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| The Trousers | |
| There's
a big debate over trousers in the re-enactment world. This is because
no actual examples of the period have been found and the pictoral evidence
is ambiguous. Examples have been found in earlier contexts. I get confused
because if you consider the medieval period - a kind of stocking was worn
called hose. Hose started off as two separate legs attached to the belt
and then developed into joined trousers similar to modern ones. So if
'proper' trousers are known from earlier periods, but 'suspended legs'
from the medieval period - what happened to trousers in the intervening
years? Certain Anglo-Saxon illustrations seem to show a hem-line around the ankle and there is one picture of a monk en-deshabille with trouser-y wrinkles around his ankles! There are also quite a number of Anglo-Saxon/Old English words which refer to coverings for the legs - so make your own mind up. Myself and other re-enactors like to think that trousers were worn (unless you're scottish and like the feel of fresh air). I cheat with making trousers and buy a pyjama trouser pattern of the correct size and use that, as I am notoriously bad at making them. (see the Links page for links to pattern companies.) If you wish to make them yourself they need to be ankle length, close- fitting to the knee with a simple waist tie - either a drawstring or fabric tie. See the Early (Pagan) Anglo-Saxon Trousers guide. |
| © Rosie Wilkin 2003 |
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