"Natural" linen would be less processed than white linen. Because the fibres are not processed as much, the cloth isn't as soft as whiter fabric. "Natural" linen is scratchier. Maybe OK for tents and packs, but not something I'd want to swath my bum in.

The cool thing about linen is that it bleaches fairly easily. Just washing and wearing it a lot will tend to soften and whiten it, and so will leaving it out in the sun. However, without modern chlorine bleaches, linen will never be as incandescently white as cotton. Some reenactors will add a jar of powdered tea to their linen wash to soften the color and take the edge off a modern bleach job.

Someone once told me that the Italians used unbleached ("natural") linen for smallclothes when they were in mourning, but I've been unable to verify that statement.

Gwen

Vinegar is a mild acid and bleach, you can soak them in that. Use white or you'll wind up with pink undies....a mild lye solution might work...the period texts call for urine, you could try that....

After bleaching, the linen was wetted and beaten with a club to flatten the yarns and to smooth the surface of the fabric. Some glassy stones were found at York from the 10th-13th centuries which were probably used to smooth the linen by rubbing the heavy stones on the cloth.

I really highly recommend the Archaeology of York vol 17 "Small Finds" series, which has like 15 fascicules (separately bound sub-volumes). _Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate_ was chock-full of goodies pertaining to cloth and clothing production, altho it doesn't much about fashions or articles of clothing.

I was sold before, but now I'm ready to be pro-active- are the Coppergate books available somewhere? Amazon? Boydell & Brewer? OxBow?

Just to put a cat amongst the pheasants ... does anyone know why every re-enactor I know calls them braies as every C15th English ref I've ever seen says Breeches?

... does anyone know why every re-enactor I know calls them braies as every C15th English ref I've ever seen says Breeches?
Like "smock", I believe "braies" is the French term and "breeches" is the English. At least this is what my costume history books say. The books printed in the UK use 'breeches' throughout, the ones printed in the US use "braies", as I assume they use the french term.

If we are Burgundians, the assumption is we would be using the French term.

I could be completely wrong about this, so Dave, if you have some more info, I'd love to see it.