09-04-2012, 10:41 PM
Hi there!
In our group, a few of us are going to make new, customised tunics (not flames and neonlighting, but in size and clavi/orbiculi
). I've read through RAT's every little tidbit about tunics, but there are still a few questions, in which I need your opinions. I will highlight these.
So, to begin, fabric: we've found very nice 100% linen and wool also. We need strong materials (as we frequently take place in battles, where we get pulled with a rope by horses for example), but still light, so it won't be a sauna in the summer (this one was especially hot, imagine me in helm/musculata/subarmalis out in the sun with like 40°C). I personally prefer a linen cloth I've found, it's 240 cm across, so I can make the tunic from one piece. But one thing remains: are the fabric's looks important? I mean if we look closely, on some fabrics we see, that it has a crude, archaic pattern, on some you see the modern technology's hand.
Colour: I've seen nice red and green tunics on mosaics, and I also like a bleached white with red fittings. I have two questions: Do red and green base colours make nice tunics? Also is bleached white acceptable for a centurion in the late 4th century? I've read bleached white was a Scholae Palatinae thing then.
Fittings: We have collected an enormous amount of clavi and orbiculi. For practical purposes, we would put the embroidery on a piece of wool, (or felt?), than sew this thing onto the tunic. So the backside will be protected, and it will be nicer I think. Is this acceptable by western reenactment standards?
Thanks for your opinions, hope to get back to you in the fall, when we actually do this.
Mark
In our group, a few of us are going to make new, customised tunics (not flames and neonlighting, but in size and clavi/orbiculi
). I've read through RAT's every little tidbit about tunics, but there are still a few questions, in which I need your opinions. I will highlight these.So, to begin, fabric: we've found very nice 100% linen and wool also. We need strong materials (as we frequently take place in battles, where we get pulled with a rope by horses for example), but still light, so it won't be a sauna in the summer (this one was especially hot, imagine me in helm/musculata/subarmalis out in the sun with like 40°C). I personally prefer a linen cloth I've found, it's 240 cm across, so I can make the tunic from one piece. But one thing remains: are the fabric's looks important? I mean if we look closely, on some fabrics we see, that it has a crude, archaic pattern, on some you see the modern technology's hand.
Colour: I've seen nice red and green tunics on mosaics, and I also like a bleached white with red fittings. I have two questions: Do red and green base colours make nice tunics? Also is bleached white acceptable for a centurion in the late 4th century? I've read bleached white was a Scholae Palatinae thing then.
Fittings: We have collected an enormous amount of clavi and orbiculi. For practical purposes, we would put the embroidery on a piece of wool, (or felt?), than sew this thing onto the tunic. So the backside will be protected, and it will be nicer I think. Is this acceptable by western reenactment standards?
Thanks for your opinions, hope to get back to you in the fall, when we actually do this.
Mark
Mark - Legio Leonum Valentiniani
