\section{Underwear}
\label{sec:two}

Clothing in the High Middle Ages relied on several layers
to achieve the correct "fashionable profile".
The subsidiary aim of much clothing was also to display
the wealth and power of the wearer, creating a situation
where the purely functional nature of clothing is subsumed 
in costly display. Evidence of this lies in the huge
expanses of rich cloth consumed by hanging sleeves and
deep pleated overtunics, for which there is no
functional necessity.

The discussion presented here works its way from the
inner to outer layers, since a major thesis of this
work is that the final stylistic effect of the suit
depends upon all the underlying components.
Full shirts of a fine fabrics bulk out doublets 
at the breast and give fullness to jacket arms.
The doublet that lies over the shirt quite likely
also padded at the front or stiffened with quilted
interlining.

Hose provide a durable and rich leg covering that
shows off the well shaped leg, and contributes to 
the fashionable elongation of the body seen
in female dress and accentuated by tall head-dresses.
This fashion was not limited to art and clothing
extending as it did into architecture and sculpture.

The basic body shape produced by the combination of
underclothing and the tight doublet (or pourpoint)
provided in turn a foundation for the overtunic;
a deeply pleated full garment, gathered at the waist
and often displaying bag or hanging sleeves.
These rich over garments appear to have been an accepted
means to display wealth, enhancing the social image
of the wearer.

\subsection{Breech clouts}

\subsubsection{Material}

Material used for underclothes
is uniformly white in colour, or a very pale
colour. This would be consistent with varying qualities of
linen cloth. Some draperies are fine light gauze like cloth,
but the most common type of shorts appear to be quite
strongly built, and constructed from a dense weave linen cloth.

The best examples of such clothing in detail are pictures of
the martydom of Christ, and St Sebastian; where in both cases
the subject of the painting is generally depicted semi-nude\footnote{
Refer to Cardini\cite[pages 92 and 93]{Card92}
Antonello da Messina, San Sebastiano (1475-76), Gem\"{a}ldgalerie, Dresden
and Crocifissione, Mus\'{e}e des Beaux Arts, Antwerp. which both show
a tight fitting form of shorts with a centre seam and 
fastened at the waist by a threaded tie that passes through a
tubular waist seam. Another similar article is shown 
in Bartolomeo Vivarini, Trittico di San Martino (San Giovanni Battista,
San Martino e il povero e San Sebastiano) in the
central panel depicting St Martin dividing his 
cloak with the beggar\cite[See page 106]{Card92}.}.

\subsubsection{Form and Function}

The function of the breech clout was probably principally
one of hygene as well as cultural aesthetics.
The practical advantage being 
that one's outer clothes are protected from soiling to a large
extent. This is important where over clothes are made of
materials such as silk brocades that are typically relatively
hard to clean. 

In contrast a simple undergarment of linen that can be
easily washed and bleached in the sun provides a convenient
basis for ensuring comfort and cleanliness while reducing
the wear and tear on the expensive fabrics often
used in outer clothing.

Crotch coverings in artistic works range from breech clouts
which are composed of folded lengths of cloth 
to quite sophisticated tight fitting trousers (shorts)\footnote{
Support for this view lies in many paintings of the period.
However, paintings of Biblical subjects may not be representative
of actual practical clothing, since these works often include
fantasy elements. A counter example to the thesis that
folded cloth was an artistic convention is to be found
in a minature of Jean Fouquet, Martydom 
of Santa Appolionias\cite[see page 107]{Card92}}. 

\subsubsection{Cut and Construction}

Since my research has not revealed any extant underclothes
used to cover the genitalia comments on the cut and construction
are informed speculation based on evidence in art works of the
period.
In some pictures substantial detail is given, and this
lends some weight to the idea that the painter is depicting
a real item of clothing. 

Draperies are often depicted in paintings that 
deal with mythical occurences or Biblical events.
The relationship of these items to social realities
is difficult to determine, since the inclusion of fantastic
clothing and details in such paintings is well known\footnote{
For an introduction to this area see Pipponier\cite{Pipo95}
chapter 1, which gives an overview of some key issues that
should be borne in mind when interpreting High Mediaeval and 
Rennaissance art.}.

