Ladies Cotton Gambeson Vest "Dark Star"

Vest with leather straps

If you’re looking for a base layer of armor to get you started, a gambeson vest is a great place to start! It gives you a little bit of chest padding, looks fantastic, and is a great base layer to go under your armor once you begin to collect it. A lot of love has gone into this particular gambeson - here at ArmStreet we are all passionate sword fighters or medieval enthusiasts, so creating a female gambeson that is both functional and beautiful is something that has been at the top of our list for a while! The pattern for this garment has been completely adapted to fit the female body perfectly, emphasizing your curves and protecting you where it matters most.

This vest goes from your neck down to just below your hips and includes a high collar which is fantastic underneath a gorget or mail standard. The vest is entirely padded and quilted, with special attention to detail applied to the quilting to make sure it compliments your curves, bringing you in at the waist and flaring out again horizontally at your hips. We have added plenty of overlap in the gap in the middle of the gambeson to make sure you’re completely covered and have adapted the “skirt” part of it to fit your hips well and give you excellent coverage. We were very inspired by gambesons made in the XIV-XV century, which were flattering, nicely fitted, but still practical. Just to give some added utility, we have also included arming points on the shoulders, which is the perfect place to attach pauldrons.

We chose to make this vest out of cotton because it is reliable, strong and holds up really well to wear. Though it may not be as breathable as linen, it is still nice and breezy, but won’t deteriorate as quickly with armor rubbing. It is also available in many vibrant colors that will bring your costume to life. We have included contrasting edges on this gambeson to add another color the mix, including along the collar, down the middle, the sleeves, and the bottom of the gambeson. The straps up the middle are made out of quality embossed leather and have been stitched on to ensure they stand the test of time and serve you well in battle. They are secured with beautiful little medieval brass buckles which add a decorative element while still servicing a purpose.

While we love this vest, we know that it really reaches its potential when combined with our matching games arms, and highly recommend trying to mix and match to find the best possible combination for you!

To check how to measure yourself please click here.

Please contact us if you have any additional questions.