#surcoat

Rosalind Preparing to Leave Duke Frederick's Palace

Artist: John Dawson Watson (British, 1832-1892)

Date: 1881

Medium: Oil on canvas

SUMMER KIRTLE

I am in love with the short sleeves

I haven't been tagged, but it's Wednesday and I have a lot of fiddly sewing and ironing to do and I'm hyping myself up.

The fashion layer of the back collar section of this surcoat. Black cotton velveteen, overdyed gray cotton voile (or lawn, maybe, don't remember), and green silk velvet for the center stripey bits.

Bringing a poll from my instagram here too: Bought pale green fabric to make the cross on my surcoat.

Technically, it is a Lazarite inspired tunic. I would've made it white if I had any extra white fabric, but I only had a dark green one. So in my mind it's like Lazarite sargeant lol. Will make white tunics eventually ofc. (+capes/cloaks to go along with them, with the cross sewn on the shoulder)

1 and 3 are inspired by one of the Hospitalier crosses. Some sources say st. Lazarus used Maltese type cross, like them, as is to be expected (both were Order of St. John). However, the one you see below is a more contemporary design. Back in Baldwin’s time it wouldn’t be so pointy, hence the design I drew in the choices up there, inspired by real art of hospitallers and from the reenactor mutuals I have on IG. My reasoning for the third one is based on the way Templars wore their crosses, upper left chest, over the heart, and smaller. Edit: the reenactors and historians on ig are voting for the third, just like I sorta expected they would! Lolll

Other sources state a simple Latin cross like the one in the middle. This is similar to the approach that the show Knightfall took. We all know how many fumbles that show has (I remember when it came out I was originally so excited. Soon it was obvious it was gonna be bad 💔). However, this is not necessarily an error just because this show used this cross, it doesn’t have to be discarded. It can still be taken into consideration—the sources for it are NOT this show lol This cross was common for crusaders in general, since it is easy and straightforward. Many artworks depict it for many figures. Sometimes, it is even bigger, stretching out longer in each direction (also on the shields, helms, etc). it is later than Baldwin’s time and not really associated to st. John, but my surcoat is just a trial one to practice so it doesn’t need to be the most historically accurate thing in the world. Thing is, I think we are too narrow with these aspects. Some sources say that the convention of sewn crosses was not actually that strict. Sure, there is a uniform, in most cases it needs to be respected and uniform. But that sometimes there were exceptions. There were knights who would sew their own clothing and if they did not have the greatest skills they would go for the easiest. That is my sole reasoning for this type of cross option. It is easy to cut and sew, and it is the basic cross shape, which even if the religious military orders might have not used it in general, could still be considered.

Yes, that’s Mark Hamill

This is a draft of a cross concept I made for Baldwin’s Royal Lazarite guards (I have some uniform/armor concepts for them and also for the unaffected royal guards/knights and the ones of the Tower of David, as well as Turcopoles in personal service, will share when ready), mixing the potent cross with the Maltese in replacement of the others in the Jerusalem cross. I have to make these into the more accurate versions. //the turcopoli will have various light armor types combined! light lamellar, light mail, and jerkins. Some wearing one thing and choosing not to wear another—due to personal preference or how light they wish to be. Aside from their bows and arrows, each will use a shortish sword of their preference (some a single-edged and curved one, others a double-edged one)

I am using my favorite, Gismond d’Arcy<3 as model for the royal lazarites.