I'm sorry I haven't replied before this, but I just put in a 64 hr work week. By the time I get tot the computer I can hardly think straight. I think when Gwen gets back, she might be able to steer you in the direction of usable patterns. If you can hold out a little bit, we are developing a pattern. If it works (Adam 's wife is making him one), then we will have something to go by, and you will be welcome to it. It will just require a little patience, but free is the right price - is it not?

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The selection of commercial patterns of type A is fairly limited, AFAIK, and probably has a wide range of authenticity. I've never looked for men's patterns, but I've occaisionally browsed thru the women's stuff. Some of the patterns are just plain bad, some use unauthentic piecing to get a pretty good overall shape. I don't think that any commercially available patterns are even at the middling accurate level....

You might, however, thru careful choice of pattern, find a commercial pattern that is basically ok, and then change the details to get something a lot better (option B). Someone else would have to recommend a pattern to you that would be useful for this.
Or if you know the sort of cut you want, if you can find a local store that sells 'period' patterns, you can go there and poke thru the different options. The only store I know of that carries the things, tho, is G-Street Fabrics in MD and VA in the US. (Well, Simplicity, Butterick, etc all carry costume-type stuff, most of which is fairly laughable, IMHO. Don't know if you could work with them or not, I've never tried)

Or, if you are willing to wing it (C), go to Joannes and buy a bunch of the cheapest cotton (like in the 99 cent rack) woven junk and use it to work out a muslin. This is the only way I've made garments - look at pictures of what you want the finished garment to look like, look at any extant garments to find out what the piecing might be like (yeah, there's not much info on this for the 15th cent, but for middle class you might be able to find some good period illustrations where you can see the seams, and then look at some 14th and 16th century surviving garments and work something out that might be reasonable). Cut the muslin with really big seam allowances, get a friend who knows what they are doing to help you pin-fit the muslin, and then sew the muslin together to check the fit again. The first time I did this, I took a modern dress that fit reasonably similarly to the medieval garment and use that to size my pattern, even tho I cut it on a totally different pattern than the modern dress.

Another possibility if you have a similar garment, or live near someone else who does, is to use that garment as a basis for your pattern, and then just alter the pieces to get what you want.

If you want to get accurate colors, etc, you might want to try a specialty fabric shop - I think there are several, but don't know the names offhand (Timeless Textiles???). I'm sure a search on google would turn a bunch up. If you are looking for a more budget-oriented option, you are probably fine with Joannes if you look carefully at the fabrics when you are in the store. I've never found Joannes to have a good selection of either wool or linen, tho. I'm going to throw in a recommendation (NAYY) for fabric.com, which has a reasonably selection of linen, and a highly variable selection of wools for good prices (they just recently had a bunch of Pendleton in stock, but most of it is gone now) with no minimum order (well, 1 yd).

And what kind of 'tailed hood' did you mean? There's lots of hoods with tails....do you have a picture of the one you were thinking of?

Marla is nearly done with her doublet (needed to make one to see if it would work). Sorry it has taken so long, but handmaking things can take awhile.

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HELLO my name is Alain-Gilles Chaussat.
I am french.
I do not well speak English
But I believe that to look for you some documentation on "hood" "chaperon"
I have beaucoupe of documentation on hoods, but it is in French.
If you are interested in this documentation, says it to me.
Here are some drawings on the forms of hoods

The information comes from Adrian Harmand's book on Joan of Arc.

I would be interested to know where the pattern for the interted tail comes from, as all extant hoods that I am aware of have a flat attachment point.

Barrois, I saw the picture of you in your kit in the profile- can you tell us more about your reenactment group?

Gwen

L'information vient du livre d'Adrian Harmand sur Jeanne d'Arc.

Je serais intéressé pour connaître où le modèle pour la queue s'interfanant vient de, comme tous les capuchons existants que je suis conscient d'ont un point d'attachement plat.

and this is SERIOUS generalisation ...

I know you're really looking for available patterns but doublet & gown are not the most difficult things to make if you take care & get help.

As suggested previously ... do this in a cheap cloth first ... it won't hang the same but what you're after is the size and your own personal pattern.

Don't try to be too clever or fancy. Most C15th clothing is all pretty basic and made of simple shapes stiched together.

