How to Make Joined Hose
Taciunum Sanitatis of Paris, Albucasis, 93v.
Late 14th Century joined hose.
The Garment:
By the end of the 14th century, medieval fashion had changed enough that split hose were no longer sufficient in all circumstances. Something new was needed, and that was joined hose. Although split hose were still widely used, the most fashionable outfits and styles demanded joined hose.
If you are making an outfit where you will be wearing a doublet or pourpoint without any additional layers, or where are wearing a short gown that might expose split hose, you will likely want a pair of joined hose.
I say as a caveat that there is artwork showing people wearing short dress and still wearing the transitional 14th century hose that points to the doublet. Although this would be perfectly period appropriate, it did create quite the uproar as discussed in Attitudes Toward Medieval Fashion Change. Thus, consider covering your exposed braies with a fine pair of joined hose.
Joined hose typically had nine pairs of eyelets to point to the doublet, with the ninth at the very back of the hose. You should also expect to have a non-padded codpiece that either is tied in place with the front sets of points or has its own lacing to tie in place.
It was not uncommon for men to untie certain points when engaged in vigorous activity because the hose would pull on the doublet and make bending and other movements difficult if the hose were attached all around the leg. However, when attached, it would give a very smooth effect. In addition, the hose attaching to the doublet would not only keep the hose up, but would help keep the doublet in place. This was important as the doublet was often used as a foundational garment to give the wearer the stylish outline of the day.
For women, the hose did not change in form in the 14th century. They continued to be worn to the upper calf and kept in place with a garter of leather, ribbon, or cord.
By the end of the 14th century, medieval fashion had changed enough that split hose were no longer sufficient in all circumstances. Something new was needed, and that was joined hose. Although split hose were still widely used, the most fashionable outfits and styles demanded joined hose.
If you are making an outfit where you will be wearing a doublet or pourpoint without any additional layers, or where are wearing a short gown that might expose split hose, you will likely want a pair of joined hose.
I say as a caveat that there is artwork showing people wearing short dress and still wearing the transitional 14th century hose that points to the doublet. Although this would be perfectly period appropriate, it did create quite the uproar as discussed in Attitudes Toward Medieval Fashion Change. Thus, consider covering your exposed braies with a fine pair of joined hose.
Joined hose typically had nine pairs of eyelets to point to the doublet, with the ninth at the very back of the hose. You should also expect to have a non-padded codpiece that either is tied in place with the front sets of points or has its own lacing to tie in place.
It was not uncommon for men to untie certain points when engaged in vigorous activity because the hose would pull on the doublet and make bending and other movements difficult if the hose were attached all around the leg. However, when attached, it would give a very smooth effect. In addition, the hose attaching to the doublet would not only keep the hose up, but would help keep the doublet in place. This was important as the doublet was often used as a foundational garment to give the wearer the stylish outline of the day.
For women, the hose did not change in form in the 14th century. They continued to be worn to the upper calf and kept in place with a garter of leather, ribbon, or cord.
L' Instruction des Jeunes, Politique, Ethique et Economique, Aristote; Paris BnF, Dpeartement des Manuscrits, Fanscais 22500, Fol. 248
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L' Instruction des Jeunes, Politique, Ethique et Economique, Aristote; Paris BnF, Dpeartement des Manuscrits, Fanscais 22500, Fol. 248
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The Fabric:
The fabric for hose can be a little tricky. Although linen can work for split hose, I would avoid it for joined hose because linen can be unforgiving and it will never have as much stretch as wool. I recommend using wool in a twill weave.
It is also important that you find fabric with bias stretch. Denver Fabrics has been a good source for this because they sell affordable wool fabric and they note whether it has a bias stretch or not. I have ordered from them a few times and always been pleased. For the joined hose, I got a tropical weight twill weave wool/poly blend.
The Pattern:
You will need to make your own pattern by making a toile. Making the hose requires the use of a toile, which is a draft version of the garment made of thin, cheap fabric. I have always used old bedsheets for my toiles. By making your own toile, you ensure a great fit and hose that follow the contours of your leg without sagging or bagginess.
The fabric for hose can be a little tricky. Although linen can work for split hose, I would avoid it for joined hose because linen can be unforgiving and it will never have as much stretch as wool. I recommend using wool in a twill weave.