\subsection{Shirts}

\subsubsection{Material}

The material used in shirts is likely similar to that 
already mentioned for breech clouts. All available evidence
points to linen cloth of varying level of quality for
nobility with perhaps some silk.
Lower classes were probably restricted to hemp cloth\footnote{
See Birbari page 32 and Pipponier page 31 first paragraph
in relation to threads, and page 43.}.
The extant shirts from the mediaeval period include
the Shirt of St. Louis (Paris), Sture Shirts (Uppsala, Sweden).
As far as I am aware all extant examples are made from either
linen or silk which is consistent with the presumption 
of ownership by people of an elevated station in life.

\subsubsection{Form and Function}

Shirts were an indespensable item of dress, and are always
present even when very poor people are depicted.
Shirts were obviously washed regularly and hung up to
dry on poles\footnote{As is evident from the washing hanging
to dry in the background of Carpaccio, Miracle of the True Cross,
Academia Venice reproductions of which are found in Birbari
as Figures 14 A and B, as well as Figure 15}.

Fullness and construction details appear to vary\footnote{
A discussion of Italian shirts of the period is given in
Birbari pages xxx to yyy. Art works that provide significant
insights for Italian fashions are presented there in Figures
12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, and 23.} however the basic function
and shirt form remains constant throughout the 15th and
even into the 16th century.

It appears from examination of surviving examples and the
associated pictorial record in the art of the period that 
shirts were very simple in form, consisting of essentially
three rectangles of material one forming the body and
one each for the arms. To allow additional fullness at
the armhole a square gusset was often inserted\footnote{
For a discussion in Birbari see page . Pictures that appear
to show such a construction include Piero della Francesca, Carrying
of the Sacred Wood, San Francessca, Arezzo, Milano where we see full shirts
decending to mid thigh with a side slit up to the waist.
These shirts have open neck holes and no collar. Another 
valuable picture is Signorelli, Figures in a Landscape, Toledo Museum of 
Art, Ohio, USA. Where a male figure is shown in the action of
removing his shirt. The proportions of the figure allow an
accurate estimate of the circumference of the lower edge of
the shirt to be obtained. In contrast to the shirts
in Piero della Francesca's work no side slit is visible.
Since the dates of these works are very similar it could
be proposed that multiple styles of shirt existed concurrently.
It is also possible that stylistic differences are class related
however this assertion is harder to sustain.
Side slits were present in France by the mid fifteenth century,
such shirts (with deep V-necks) are clearly shown
in an illumination by Colin de Amiens in Pietro de Crescenzi,
{\em Livre des Profits champ\^{e}tres}, Muse\'{e}e Cond\'{e}
Chantilly, MS 340(603),f. 207}.

\subsubsection{Cut and Construction}

Birbari concludes from artistic evidence as well as extant
items that shirts in Italy can be divided into roughly two major
categories; narrow shirts reaching to the low to mid thigh and
with a slit up to around waist height at the sides 
and wider or fuller shirts that had no side slit and 
probably reached no lower than the mid-thigh\footnote{The full
discussion can be found on pages 30 to 36. Pipponier\cite{Pipo95}
also supports this general conclusion page 66, commenting
"Shirts, which were invisible until the mid-fifteenth 
century, varied only in the quality of the fabric used, 
usually fine linen." in her discussion on masculine 
garment shapes.}.

Collars for shirts on the other hand appear to vary widely.
It seems that a wide range of styles existed almost
concurrently. I have not attempted an analysis of styles
on the basis of geography or time period, however such a
study might reveal interesting data.

Despite variations it is clear that a shirt of some type
was indespensable, with richer people using finer and
more light weight fabrics in general and often having
a fuller cut shirt than their poorer counterparts.
A wide choice of neck openings are possible, the
most common alternatives being a large opening that is gathered
into the tighter neck of the doublet, and some type
of gathering into a collar band\footnote{Sometimes this
band is elongated to allow the ends to be tied together
to close the shirt. See for example Piero di Cosimo,
Guiliano da San Gallo (portrait), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
(Birbari Fig. 22), and }.
