Product description
The tradition of wearing a surcoat over armour began during the Crusades. Surcoats helped prevent overheating by shielding the armour from direct sunlight. They also provided ideal protection for the mail hauberk and later helped protect plate armour from corrosion and rust. Surcoats could even help protect knights from enemies. For example, there is a story of a knight being shot with arrows; the surcoat slowed the arrows, reducing their impact.
The surcoat features a slit, permitting the knight to employ it more easily for cavalry purposes. From the late 12th century, knights primarily wore long surcoats. By the mid-13th century, these garments were increasingly adorned with personal coats of arms and, in addition to knights, were sometimes worn by foot soldiers in their retinues. In the early 14th century, shorter surcoats became fashionable, and by the late 14th century, they were replaced by the jupont.
This surcoat from Marshal Historical is decorated with the Cross of the Templar Order. Crafted from coarse cotton, it closely resembles historical linen. A well-suited surcoat for medieval reenactment, Templar costumes, and LARP.