It is also important that you find fabric with bias stretch. Denver Fabrics has been a good source for this because they sell affordable wool fabric and they note whether it has a bias stretch or not. I have ordered from them a few times and always been pleased. For the joined hose, I got a tropical weight twill weave wool/poly blend.
The Pattern:
You will need to make your own pattern by making a toile. Making the hose requires the use of a toile, which is a draft version of the garment made of thin, cheap fabric. I have always used old bedsheets for my toiles. By making your own toile, you ensure a great fit and hose that follow the contours of your leg without sagging or bagginess.
Front view of the toile.
Making a toile:
As a note, I give the directions for how to make the entire toile here, but I would highly recommend making split hose before trying to make joined hose. The extra difficulty in joining them together will be quite difficult if you have not at least had some experience making a toile for the hose and have an understanding of how the garment fits on the body.
A second thing to note is that I give directions for footed hose, but many period illuminations depict stirrup style hose, which can be easier to fit.
You will need an assistant for this step to help pin the toile in place. To make a toile, cut the sheeting in a rectangle that reaches from your waist to drape over one leg down to your foot. Make sure that you can easily wrap the toile around your leg with some excess.
Pin the toile to your shirt around the natural waist to keep it securely in place during the fitting.
Next, with your assistant behind you, start just above the knee and pull the fabric around the leg so the fabric joins behind the leg in the middle. Pin the fabric in place and continue to do this up the thigh. Try to place a pin every few inches, following the contours of the leg as your assistant pins up the leg. Make sure you can flex and bend your leg with the pins in. If you can’t, it will be too tight.
Put the pins in parallel to the fabric.
You don’t need to get the thighs perfect at this stage, just generally pin the contours of the leg in place.
As you pin up the leg, you will reach the buttock. Stop there for now.
The fabric in the front should start pulling under the crotch and through to the back of the leg. It will be far too bulky, but for now, just try to smoothing it out across the buttock and join it up with the center seam at the back. You are trying to form a continuous center seam up the back of the leg. To get it to work under the leg, you will have to trim away the excess bulkiness down there. But for now, just leave it.
Now, work on getting the fabric on the outside of the hip to be smooth and to have a nice straight seam down the back of the leg. You can get the outside of the hip fairly nice at this point.
Next start pinning down the knee and work toward the calf. The calf and ankle can be tricky because slipping the foot in and out will take some finesse to get the calf tight but still have enough room for the heel to slip through. Therefore, don’t get too tight around the ankle especially. This may take some testing and trial and error to get just right.
As a note, I give the directions for how to make the entire toile here, but I would highly recommend making split hose before trying to make joined hose. The extra difficulty in joining them together will be quite difficult if you have not at least had some experience making a toile for the hose and have an understanding of how the garment fits on the body.
A second thing to note is that I give directions for footed hose, but many period illuminations depict stirrup style hose, which can be easier to fit.
You will need an assistant for this step to help pin the toile in place. To make a toile, cut the sheeting in a rectangle that reaches from your waist to drape over one leg down to your foot. Make sure that you can easily wrap the toile around your leg with some excess.
Pin the toile to your shirt around the natural waist to keep it securely in place during the fitting.
Next, with your assistant behind you, start just above the knee and pull the fabric around the leg so the fabric joins behind the leg in the middle. Pin the fabric in place and continue to do this up the thigh. Try to place a pin every few inches, following the contours of the leg as your assistant pins up the leg. Make sure you can flex and bend your leg with the pins in. If you can’t, it will be too tight.
Put the pins in parallel to the fabric.
You don’t need to get the thighs perfect at this stage, just generally pin the contours of the leg in place.
As you pin up the leg, you will reach the buttock. Stop there for now.
The fabric in the front should start pulling under the crotch and through to the back of the leg. It will be far too bulky, but for now, just try to smoothing it out across the buttock and join it up with the center seam at the back. You are trying to form a continuous center seam up the back of the leg. To get it to work under the leg, you will have to trim away the excess bulkiness down there. But for now, just leave it.
Now, work on getting the fabric on the outside of the hip to be smooth and to have a nice straight seam down the back of the leg. You can get the outside of the hip fairly nice at this point.
Next start pinning down the knee and work toward the calf. The calf and ankle can be tricky because slipping the foot in and out will take some finesse to get the calf tight but still have enough room for the heel to slip through. Therefore, don’t get too tight around the ankle especially. This may take some testing and trial and error to get just right.
