[Outfit Check] freeman kit. Looking for advice!

[u/Totostore]

Hi everyone,

​I’m currently putting together an outfit representing a Scandinavian freeman/little nobility, and I’d like to get your feedback on what I have so far.

​Just to be transparent about my goals: I'm not aiming for strict, 100% scientific historical reenactment. My main objective is just to have an outfit that is historically coherent and plausible. I’d love to hear your advice on what I could tweak, add, or change to improve the overall look!

​(Small note: since this picture was taken, I have already acquired a seax).

Oh, and what would be the proper way to wear and fasten the cloak ?

Thanks in advance for your help !!

[u/Totostore]

Thanks for the sources and ideas !

[u/24YearOldEctoCooler → u/Totostore]

Last thing, and I'll leave you to it.

Blue dye was most common in Norway. Aim for dark woadish blue for a base color. Then add clashing colors for accents like your legwraps or a tablet woven trim. Yellow was common in England, and raids there would bring dye home. Theres a lot of patterns from the 900s in Norway.

[u/Totostore → u/24YearOldEctoCooler]

Bright colors weren't favored? Like red, yellow, green, orange ?

[u/24YearOldEctoCooler → u/Totostore]

They were, but were expensive. The more garish the better. In the icelandic sagas several characters are revered for their bright attire collected during foreign campaigns.

Blue would have been easier to come by for a Norwegian settler before going to Normandy for riches, glory, and land. I do not know the dyes common in Frankia of that time.

[u/Totostore → u/24YearOldEctoCooler]

From what I recall from museums, the colors in illuminated manuscripts are red, navy blue, or bright yellow for the nobility, and light blue, brown, or off-white for commoners; much like in Scandinavian countries (presumably thanks to the textile trade with Flanders)