Medieval Stockings: Suspension


Figure 1.-- These modern illustrations from the German Hosiery Museum show how men and boys of the 15th century wore long stockings that were attached by "points" or ribbons to their waists. The underwear shown here is modern, not medieval, however, but the length of the stockings and the means of attacment are authentic to the period.

There appear to have been different methods of holding up the stockings. This is a difficult topic because much of the information we have about medieval stockings sime from paintings and with few exceptions there are no clues about suspension. The braies could be used to suspend the chausses. The chausses were held up by attaching them to the braies, often by a cord or ribbon which ties on to a belt which fits through a fabric channel at the waist of the braies. These modern illustrations from the German Hosiery Museum show how men and boys of the 15th century wore long stockings that were attached by "points" or ribbons to their waists (figure 1). The underwear shown here is modern, not medieval, however, but the length of the stockings and the means of attacment are authentic to the period. By the late middle ages or early Renaissance, stocking might no longer held up by a belt but were instead tied tied through holes sewn in the shirt which at the time was referred to as a doublet. There might also be jerkins which had lacings attached to the waist of the hose.







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Created: 12:34 AM 2/4/2007
Last updated: 12:34 AM 2/4/2007