The general shape and proportions your final toile will look like laid out flat.
Once the calf and ankle are pinned in place, let the remaining fabric fall over the foot. Gather some under the heel and mark where the fabric meets the ground. Over the ankles, cut a slash from the ground to the ankle
You should have a preliminary shape to start working with. It will not be ready at all around the butt or hips, but that's ok.
Using the basic shape you just made, use a marker on the pin points to create a line down the back seam. Also use a marker to mark the excess fabric between your legs. You want to keep the excess that is covering your lower stomach, but will want to remove excess between the legs or in front of the crotch. You will be adding a gusset here later.
Carefully take the toile off and use a basting stitch along the marker lines. Then, cut sparingly around where you marked with the pen under the leg. Try the hose on and see if you need to cut a littler more.
The picture shows the general shape you are looking for. The cutout portion is the part that will be under your leg and that wraps under toward the back seam.
Be prepared for lots of trying on, pinning, and adjusting until you get something that fits well.
Once you have a leg that fits well, undo the basting stitching and cut a second leg. Sew them both up and cut a crotch gusset that will run under the crotch and meet at a point on the seat. You want to make sure you have freedom of movement and that the gusset does not pull too tight when bend or moving.
Now cut out a cod piece that will attach to the from of the crotch gusset. Cut it bigger than you expect it needs to be because the final piece will need to be lined and turned.
The finished toile should look something like the pictures below.
You should have a preliminary shape to start working with. It will not be ready at all around the butt or hips, but that's ok.
Using the basic shape you just made, use a marker on the pin points to create a line down the back seam. Also use a marker to mark the excess fabric between your legs. You want to keep the excess that is covering your lower stomach, but will want to remove excess between the legs or in front of the crotch. You will be adding a gusset here later.
Carefully take the toile off and use a basting stitch along the marker lines. Then, cut sparingly around where you marked with the pen under the leg. Try the hose on and see if you need to cut a littler more.
The picture shows the general shape you are looking for. The cutout portion is the part that will be under your leg and that wraps under toward the back seam.
Be prepared for lots of trying on, pinning, and adjusting until you get something that fits well.
Once you have a leg that fits well, undo the basting stitching and cut a second leg. Sew them both up and cut a crotch gusset that will run under the crotch and meet at a point on the seat. You want to make sure you have freedom of movement and that the gusset does not pull too tight when bend or moving.
Now cut out a cod piece that will attach to the from of the crotch gusset. Cut it bigger than you expect it needs to be because the final piece will need to be lined and turned.
The finished toile should look something like the pictures below.
The toile on my body.
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The finished toile with all elements sewn in for fitting.
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The toile ready to be used as the pattern on the fabric.
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The triple run seam for the leg seams. Each side of the seam allowance is laid flat and a running stitch tacks it down.
Making Up:
The First Thing to do is to make sure you are cutting along the bias of your fabric. I folded mine over diagonally and cut both layers at the same time.
After that, making up is fairly easy. You sew up the center line of the hose, set in the gores and sew the sole on. Use a triple run seam to hold the center seam down and keep it flat. This is needed to keep an even and clean seam on the back of the leg.
Sew the soles and ankle gussets in place. I doubled up the fabric for the sole, tacked those two layers together, and then sewed the sole onto the hose. It adds a little bulk, but it should help the foot last longer. I used a blanket stitch to finish the seam on the soles because I have experienced popped seams on the feet before and have found that blanket stitching the soles on keeps them securely in place.
Sew the crotch gusset in place. You can use a hem and fell stitch for the gusset and other internal seams.
Hold off on putting the codpiece in just yet.
The First Thing to do is to make sure you are cutting along the bias of your fabric. I folded mine over diagonally and cut both layers at the same time.
After that, making up is fairly easy. You sew up the center line of the hose, set in the gores and sew the sole on. Use a triple run seam to hold the center seam down and keep it flat. This is needed to keep an even and clean seam on the back of the leg.
Sew the soles and ankle gussets in place. I doubled up the fabric for the sole, tacked those two layers together, and then sewed the sole onto the hose. It adds a little bulk, but it should help the foot last longer. I used a blanket stitch to finish the seam on the soles because I have experienced popped seams on the feet before and have found that blanket stitching the soles on keeps them securely in place.
