Early Anglo-Saxon people would have made their own clothes, for themselves and their immediate family. Trousers were the custom among male warriors of the Germanic tribes, from the Iron Age into the Early Medieval period. Considered ‘barbaric’ by the Romans at first contact with the Germanic tribes, trousers were adopted by the late Roman warrior and equestrian class.
The evidence for Anglo-Saxon trousers comes wholly in the form of art work and other pictorial depictions, in manuscripts and carvings and so on. No whole trousers have been found in burial contexts, as British soil types do not generally allow for preservation. Only small textile fragments have been found, which at least allows for identification of fabric type and weave. Wool twill weaves, and sometimes linen, are often for leg coverings.
Representations of Anglo-Saxon men in trousers depict close fitting to very tight trousers, tucked in to leather shoes or bound to the calf with textile leg wrappings. The closest archaeological find of a whole pair of trousers with a highly tailored pattern, both in date and location, are the Thorsberg trousers from Thorsberg moor, in present-day Germany.
The Thorsberg trousers were found with a whole range of Germanic weapon deposits and artefacts, preserved in the peaty, waterlogged earth of Thorsberg moor and are dated between the 2nd and 4th century, making it likely that these were worn by a Germanic tribal warrior or auxiliary during the Roman Iron Age or Migration period. The Thorsberg trousers are part of a group of similar, close-fitting patterns including the Thorsberg, Damendorf, Daetgen Mose and Marx-Etzel finds.
These trousers are based on the Thorsberg pattern; the closest whole pattern found in date and location to Early Anglo-Saxon culture. These trousers are an almost exact reconstruction, as I happen to have very similar leg measurements to the person that the original trousers were made for. The only exceptions to this are the fabric weave - the original trousers were made of a diamond twill, whereas these are a diagonal twill - and the fact that the originals included integrated feet or socks, whereas I chose to forego attached feet for my reconstruction.
The pattern consists of two leg pieces, which wrap around the leg, creating a single seam, a square seat piece, a tapered crotch insert, and a waistband with belt loops. The leg pieces each have one straight edge, and a shaped edge cut on the diagonal to tailored measurements. The patterns for the leg pieces are created by measuring the height of the leg, the circumference at ankle, calf, knee and thigh, and the distance between the front and back of the waistline around the crotch. Once these are tailored, the seat and crotch pieces can be cut to infill the space required, to the measurements on the leg pieces and the circumference of the waist.
The original Thorsberg trousers had an unusual seam, created by sewing together the pieces with their edges folded or already hemmed. This means the running stitch goes through four layers of fabric rather than two which gives extra strength and creates a seam which has some give, which combines well with the elasticity of the twill fabric and bias-cut pattern. I have tailored and made these trousers before and I was confident in my measurements, so I chose to hem all the pieces before sewing them together, for ease of sewing. The hems were overcast and the pieces were sewn together with the four layered seam, as per the original trousers.
Once the main trousers were sewn together, a waistband with eight belt loops was sewn on. From the ankle to the calf, the inseam was left unsewn as a split seam. Woolen ties were sewn and twisted to the edges of this seam area, so that the trousers could be tied up closely to the leg from ankle to calf. This allows for a very close-fitting lower leg, while still allowing the trousers to be put on easily.
The trousers are tied at the waist with a simple leather cord through the belt loops, and the waistband is wide enough to be folded over; which has been suggested as a feature of the original Thorsberg trousers. These trousers are comfortable and allow full-range of movement despite their closely tailored fit. This range of movement is important for a warrior, fighting and running on foot and on horseback. The close tailored fit may have been favoured by Germanic cultures to show off their athleticism and prowess in warrior culture which prized such ideals.
Special thanks to: Katrin Kania for “Die Hose von Thorsberg - win Meisterwerk eisenzeitlicher Schneiderkunst”.
If you would like to support me further, you can become a patron here:
/ gesithasgewissa
Join this channel to become a member:
/ @gesithasgewissa
Or make a one-off donation:
https://paypal.me/gesithasgewissa
/ gesithasgewissa
/ gesithasgewissa
Информация по комментариям в разработке