Ulrich's next big purchase

[Sir Ulrich]

Ok so finally my maille arrived, now I been debating on what to get for my next big purchase. Should I get a coif? Or should I work on a bit of proper medieval pants to replace the trash ones I have now? A proper linen gambeson? Kinda overwhelmed with all the choices I can make.
I am very close to just getting this actually:
http://historicenterprises.com/package-underwear-13th-century-complete-linen-p-1302.html?cPath=99_111 But I'm not exactly... sure if getting the package is worth it or if I should just get chausses and nothing else.

[SirNathanQ]

If you're gonna wear chausses, you'll need something to point them too. Undies.
You can't wear chausses w/o the other.

[Sir Wolf]

i would get the package. it gives you all the base garments, Shirt, braies and chausses. now remember the shirt is more like a long undershirt. you will need to get another to wear over it. this time frame still demands layers of clothing like that.

a mail coif would defently help the BA look ehhehe

[Sir James A]

I would lean towards replacing non-period items before buying more period items. It's easier for someone to look and say "hey, not period" than it is for them to say "you dont have a coif" (if everything else is period). I wore my "3/4" armor to VARF and one of the comments was "why is that guy wearing pirate boots?" (because my greaves and sabatons weren't done )

[Leganoth]

If you're gonna wear chausses, you'll need something to point them too. Undies.
You can't wear chausses w/o the other.

This is my favorite website for medieval purchases, medievalcollectibles.com  its really good, good quality stuff

[Sir Matthew]

I would lean towards replacing non-period items before buying more period items. It's easier for someone to look and say "hey, not period" than it is for them to say "you dont have a coif" (if everything else is period). I wore my "3/4" armor to VARF and one of the comments was "why is that guy wearing pirate boots?" (because my greaves and sabatons weren't done )

Yeah, it's nice to have all the cool armor, but if you don't have period shoes or the pants that are showing under it are not period, it does tend to ruin the impression. Plus, it's nice to have the under clothes (pants, shirt, doublet/singlet) to wear when it is too hot to go armor or you just don't feel like going to the trouble of the armor.

[Sir Wolf]

ya definitely start replacing no period stuff with period stuff. you will feel better about your self in the morning.

[Sir Ulrich]

Then the underwear and chausses package it is, my gambeson is being worn under maille anyway so it shouldn't be THAT big of a deal. Don't want to go to another faire in those ridiculously baggy pants that cover up my period footwear and are too long for my legs. Now what color to get, I think I'm gonna go with black but is there a way to make my order have one red one black? Or maybe I should just go for red?

[Sir William]

To put it into perspective, no one's going to see your smallclothes except you (and that lucky lady) but the other bits people DO see...those you should see to first.  Then try to go 'all period' as it were.  I still have to do the underthings, but other things come first...like footwear, and pants.  I have a pair of wide leg riding pants but I don't particularly like them.  Hard to find pants I like.

[Sir Edward]

In a way, I think to avoid the criticism, it's almost better to wear "medievalish fantasy" stuff, than to have something that's clearly the wrong period. The "pirate boots" comment is a great example.

But it all depends on what people can see. I often use 15th C. joined hose, even with my 13th/14th kits. But unless you look up into the crotch area, under the surcoat and mail, you're not going to see that they're joined.

[Sir Wolf]

HAH giggle hehehehe

[Sir James A]

If you're gonna wear chausses, you'll need something to point them too. Undies.
You can't wear chausses w/o the other.

This is my favorite website for medieval purchases, medievalcollectibles.com  its really good, good quality stuff

I bought my whole soft kit from there. They didn't have items that were on backorder marked as such on the website, but when I emailed for an ETA they told me which ones and let me substitute for ones they had in stock (same item, different color). Would have been nice if they showed items on backorder *before* ordering, but this isn't the first site I've bought from that doesn't say so.

[SirNathanQ]

Yeah, I do what Sir Edward Mentioned. 15th century hose can get away with ALOT (unless your portraying a longbowman with Dysentery)
 

[Sir William]

Dysentery...blagh.  lol

[Sir Matthew]

This illustrates another good think to know: Where can I cheat with this kit and not look out of period? In my 16th/17th Century reenacting unit, we wear Federal Brogans, an American Civil War era shoe, but similiar styles have been worn going back to the mid 15th century. So while they were not wearing Brogans, they were wearing shoes that looked very similiar so we can get away with wearing them and not look glaringly out of place.