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Doublets

The doublet almost certainly began as a military garment, the close fit making a secure foundation for armour. It appears to have been the first garment madę by fitting on the body, rather than by building up panels with gores and gussets in the old way, and it introduced an era of closer fit and increasingly sophisticated cutting.

The doublet was adopted for civilian wear towards the mid 14th century. By 1500 it was in generał use by men, under various outer garments. The body and sleeves were close-fitting, and the shoulders and sleeve heads were cut to allow freedom of movement (Fig 1). The neck band of the earlier versions grew into the standing collar of the 15th century, visible above the neckline of the gown (Fig 2). Occasionally the 15th-century doublet had detachable sleeves tied on with points at the shoulder. Instructions for a sleeveless doublet are given with Fig 5.

The paltok - As a rule the doublet was hidden by the outer garment with only parts of the sleeve, and later the collar, visible. Between about 1370 and 1400 smart young men sometimes appeared in a morę elegant version of the doublet, the paltok, worn on its own (Fig 3). This often featured a deeply-cut armhole, and one or both sleeves could be madę of different materiał. It was worn with a belt round the hips, often a 'knightly girdle' of metal plates on a leather or canvas backing.

Doublet and bose (see also Hose)

Before the doublet, men wore separate hose (stockings) tied to the breech girdle of their braies (Braies, Fig 1). Tying them to the lower edge of the doublet applied morę tension to the hose, pulling them to fit further up the legs. The early doublet (Fig 4) reached to the groin, so the hose came no higher than the top of the leg. By the end of the 14th century, however, the doublet was sometimes shortened and worn with hose joined into a single garment cut to reach above the groin.

Although the long doublet persisted in use, for much of the 15th century the fashionable doublet and hose met about 10 to 15 cm below the waist, and towards the end of the century the junction moved higher, almost to the waist (Pis 7, 8). Points - The points (ties) which secured the hose were at first stitched inside the doublet. In the early 15th century the points began to be threaded through eyelets in its lower edge and around the top of the hose, so the two garments butted together instead of overlapping. Ninę pairs of eyelets were usually spaced round the lower edge of the doublet (Methods, Figs 16, 18).

1.    1430-40, French

Executioner in long fawn-coloured doublet, his shirt or braies visible at the side. Separate hose (stockings) of scarlet cloth rolled down; scarlet bag-hat and black shoes. (Decameron, Bibliotheque de I'Arsenał, Paris, MS 5070, f.201).

2.    1468, Flemish/Burgundian (PI 9)

Smart young man with an open gown. Doublet with cut-away front, high collar and puff sleeves; joined hose, ankle shoes and acorn cap. (Chroniques du Hainaut, Bibliotheque Royale, Brussels, MS 9243 f.72)

3.    c.1400, English

Nobleman in elaborate high-necked doublet (paltok) with one contrasting sleeve. Separate scalloped cuffs, knightly girdle round the hips, footed hose with one leg red, the other green. The hat is unusual. (Lincoln Cathedral Library, MS 218).

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