Sew the crotch gusset in place. You can use a hem and fell stitch for the gusset and other internal seams.
Hold off on putting the codpiece in just yet.
Setting in the crotch gusset.
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A good example of the ankle/calf fit following the contours of the leg.
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The foot with the sole pinned in place.
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The sole is sewn in and the ankle gusset is pinned in, ready to be sewn in place.
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The blanket stitching on the sole.
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the blanket stitching on the foot gusset.
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Depending on your fabric, you may or may not want to line the breech portion of the hose. My fabric was lightweight and needed the lining for longevity and to prevent tears. There are a few ways to put a lining in, but the way I chose was to insert a strip of lining about six inches below the top of the hose. I used the toil to cut the pattern and then pinned it in place.
Line the cod piece before sewing it in place. Flip it and set it in.
Next sew the lining in place, right sides together. Flip the lining. It will now be hanging free on the inside of the hose. I pressed the seams flat and top stitched in in place. Also be sure to top stitch the cod piece.
Next I pinned the loose part of the fabric evenly around the perimeter of the hose
Line the cod piece before sewing it in place. Flip it and set it in.
Next sew the lining in place, right sides together. Flip the lining. It will now be hanging free on the inside of the hose. I pressed the seams flat and top stitched in in place. Also be sure to top stitch the cod piece.
Next I pinned the loose part of the fabric evenly around the perimeter of the hose
The set in cod piece.
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The lining stitched in place before flipping.
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Half of the top stitching done. I pinned the bottom of the lining around the hose and then used a hemming stitch to stitch it in place. I was careful to make sure the stitching would only be minimally visible from the right side of the fabric.
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Determine how many points the hose will have for the doublet. It is best if you have a doublet that you can tie and fit to the hose before finishing and finalizing this step. Don’t guess and hope a theoretical future doublet will fit.
Make eyelets for each set of points and make sure that they will line up with the points on the doublet. I had my wife mark the points on the hose while I was wearing a doublet to make sure they were appropriately spaced. I made two eyelets for each point, as this seems to have been more common. The key thing here for fit is that the hose and the bottom of the doublet just meet. The points will give enough slack to tie to the hose and get them tightly in place. You need to strike the balance between holding the hose up and not restricting movement.
There is a bit of finesse to figuring out how to best point the hose because if you tie it in too tight, it won’t have any give for ease of movement. If it is too loose, things will fall down and won’t fit right.
Make eyelets for each set of points and make sure that they will line up with the points on the doublet. I had my wife mark the points on the hose while I was wearing a doublet to make sure they were appropriately spaced. I made two eyelets for each point, as this seems to have been more common. The key thing here for fit is that the hose and the bottom of the doublet just meet. The points will give enough slack to tie to the hose and get them tightly in place. You need to strike the balance between holding the hose up and not restricting movement.
There is a bit of finesse to figuring out how to best point the hose because if you tie it in too tight, it won’t have any give for ease of movement. If it is too loose, things will fall down and won’t fit right.
Closeup of two finished eyelets.
To make the eyelets:
Start by measuring where they will be placed and making sure you are consistent. Use your initial guide marks as a suggestion, not a final placement.
I placed them 1.5cm below the top of the hose and about 1.5 cm from center point to center point. The pairs of eyelets were about 3 cm wide together.
Use an awl to pierce the fabric.
Hold the garment with the outer side facing you. Then, using a thick buttonhole or topstitching thread, run the needle through the hole and up from the lining layer. Form a loop around the needle and pull it tight, taking care that the loop tightens up and forms the knot at the outside of the hole. If you try to make the knot form at the inside of the eyelet, it will be too cramped and get messy. By doing it this way, you are trying to create a perfect spiral all the way around.
Take care as you stitch evenly around the hole and fill in the hole with neat stitching. It may take some practice, but you will find a groove eventually. Take not in the pictures below how the stitching is spaced for an idea and what it should look like.
Start by measuring where they will be placed and making sure you are consistent. Use your initial guide marks as a suggestion, not a final placement.
I placed them 1.5cm below the top of the hose and about 1.5 cm from center point to center point. The pairs of eyelets were about 3 cm wide together.
Use an awl to pierce the fabric.
