Jackets, Jerkins & Vests

Jackets, jerkins and vests make people! Or: all comes down to the outer layer!

Jackets

Under the term "jacket", of there are countless different types of clothing and the definition of a jacket is not quite clear, especially not in the medieval or fantasy area. The boundaries between jackets, jerkins oder coats are blurred. Basically, however, it can be said that jackets are rarely longer than hip-length, can be closed at the front and are usually worn as a 2nd or 3rd layer of clothing, i.e. do not lie on the skin. For us a jacket is a relatively modern piece of clothing that has developed from the doublet or jerkin and we associate it less, for example, with the Middle Ages than with modern times. We have many examples of jackets that appear in our hobby: Uniform jackets from the American Civil War, sailor jackets for pirates and respectable sailors, or even clothes with hints of steampunk, gaslight or gothic.

Jerkins

Originally, a jerkin was the padded undergarment of knights and other warriors. Nowadays we use terms like gambeson or aketon for these garments to avoid misunderstandings. Among other things, a jerkin is characterised by its close fit to the body and, like the above-mentioned jackets, it is always the 2nd or 3rd layer of clothing. Also, jerkins were often made of sturdy material and especially in the early modern period, also often made of leather. A decent leather jerkin suits characters like musketeers or pirates particularly well. We understand by a jerkin not only a jacket-like clothing with sleeves, but also sleeveless ones with e.g. side lacing. Historically, jerkins were common in fashion from the 15th to the 17th century in various variations until they were replaced by long vests in the Baroque period.

Waistcoats and vests

Since what we at Andracor understand by a vest is pretty much the same as what modern people would understand by a vest without any particular historical understanding. A sleeveless garment that fits tightly when closed, but is often worn open. Usually as a second layer of clothing. The length of a vest can vary, between very short, often oriental and knee-length specimens. The vest is especially present in quite modern settings, thus rather the baroque, rococo or also steampunk, or gothic.