34470 tmta9

Braies

2. Long-legged braies, 1200-1400

Madę from a straight piece of linen, with the girdle enclosed in a waist casing. These are worn tucked into the separate hose. Holes are often cut in the waist casing so the strings for attaching the hose can hang from the breech girdle. The legs can be shortened for wear with longer hose.

This is the basie men's undergarment, also called 'breeches', and later known as 'drawers'. They were not necessarily hidden from view. Working men are depicted stripped down to their braies, or braies and shirt, in hot weather; and any man in a short cote, or cote with a split front, might show them when sitting down.

The most basie form, possibly worn only by working men, was a simple breech clout (Fig 1), wrapped round the body and secured by a tied 'breech girdle'. Better-dressed men in the 13th and early 14th centuries wore a baggy pair of long-legged braies (Fig 2), which were tucked into the tops of the hose (Hose, Fig 1). From about the mid 14th century men started tying their hose to the new doublet instead of the breech girdle, and braies became smaller. During the 15th century a baggy form persisted in use, but a much closer-fitting pattern was developed for wear under joined hose (Figs 4, 5; Pl 18).

3. Pattern for Fig 2

The main piece is 170 cm x 68 cm, and folded lengthways. Join the long edges from C to B at each end to form the legs. Leave them open in the middle to form the waist, and add the triangular gussets. Set in the gussets as described for shirt sleeves (Methods, Fig 7). Cut a large band and fold it lengthways. Sew it round the waist edge to form a casing for the breech girdle. This band sometimes has two slits at the sides, (faced or blanket-stitched)

The breech girdle

Until the mid 14th century the breech girdle not only supported the breech clout or braies, but also the hose, and sometimes a purse as well. To avoid cutting into the wearer when tightened to take the strain, early breech girdles were madę of thick cord, or a twisted strip of materiał. Often the spare materiał at the top of the braies was rolled over the girdle to pad it. The hose were supported by two loops of cord hung from the breech girdle (Fig 1). Where the girdle was inside a casing, this sometimes had slits for the loops, or they emerged from openings at the sides. As the doublet hecame the normal support for the hose, the breech girdle was reduced to a narrow cord or tape in a smaller casing (Fig 4).

Key dimensions

Take Seat and Body rise measurements. Dimensions shown for the long-legged braies (Fig 3) are only approximate, but plan them generously and allow for seams as they need to be large and baggy. The short fitted braies (Figs 4, 5) need morę precise planning. Letters indicate joining points. For abbreviations see

p.10.

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