Anyone else feel that these are pretty good 14th century repros (maybe not Crusade repros...)

http://www.museumreplicas.com/webstore/showpr...Position=9

http://www.museumreplicas.com/webstore/showpr...osition=13

http://www.museumreplicas.com/webstore/showpr...Position=5

I wouldn't call them repros, myself. Fabric choices are wrong among other things. They're probably fine for those just wanting to "get by" but for serious reenactors, this stuff can't even enter one's thoughts. All other things aside, period clothing needs to fit a person correctly. Fit is an important part of getting the look right, and something a huge majority of people simply get wrong or don't consider. This often means that it needs to be made for a person individually. You get what you pay for, though, and these things are at a very low price point so it may very well be worth it to many.

I'd agree - I would not buy these for a serious kit. Wools and linens hang differently, wear differently, and just look different. Then there is the issue of metal grommets instead of sewn eyelets. Frankly, to maintain the integrity of my kit, I am always wary of "off the shelf" clothing pieces.

However, this is not my era of expertise, but I think the style and general look of the kit is perfectly fine. This is something I would show to an experienced period tailor and have replicated (or draw up a pattern myself!), and that's much farther than I would go with the majority of MRL's clothing line! It's a step in the right direction, as far as I'm concerned :!:

I feel that I "misspoke" in my initial post - basically what I was getting at the the style of the gambeson, the padded coif, and the War Hat was that of the 14th century, rather than the Crusades (and doesn't much fit with the rest of the items).

MRL sponsored my professional jousting for a few years and I still have good relations with them. However, with that being said, I would not wear their clothing in any context having to do with my LH group. I have worn their clothing for various jousting show gigs that I have done. Lisa, my wife, constantly spoke with them about the design and material of their clothes during that time. What we were told is that they are selling mostly to the Rennie group (my words) or those that want to have the "period" look, but really don't care about authenticity.

They have also found that there is a bigger market in their movie related product than in their "historically" based ones, and that they will be phasing much of their historical armour out (especially the steel helmets).

I like my period clothing to be as period as possible (in fact, I recently picked up 5 bags of Flax Tow to stuff my helmet liner), within the constrains of our budget (I am also trying to purchase enough "stock" to outfit many of the others in my LH group until they can afford to buy the products themselves).

So I apologise for giving the wrong impression with my initial post. Now - Don't these three items look more 14th century to you?

Hehe, thanks for the clarification Lloyd ;) Actually, I figured you were talking about 14th cen garb, and my personal answer still stands: I think it is a great style that I would have replicated from period materials. The padded coif itself I think I'll draw a pattern up for and make. I like how it covers the majority of the shoulders as well - I'm a bony guy and the more padding the better on an area prone to hits!

Actually Lloyd, I first became aware of you several years ago when I saw a pic of you in my MRL magazine ;)

What about the burgundy and mustard colored Tiberias Gambeson? I love how that looks. I wish it was in different colors and made by a more 'reliable' company...I have bought clothes from MRL before...and well...they're not great....Personally though, that gambeson reminds me of some 1300's-1400's French/English stuff I have seen...and I rather like it...hmmm

I'd order the hospitaller tunic if it weren't so hideously expensive. Then I'd trash the ridiculous fake maille, cut off the lower half and wear it with my normal clothes. :D

I'll have to find out who the manufacturer is, perhaps it's possible to get them $110 cheaper without the maille strips.

Is the mail real? If so, I really like that feature. If it is meant to be a costume, (which it is) it negates the use of a full hauberk beneath and is somewhat more economical. I'm sorry, but I think this is a really cool feature; I find it extremely ingenious.

I'm with Anton on this one. I was really excited about the hospitallers tunic until I looked at the price. I did a double take and then clicked on the Templar tunic and saw that it was a lot cheaper. Then I looked back at the hospitaller tunic and thought the extra cost was for the sleeves. Finally after I muttered something I won't repeat here I saw the chain maile and thought "oh, that's kind of a good idea."

I would just like to make a quick comment to some of the more experienced people on the forum. Thank you for pointing out when pieces are not historically accurate it is helpful to us when you do this. However, it would be more helpful if you could also point out why the piece is not historically accurate. I don't mean to sound rude but I'm always left wondering why.


Ben

I'd like to add that there are Web sites and Yahoo groups dedicated to the study of historical clothing, costuming, and other such topics. Additionally, there are many bibliographies for books on the subject. I suggest anything from Janet Arnold, as one example. These resources, no doubt, offer a wealth of information going far beyond a site like ours is likely to produce. The study of clothing and textiles is a huge interest of mine, and something I once dedicated a considerable amount of time to.. but that was a long time ago. I may help a friend this year create a community catering to this type of thing, but I'm not sure how much involvement I'm likely to have given my time constraints.

Nathan,

not to hijack this thread too long, but something I've wondered for quite some time. is this elizabethan court costume (link follows) done based on the painting of Sir Walter Religh and his son by Lynn McMasters yours?

http://pweb.jps.net/~mcmasters/elizman.html

yours or not, it is an outfit i have admired for quite some time :cool:

. . . back on topic, in regards to the hospitaller "tunic", with the mail skirts attached supposed to be simulating a hauberk, shouldn't the "tunic" be more of a sleeveless surcoat with mail "sleeves" attached at the shoulder and the mail removed from a substantially lower hem on the fabric part of the garment to get the look more correct for period? otherwise, many of the illustrations i've been looking at lately show that the mail was worn above the tunic which extended just below the hauberk in length, both of which reaching the knees or slightly below. not the the look MRL has going isn't nice, but the tunic as shown would look to me more 13th century than 12th.[/url]