Padded Armour

[Dan Howard]

A "gambeson" is a standalone armour. It wasn't worn under armour. "Aketons" and "pourpoints" were worn under armour but there is a lot of argument on how early they appear. Until today I though the earliest mention was by Gerald of Wales but I've had someone tell me that a correct translation does not mention padding under mail at all. The phrase panno loricae does not refer to cloth armour but rather describes the "mail mesh" or "mail fabric". Here is the complete passage if someone here would attempt a translation.

Accidit et tempore Guillelmi de Breusa, ipso testante, quemdam militem suum, in conflictu contra (Gualenses?), a quodam ipsorum per mediam coxam, cum panno loricae ac ocreali ferro utrinque vestitam, sagitta percussum esse; eadem quoque sagitta per partem illam sellae, quae Alva vocatur, usque in ipsum equuum letaliter transpenetrante. Alia quoque sagitta militis alterius coxam, ferro similiter utrinque munitam cum panno loricae, usque in sellam perforavit. Et cum miles ille loris equum in gyrum flecteret, alia sagitta, eodem contorquente, in opposita coxa similem fetum suscepit, equo ab utraque parte firmiter affixus.

Regarding the wearing of something under mail, I agree that mail is ineffective and uncomfortable without some padding, but why would simple woollen clothing not be suitable? Regarding lorica hamata, is it possible that the leather border is a mechanism for attaching a padded liner to the inside? i.e. could the padding be integral rather than a separate garment?