1. 1460-1485 in fashion terms is a bit like saying 1960-1985 ... there are massive changes as new fabrics entered the market and the political landscape changed.

2. Swiss/Burgundian or Wars of the Roses ... they are almost mutually exclusive as English style is not the same as Swiss which is not the same as German (North or South ... etc etc)... so I'll presume a Low Countries middling would be most applicable to you.

As regards (1) ... being Middle Aged and Middle class is a definite advantage as your clothing avoids the exceses of fashion, but remember conservative does not necessarily mean out of date.

OK ... here goes, I hope this helps.

1. Doublet.
Close fitting with a stand-up collar.
The pattern is relatively simple ... 4 body panels which reach to the hip. You don't need the 'skirt' of C16th doublets & most commercial patterns. You will get some 'rucking' in the small of the back but that's normal & period.
Swiss doublet often have VERY deep arm holes ... I won't advise this. Better stick to a more northern style ... close fitting sleeve. Fashionable is a short puffed upper sleeve (basically covering the biceps) which should be worn if you have a puffed sleeved gown but this is more work.
For a good quality doublet you'd often use a better cloth for the cuffs and collar e.g. woollen body/sleeves & silk cuff/collar. The cuffs are about half way up the forearm (cuffs closed with a couple of buttons). The collar is the key to the C15th doublet-look. Best style is to cut neck line front & back the same ... this makes the back nck-line run low between the shoulder baldes. This can be exagerrated slightly deeper if desired. Into this U/V add the 2-piece collar and lap it around the neck. Th collar piece is a 'stretched' triangle so it's about 1 inch at the throat but c.8 inches at the back. The back seam of the collar should allow the collar to sit fairly close to the neck but upright, rather than rolling over the shoulkders as modern collars do.

The front can be closed by lacing or points usualy, but buttons are occasionally seen. A clssic style is a Z-lacing from waist to chest then points at the throat.

The bottom hem holds the points for the hose...these are at the edge of the bottom hem. That is why when loosened for active wear you see the shirt hanging out at the back.

2. Gown
For middle aged/middling degree then a good heavy wool gown is essential. This is one of the simplest things to make (honest)!

Basically it should reach below the groin (this being referenced as a young mans fashion in 1463) but I'd suggest just below the knee or floor level depending on

a) what you'e doing
b) how much momey you want to spend.

However the pattern doesn't really change.

the fit at the shoulder is slightly larger than the doublet so that it fits over it. Personally I'd leave the neck as per the body of the doublet ... so the doublet collar shows & you have a U/V bak to the gown (they also had collar & half-collar gowns but this is both more common & easier)

From the shoulder the side seams basically go in a straight line so the pattern is loose fitting at the chest and about 3 inches too big at the hips and then continues out to the hem. Then take the centre lines and widen these in another straight line from neck to waist so it's another 3 inches too wide at the hips ... this should mean its about 12 inches too wide at the hips ... play with this excess to suit the cloth as it is this which forms the characteristic pleating.
The pattern should look like 4 big triangles with a curved bottom hem. The reason for the width at the centre is that the cloth needs to fold into the centre not under your arms.

The sleeves are made with a full cut and c.25% extra to allow for gathering from middle back over the top of the shoulder to 1/4 way round the front ... this means there is more plating at the back helping create the sway back look.

If you hve a puffed sleeve doublet then this will pad the sleeve head. However taper the sleeve down to a loose fitting wrist. No need for a closure.

When wearing use a belt to gather the excss cloth into pleats at front and back. If the cloth has enough weight it will hold these without the need for any stitching.

3. Hood
I agree wth Gwen, go for a straight insert of the lirapipe/tail but otherwise the patterns are find.

Linings ... doublet does require lining in linen to give oit he strength it requires
Gown can be lined or not. Best lined but according to season. Use trim & purfels if want prestige look ... but match fur type to quality of cloth.

Spend more on good wool (fine worsted for doublet, heavy and well fulled for gown) and the results will rally show.

Colours ... safe bets ... a good russet/red for doublet. If use silk for collar then black. Gowns reds, blues, greens. Better quality colour than doublet as finer cloth and on show. Depth & warmth of colour is important. If it is harsh/cold to the eye it is probably wrong.

Hope this helps .. also I think I put this in the ARMET area under CLothing Standards some hints on cloth & colours ...