The Marches look and feel

Wassail, the harvest festival

Overview

The Marches draws strongly on English history from the 12th century through to the War of the Roses for costume, weaponry and armour.

The costume of the Marches has a 'solidity' to it, a worn, lived-in look that contrasts with its neighbour Dawn's high romance, gleaming plate and vivid hues. The Marches is Kenneth Brannagh’s Henry V rather than Laurence Olivier’s.

Also see Marches costumes and Marches icons and artistry.

We strive to treat the mud with care with lots of muck and tilling.
And it repays us thousandfold: That’s why its so fulfilling.
And when the day is over, we’ll drink a glass or more,
to Marcher mud - its in our blood, ingrained in every pore.
We’re down to earth, down and dirty: Digging for victory.

Image by Beth Dooner

Breakdown

Feel

Gritty, solid, practical, traditional, mud, blood, green fields, rural, iron.

Influences

Wars of the Roses England, Rangers of Ithilien (Beaters), Cadfael (Monks and Landskeepers).

Materials

Wool, calico, linen, leather.

Colours

Plain flat colours, mostly the soft colours of natural dyes or unbleached cloth. The palette is autumnal suggesting natural dull blues, greys, browns/ rusts, mustards and greens, dull reds etc. especially at the lower end of the social scale. Wealthier Marchers may use deeper, brighter shades.

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Clothing

Marchers favour plain clothes, simple hoods, hose and shirts. Wealthier characters might wear finer robes, cotehardies or a simple doublet, but even then plain wool or heavy linen will be more appropriate than fancy patterns or embroidery. Medieval re-enactments are a great source of inspiration for the look and feel of the Marches territories - although unlike history, its worth noting that Marches society is gender neutral.

Marcher leg wear is practical and slim fitting. Close fitting trousers are practical and easy to come by or make. Hose, either joined or split, are worn with braies and a long shirt. An extremely simple untailored cut for shirts fits the Marches very well: Full in the body and sleeve, possibly gathered at neck and wrist.

Doublets are popular in the Marches, a snug-fitting buttoned jacket that is shaped and fitted to the body. It can be worn over the shirt or under another layer of clothing. They tend to be short and simple – fancy slash work doesn't really fit the Marchers practical approach.

A woollen or heavy linen overdress such as a kirtle or cotehardie over a shirt is be a good alternative to shirts and hose. The look is long, lean and smooth and laced to fit. Back lacing shows higher status and gives a better line. Side lacing is more common. It would be rare to see a gathered skirt (common to Tudor kirtles) in the Marches.

Headwear is frequently worn, either a simple cap, or something like a hood and liripipe or chaperon.

Marchers have no pockets, so a pouch is invaluable – bollock or kidney pouches or leather bags are perfect. Belts are often very long, wrapped round, looped at the front and left to dangle.

The typical clothing of both male and femals monks and friars consists of a traditional plain monk's habit.

The Marches march out through the sentinel gate

Image by Judith Taylor

Weaponry

The classic Marcher fighting unit is a block of assorted polearms recruited from the yeomanry. Prosperous marchers often wear plate and wield great swords, poleaxes or hammers, shattering gaps open for the billfolk to exploit.

Bows, in particular longbows, are also a common sight among the Marchers units on the battlefield.

Armour

Padded gambesons or leather jacks are common for the poor, with a harness of plate for richer individuals. Households often wear matching livery coats, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote affiliation. Jack chains over a gambeson are ideal for a Marcher yeoman.

Weapons

Bows are common. In hand-to-hand combat Marchers favour bills and other pole-arms. Two handed swords are common for richer characters in heavier armour, as well as warhammers, maces or poleaxes. Any historical weapons from the Hundred Years War and the War of the Roses are typical: poleaxes, bills and other polearms are iconic; warhammers, bollock daggers, axes, falchions, mauls, and improvised weapons based on farm equipment are all carried by some.

Shields

Large shields are much less common than in other nations; shield-walls are seen as a tactic best left behind in Dawn. Marchers who have a good reason not to use a pole-arm or a great sword, such as martial Landskeepers fearing arrows, or skirmish groups protecting the flanks will often use a small buckler to go alongside their weapon of choice.

Marcher household

A prosperous Marcher household will wear often wear matching livery coats, although simple sashes or badges are also used to denote affiliation. Padded jacks are common for the poor with a plain harness of plate for wealthier individuals.

Yeomen

Poor Yeomen may wear just a plain coloured jack or padded gambeson as their only armour. Wealthier Yeomen usually have livery coats in their Household colours and mail or plate over the top if they have it.

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Stewards

The head of a household, a steward, may wear richer colours, but most likely in home grown wool not rarer silk. Wealthy Marchers are often seen in full harness of plate in battle.

Film: Ironclad

Film: Ironclad

Film: Snow White and the Huntsman

Beaters

Beaters are skilled trackers and gamekeepers. They watch the borders of the Marches. They are inspired by the classic British archers of the period mixed with the Rangers of Ithilien from Lord of the Rings. Beaters usually wear lighter armour, either just a padded or leather jack or else a leather tunic like the ones worn by the Rangers in Lord of the Rings.

William Bragg of the Boundarymen (Andrew Daybell)

Morgan Archer (Judith Ressler)

Aldermen and Townsfolk

Many aldermen take great pride in their ceremonial chains of office, sometimes referred to as "Chains of Prosperity". Some go so far as to commission them as magical items, such as an Alderman's Edge.

Monks and Friars

Both male and female monks and friars wear traditional plain monk's habit either in dark colours, or white with a dark scapular. A simple brown cassock works well but it might also be seen in black or grey. A more complex arrangement with dark scapular over white undergarments is also a popular choice.

A chasuble or cowl is often worn over the habit, in particular during the cold seasons.

Landskeepers

Some landskeepers wear robes, similar to the monk, but a jerkin, shirt and hose, with rolled-up sleeves is just as good an alternative. A landskeeper is well used to hard work in the fields and their look reflects that.

Marcher children

Costume by Cloak'd and Dagger'd

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Things you're unlikely to see

• Don't expect 'bling' in the Marches, even the wealthy are likely to be subtle - with wealth displayed in linings and button detail, not slashed sleeves, full gathered fabrics, or rich embroidery or brocade.
• You won't find anyone worrying about hand stitching, whether that coat is too long for 1389 or what your underwear is made of. The Marches is a historically inspired culture, not a historically accurate one.
• There are no modesty guidelines in the Marches and gender roles don't follow the historical pattern - long skirts and laced dresses are a choice made by some not an expectation of all.