A Suit of Black Wool in Two Parts: A Doublet and Trunkhose

Part 1

A Doublet of Black Wool Wrought with a Black Wool Braid

M. Alison Kannon

Rosalind Delamere

The doublet was a cornerstone of the male wardrobe during the later Sixteenth Century. Its popularity was so great that it is nearly impossible to find examples of the every-day man wearing anything else. The doublet generally had wide shoulder seams and two back-set side seams, although there were many stylistic variations. (Waugh, p.14) The collar also seems to have had many design variations. For example, the collar could be cut as one separate piece (Fig. 1) or the back portion of the collar could be cut as part of the back piece and the two front pieces of the collar are cut separately (Fig. 3). Another element of doublet was sleeves which could be either attached with points (Fig. 6), sew onto the shoulder of the doublet, or sewn into the full arm of the doublet. They also often had shoulder wings (Fig. 6, 7, 10), which could be used to hide points in the shoulder, and skirting at the waist (Fig. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), which helped to hide the lacing strips and points that attached the waist of the breeches to the waist of the doublet (Fig. 4).


Fig. 1. Detail of Leather Fencing Doublet. c1610. Note how the back of the collar is integrated into the back of the doublet while the front of the collar is still separate. ( Arnold , p.25)	Fig. 2. Detail of a red satin doublet showing the hook at the neck. c1560. (Arnold, p. 20)

Generally doublets were fastened closed with either hooks and eyes (Fig. 2 or buttons (Fig. 5. (Boucher, p.253; Arnold, p.54, 57, 70-71, 73, 7484-85) There are examples of doublets made out of leather (Fig. 6) as well as wool and silk and they could be decorated in an infinite variety ways.

My doublet is based strongly on a doublet believed to have been worn by Sir Richard Cotton or Sir Rowland Cotton, ( Arnold, p. 88) depicted in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion. I based my pattern on the diagram pattern depicted with this garment and tailored it to fit the wearer. It is made of black wool and lined with wine-colored linen. There is no exterior machine stitching except for the button holes.

Fig. 3. Diagram of a peascod doublet c1605-1615. Note the separate colloar. ( Arnold , p.79)

The button holes were machine sew for that added strength that the machine stitching would provide as the wearer is particularly hard on clothing. The buttonholes will be overcast by hand with buttonhole stitch in order to give a more period appropriate appearance. The black wool braid was applied by hand and the seams were topstitched by hand to add strength and give the seams a pressed look. The doublet is interlined with linen and the shoulders are padded and stiffened with wool. The collar was stiffened with wool felt and the belly piece was made of four layers of fustian. The bones can be felt in the belly piece of the original garment (Arnold, p. 89), however I chose not to bone my belly piece for the comfort of the wearer. Traditionally, doublets had lacing strips in the waist which allowed them to be laced to the wearer’s pants. (Fig. 4) However, while I have made lacing strips for doublets in the past (Fig. 11, 12, 13), I chose not to make them for this doublet out of consideration for the comfort of the wearer. The buttons were hand made from wool cloth (Crowfoot, p. 171, Snell) and sewn to the edge of the doublet (Fig. 5).


Fig. 4. Detail of lacing strip in the waist of a doublet c1567. ( Arnold , p.16)	Fig. 5. Detail of buttons and buttonholes in the front of a satin doublet c1560. (Arnold, p. 20)	Fig. 6. Diagram of a c1595-1600 leather doublet with lacing strips for sleeves. (Arnold, p. 73)


Fig. 7. Unknown gentleman wearing a satin doublet and breeches. c1600 ( Arnold , p.23)	Fig. 8. Tennis Player wearing a doublet and venetians. c1580 (Boucher, p.233)	Fig. 9. Portrait of Eric Sture wearing the suit he was later murdered in. c1567 ( Arnold , p.17)

Fig. 10. Two fencers wearing padded leather doublets and venetian breeches. c1611 ( Arnold , p.25)


Fig. 11. Detail of lacing strip I made for a pair of pluderhosen.	Fig. 12. A closer detail of the lacing strip in the pluderhosen. The eyelets were all sewn by hand and the lacing strip was whip-stitched to the waist of the doublet.	Fig. 13. Detail of the lacing strip from the other side.

References

Waugh, Norah. The Cut of Men’s Clothes 1600-1900. Routledge, Theater Arts Books. New York. 1964

Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: The cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1560-1620. Macmillian. London, England. 1985

Boucher, Francois. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers. New York. 1987

Crowfoot, Elisabeth et al. Medieval Finds in Excavations in London: 4 Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450. The Boydell Press. Woodbridge, England. 1992.

