a strip of cloth or leather holds the breeches closed and the leggings up. Over the doublet or vest men can wear jackets of various types. Long robes over doublets is a style often adopted by clerics and others who don't need the extra mobility that breeches provide.
Cloaks, hooded or not, are worn to provide extra warmth and protect against rain and snow.
Hats and gloves cover heads and hands respectively at the wearers option depending on utility, weather and style. It is unusual to see a man not wearing some sort of head covering whether a hat, cap, or even a kerchief tied around their hair.
Women's Clothing:
The clothing for women is much the same as for men with slightly different terms and lengths.
Undergarments are generally a loose chemise (or shift) over leggings and drawers. Leggings and drawers are the same for men and women. The chemise for women is typically longer than for men and often goes down to the ankles, Shorter chemises are not uncommon, however, and could stop at any point from ankle to above her knees depending on her modesty, the weather, and style. Sometimes the length of a chemise can be adjusted with a belt, buttons or hooks. In colder weather a second, or third shift/chemise can be worn over the first. These are considered undergarments and night clothing, though, and aren't all a modest woman wears. It should be noted that "wenches" and "serving girls" often wear a chemise (or two) with only a skirt (waist to ankle) and perhaps a no sleeve vest over the chemise to improve mobility and because of the heat inside taverns, however, this also gives an impression of naughtiness whether deserved on not. A tight or low cut chemise showcasing a woman's figure is universally considered risque.
The outer garment for women is the kirtle or gown. The extends down to a woman's ankles or to the ground. Occasionally an unmarried woman might wear a kirtle that ends just below the knee, but that is not typical. Kirtles might or not have long sleeves, but if not the chemise worn under it will. Again in colder weather a lady might wear two kirtles. Some kirtles have side slits where hands can be inserted to keep them warm, or to allow access to a purse tied to a belt around a lady's waist. Purses were not worn on the outside of clothing least they be taken by a Cut Purse thief. Women would not typically wear a tight fitting or low cut kirtle, as that would be seen as indecent...see "tavern wenches."
Shawls and cloaks, rather than jackets, are typically the outer most layer for women.
Unmarried women typically wear only a linen cap over their hair, or leave their heads uncovered with hair loose or in some sort of braids. Married women typically cover their hair with a cap and with a wimple (or veil) pinned over that.
Shoes:
For tramping about outside everyone wears sturdy boots with thick soles and sides that reach up to the ankle or even mid calf. Each of you, however, might have much lighter leather or leather/cloth slippers for wear inside or for dancing. Slippers would be ruined if you wore them while running around outside, even in town, but boots are considered uncouth to wear in "polite company." Much more rustic folk might even go barefoot in the woods and fields, but even they would need shoes in town and slippers indoors. The only shoes with heels are for riding horses with saddles that have stirrups.
Armor:
From leather to plate the pieces of armor are much the same. The parts are: chaps over the legs, a jacket over the upper body and arms, and a helm to protect your head.
Chaps are worn over a man's breeches. The breeches often go only a little below the knee leaving a short gap between their bottoms and the top of your boots. The chaps extend down to boot tops covering the leggings you wear on your feet up to your knee. The chaps protect the entire leg, but leave the wearer's bottom and frontal area exposed. Chaps are held around the waist with a belt and hooks that attach to the jacket.
The jacket is worn over the doublet (or if a looser fit a chemise/shirt) and protects the upper body and arms. The jacket has sleeves that extend down to the wrists and flaps that extend down front and back to cover the exposed backside and groin areas. Leather jackets close down the front with a series of loops and pegs sewn under a leather flap. When closed it gets hot inside the leather jacket, but if the front is left open it stays much cooler...less protection, but cooler. Metal jackets generally are closed at the sides and held in place by a series of loops and pegs on either side and various belts and ties holding chaps and jacket together. This is all much harder for a wearer to do themselves which is why those rich enough to afford metal armor typically have a squire (or henchman) to help with this. Putting on and taking off metal armor is a lengthy procedure.
A metal or stiffened Breastplate can be worn over the jacket for extra protection against frontal attacks. A breastplate is held in place by loops and pegs, hooks, or ties to points on the jacket. Backplates also exist but are less common.
Gloves can be worn to protect hands. They are attached by loops and pegs at the wrists of the jacket. They can be pulled on when needed or left off. Leather gloves as part of armor generally have thin bone, wood or metal strips sewn into the top for stiffness and extra protection.
Lastly, a helm can be worn to protect the wearer's head. Leather helms have wooden or bone strips sewn in but can fold down when not worn. It is hot in a helm so it isn't worn all the time.
Armor for women is the same as for men. Chaps are pulled on under the kirtle or chemise and jackets are worn over whatever is the outer garment. Woman in combat situations might forgo the kirtle entirely and fold their chemise up to only cover themselves down to their knees. They wear the jacket directly over the chemise and chaps over their leggings tied around their waist above their chemise. An alternative is to forgo the chaps and either wear only the jacket or a breastplate.
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