Hold the garment with the outer side facing you. Then, using a thick buttonhole or topstitching thread, run the needle through the hole and up from the lining layer. Form a loop around the needle and pull it tight, taking care that the loop tightens up and forms the knot at the outside of the hole. If you try to make the knot form at the inside of the eyelet, it will be too cramped and get messy. By doing it this way, you are trying to create a perfect spiral all the way around.
Take care as you stitch evenly around the hole and fill in the hole with neat stitching. It may take some practice, but you will find a groove eventually. Take not in the pictures below how the stitching is spaced for an idea and what it should look like.
Use an awl to pierce the fabric.
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Begin stitching around the hole.
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Form a loop around the needle and pull tight.
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Not the spacing of each new stitch, this final stitch shows the spacing well.
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The eyelets with the points running through them.
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The back side of the eyelet.
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Measurement from the top of the hose.
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Distance between the eyelets.
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I did something a little speculative with my joined hose. I made the top band wide enough in the front that it would overlap on either side. This overlap lets it pull tighter.
This means that I have ten sets of points. Nine points to the doublet, and one in the front that is its own tie and doesn't connect to the doublet at all. But, with the overlap in the front, the eyelets match up and the front most two points on the doublet go through two layers on the top band of the hose. This allowed a tighter fit and let me cinch the waist a bit better. Because of this, the hose stay up perfectly with only the middle tie and front two doublet points tied.
In addition to these points, I have two eyelets on the cod piece and one on each side of the hose in the pelvic area to tie the cod piece closed.
This means that I have ten sets of points. Nine points to the doublet, and one in the front that is its own tie and doesn't connect to the doublet at all. But, with the overlap in the front, the eyelets match up and the front most two points on the doublet go through two layers on the top band of the hose. This allowed a tighter fit and let me cinch the waist a bit better. Because of this, the hose stay up perfectly with only the middle tie and front two doublet points tied.
In addition to these points, I have two eyelets on the cod piece and one on each side of the hose in the pelvic area to tie the cod piece closed.
The hose with points tied. You can see the overlapping in the front where the overlap has an extra set of eyelets to point to the doublet.
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The finished hose.
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A front view. The points are high enough that they are not typically visible.
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With my arm raised, the doublet does not pull on the hose and the points don't restrict my movement.
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A rear/side view.
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That calf view.
Concluding Impressions:
This is my third pair of hose and first set of joined hose. There are a few fit issues that I can complain about, including one of the feet not fitting quite right. But they generally fit my body and don't fall down or pull in awkward ways.
I was very pleased about the range of movement I have in them. I can sit, bend down, and kneel well in them without tightness, yet the hose fit well and are not loose.
My biggest issue was that the back seam ended up going wonky at the buttock and doesn't flow straight up the body like I wanted it to. This is a minor issue and more aesthetic than anything else. Also, the cod piece is a little wonky, and not the greatest. However, because of how the front overlaps, the cod piece is only minimally visible. Finally, I used a very light weight fabric, and because of that, some of my poorly placed stitches hemming the bottom of the lining caused some puckering that would probably not be visible had I used a thicker fabric.
This was a garment that I never thought was within my capability. I'm glad I made it and proved myself wrong. I bought a relatively cheap wool blend fabric, but I would like to make a pair of joined hose out of 100% twill wool at some point where I can tweak some fit and finish issues. However, those issues that do exist are minor and probably not noticeable to most people.
This is my third pair of hose and first set of joined hose. There are a few fit issues that I can complain about, including one of the feet not fitting quite right. But they generally fit my body and don't fall down or pull in awkward ways.
I was very pleased about the range of movement I have in them. I can sit, bend down, and kneel well in them without tightness, yet the hose fit well and are not loose.
My biggest issue was that the back seam ended up going wonky at the buttock and doesn't flow straight up the body like I wanted it to. This is a minor issue and more aesthetic than anything else. Also, the cod piece is a little wonky, and not the greatest. However, because of how the front overlaps, the cod piece is only minimally visible. Finally, I used a very light weight fabric, and because of that, some of my poorly placed stitches hemming the bottom of the lining caused some puckering that would probably not be visible had I used a thicker fabric.
This was a garment that I never thought was within my capability. I'm glad I made it and proved myself wrong. I bought a relatively cheap wool blend fabric, but I would like to make a pair of joined hose out of 100% twill wool at some point where I can tweak some fit and finish issues. However, those issues that do exist are minor and probably not noticeable to most people.