Arnold, Janet. Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd. W.S Maney & Son's LTD. Leeds, England. 1988

Part 2

Trunk-hose of Black Wool

M. Alison Kannon

Rosalind Delamere

The term “trunk-hose” seems to refer to a variety of pants styles worn throughout the Sixteenth Century. A particularly popular style trunk-hose of the late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth Century were very full with the leg openings pleated into fitted leg extensions known as canions and the waist pleated into a narrow waist band worked with eyelets that could be laced to the doublet with points. (Fig, 4) They could be heavily stiffened and stuffed (Fig. 1) (Arnold, p. 76) or padded with wool and the fullness held in position by the smaller lining. (Fig. 3) (Arnold, p. 88)


Fig. 1. Detail of the trunk-hose depicted in Fig 4. The pleats in the canions are heavily stiffened. (Arnold, p. 23)	Fig. 2. Detail of the effigy of Sir Rowland Cotton. c1610-1615. The effigy is wear trunk-hose similar to the ones I based mine on. (Arnold, p. 29)

My trunk-hose are based of those once traditionally thought to have been worn by James I, depicted in Janet Arnold’s Patterns of Fashion (Arnold, p. 74). I used the patterning diagram that Arnold lays out in Patterns of Fashion to create my pattern and altered the muslin to fit the wearer. The original trunk-hose were padded stiffened with wool, however, I chose not to stiffen mine. The trunk-hose of the suit thought to have been worn by Sir Richard Cotton or Sir Rowland Cotton are similar in style to the ones thought to have been worn by James I, but are not stiffened as much. They are padded with wool and the fullness is held in position by the smaller lining. I felt that making my trunk-hose in this fashion would be more comfortable to the wearer. (Arnold, p. 88) My trunk-hose are made of black wool and lined with wine-colored linen. I chose to use a button fly rather than another style of closure as there are examples of button closures on this style of pants during the period (Arnold, p. 88) and I really like the way they look on this style of pant. The buttons are handmade from left over wool fabric. (Crowfoot, p. 171, Snell) Traditionally these pants would have had eyes sewing into a narrow waistband so that they could be laced to the doublet with points (Fig. 4) (Arnold, p. 88, 74-76). However, while I have made lacing strips for pants in the past (Fig. 7, 8, 9), I chose not to make them for these trunk-hose out of consideration for the comfort of the wearer. The only visible machine stitching is the buttonholes. I chose to do the buttonholes on the machine for the added strength they would provide, as the wearer is particularly hard on clothes. These buttonholes will be bound by hand with buttonhole stitch to give a more period look. Over all I am very pleased with this garment. The only change I would make would be to bind the buttonholes, which I plan to do at a later date.


Fig. 3. Silk Satin Suit. c1618. The trunk-hose are full but according to Arnold , while they are padded with wool, the fullness is predominately created with the lining (Arnold, p. 88). (Arnold, p. 28)	Fig. 4. A suit consisting of a doublet and trunk-hose. Note how the trunk-hose lace to the suit. c1600-5 (Arnold, p.22)	Fig. 5. James I wearing a suit similar to the ones depicted in Fig 3 and 4. c1604 (Arnold, p. 22)

Fig. 6. Edward Sackville wearing a trunk-hose similar to those worn by James I (Fig 6) and those depicted in Fig 4. c1613 (Arnold, p. 22)


Fig. 7. Detail of lacing strip I made for a pair of pluderhosen.	Fig. 8. A closer detail of the lacing strip in the pluderhosen. The eyelets were all sewn by hand and the lacing strip was whip-stitched to the waist of the doublet.	Fig. 9. Detail of the lacing strip from the other side.

References

Waugh, Norah. The Cut of Men’s Clothes 1600-1900. Routledge, Theater Arts Books. New York. 1964

Arnold, Janet. Patterns of Fashion: The cut and construction of clothes for men and women c1560-1620. Macmillian. London, England. 1985

Boucher, Francois. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers. New York. 1987

Crowfoot, Elisabeth et al. Medieval Finds in Excavations in London: 4 Textiles and Clothing c.1150-c.1450. The Boydell Press. Woodbridge, England. 1992.

Arnold, Janet. Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd. W.S Maney & Son's LTD. Leeds, England. 1988