The Marches look and feel
Overview
The Marches draws strongly on English history from the 12th century through to the War of the Roses for costume, weaponry and armour.
The costume of the Marches has a 'solidity' to it, a worn, lived-in look that contrasts with its neighbour Dawn's high romance, gleaming plate and vivid hues. The Marches is Kenneth Brannagh’s Henry V rather than Laurence Olivier’s.
Also see Marches costumes and Marches icons and artistry.
Breakdown
Feel
Gritty, solid, practical, traditional, mud, blood, green fields, rural, iron.
Influences
Wars of the Roses England, Rangers of Ithilien (Beaters), Cadfael (Monks and Landskeepers).
Materials
Wool, calico, linen, leather.
Colours
Plain flat colours, mostly the soft colours of natural dyes or unbleached cloth. The palette is autumnal suggesting natural dull blues, greys, browns/ rusts, mustards and greens, dull reds etc. especially at the lower end of the social scale. Wealthier Marchers may use deeper, brighter shades.
Clothing
Marchers favour plain clothes, simple hoods, hose and shirts. Wealthier characters might wear finer robes, cotehardies or a simple doublet but it will usually still be a plain wool or heavy linen.
Hose, either joined or split, are worn with braies and a long shirt. Shirts are an extremely simple untailored cut, full in the body and sleeve, possibly gathered at neck and wrist.
Doublets are popular in the Marches, a snug-fitting buttoned jacket that is shaped and fitted to the body. It can be worn over the shirt or under another layer of clothing. They tend to be short and simple, fancy slash work doesn't really fit the Marchers practical approach.
Instead of shirts and hose some may choose to wear a woollen or heavy linen overdress such as a kirtle or cotehardie over a shift. The look is long, lean and smooth and laced to fit. Back lacing shows higher status and gives a better line. Side lacing is more common. It would be rare to see a gathered skirt (common to Tudor kirtles) in the Marches.
Headwear is frequently worn, either a simple cap, or something like a hood and liripipe or chaperon.
Marchers have no pockets so a pouch is invaluable – bollock or kidney pouches or leather bags are perfect. Belts are often very long, wrapped round, looped at the front and left to dangle.
Both male and female monks wear traditional plain monk's habit either in dark colours, or white with a dark scapular.
Armour
Padded gambesons or leather jacks are common for the poor, with a harness of plate for richer individuals. Households often wear matching livery cotes, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote afiliation.
Shields
Shields are uncommon in the Marches; the most common are small metal bucklers when they are used at all.
Weapons
Bows are common. In hand-to-hand combat Marchers favour bills and other pole-arms. Two handed swords are common for richer characters in heavier armour, as well as warhammers, maces or poleaxes. Any historical weapons from the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses are typical: poleaxes, bills and other polearms are iconic; warhammers, bollock daggers, axes, falchions, mauls, and improvised weapons based on farm equipment are all carried by some.
Marcher household
A prosperous Marcher household will wear often wear matching livery coats, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote affiliation. Padded jacks are common for the poor with a plain harness of plate for wealthier individuals.
Yeomen
Poor Yeomen may wear just a plain coloured jack or padded gambeson as their only armour. Wealthier Yeomen usually have livery coats in their Household colours and mail or plate over the top if they have it.
Stewards
The head of a household, a steward, may wear richer colours, but most likely in home grown wool not rarer silk. Wealthy Marchers are often seen in full harness of plate in battle.
Beaters
Beaters are skilled trackers and gamekeepers. They watch the borders of the Marches. They are inspired by the classic British archers of the period mixed with the Rangers of Ithilien from Lord of the Rings.
Beaters usually wear lighter armour, either just a padded or leather jack or else a leather tunic like the ones worn by the Rangers in Lord of the Rings.
Monks and friars
Monks and friars wear similar robes. A simple brown cassock works well but it might also be seen in black or grey. A more complex arrangement with dark scapular over white undergarments is a popular choice.
Landskeepers
Some landskeepers wear robes, similar to the monk, but a jerkin, shirt and hose, with rolled-up sleeves is just as good an alternative. A landskeeper is well used to hard work in the fields and their look reflects that.
Marcher children
Things you're unlikely to see
- Don't expect 'bling' in the Marches, even the wealthy are likely to be subtle - with wealth displayed in linings and button detail, not slashed sleeves, full gathered fabrics, or rich embroidery or brocade.
- You won't find anyone worrying about hand stitching, whether that coat is too long for 1389 or what your underwear is made of. The Marches is a historically inspired culture, not a historically accurate one.
- There are no modesty guidelines in the Marches and gender roles don't follow the historical pattern - long skirts and laced dresses are a choice made by some not an expectation of all.