Men's belts, purses and pouches
Belts were generally 2 to 5 cm wide. They were made with buckles and strap ends, and often worn knotted as shown.
14th century pouches. Top Closed, with a tie. Bottom With a buckle, and a more pronounced 'kidney' shape; shown open. The front is a separate piece of leather attached to the back and flap. The pouch had two loops to fit it on the belt, with a dagger sometimes stuck in the gap.
Simple moneybag to be carried inside the pouch, stitched on the wrong side from a folded piece of leather.
15th century purses with elaborate metal frames, as worn by merchants and gentlemen. Top Round shape, used for most of the century. Bottom Rectangular shape on bar mount, from about 1460. For clarity, these two are shown without the drawstring closures or hinged lids seen on some examples.
The purse itself is a square velvet bag folded at the base, stitched up the sides and gathered onto the frame. Some examples have three tassels across the base.
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Women's belts are less often seen on contemporary illustrations. They were more likely to be worn beneath the outer garment, hiding a suspended purse (Kirtles, Fig 1), or were hidden by skirts raised for walking and pouched over them. With the arrival of the gown in the late 14th century the belt became a feature of women's fashion. Nothing was hung from this belt: the lady either had somebody to carry her purse, or wore another belt under her gown.
Materials and fittings
Most belt straps were of leather, or tablet-woven linen, worsted or silk. Belts for everyday wear were generally narrow, 2-5 cm wide at the most. A
modern plain leather belt is suitable, but good reproductions are also available. Tablet-woven bands need to be finished with a tag end and a buckle plate to enclose the ends and prevent them fraying. Some ladies' wide belts of the 15th century may have used embroidered material on a stiff backing.
Replicas of belt buckles, tag ends and decorative mounts from archaeological digs are available from traders. Metal tag ends were used on leather as well as textile belts. Buckles were often made with a hinged buckle plate to enclose the strap end. As well as the end fittings, studs and metal plaques were often riveted along the length of the strap for decoration.
Women's belts and purses
Most women wore narrow belts similar to those worn by men; those shown here are examples of the more elaborate styles worn by wealthier women.
Wide belt, second half of 15th century. The strap could be tablet-woven silk, or embroidered material mounted on a stiff backing, and long enough to reach the ground. The buckle is often worn out of sight at the back, showing the decorated strap at the front, and is made with a hinged plate enclosing the end of the strap.
Slim belt, seen on some fitted gowns after 1475. The leather strap ends in fine chains, one with a hook and one with a pendant.
Popular early Tudor belt. The fittings are large and heavy, and the strap is threaded across the buckle; the belt is often decorated with a repeating design.
Simple drawstring purse, common throughout the period. It is lined for strength and has three tassels across the base. The purse hangs at about knee level from a belt; the drawstrings and hanging cord can be ordinary rayon cord or a round braid.
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Gloves and mittens
Men and women of importance wore (or carried) gloves for outdoor occasions. Fine gloves were a sign of wealth and rank, while heavy-duty gloves or mittens were for outdoor workers.
Modern glove patterns are supplied by some leather merchants, but require a high standard of cutting and sewing. With ready made gloves look for a light natural colour rather than brown, or get them dyed to match your outfit.
Working mittens are not difficult to make (Fig 3). Use hide or sheepskin in a natural colour.
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