Experimental Pleated Subarmalis Construction

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

Hi All,

So first thing, these photos show a fairly experimental approach to constructing the officer's subarmalis that we see on the statues, sculptures, etc.

After studying photographs of the sculptures, I have found nothing to exclude the possibility of the subarmalis being (mainly) a pleated garment. In most images complete separation of pteruges (from end to hip) only seems to occur within the front 10 inches of the garment. The few images I have found of pteruges from the back show them hanging straight, looking very much like the box pleats on a kilt. One exception is the portrait of Hadrian (I think), which shows the garment splayed out like a fan since his knees are bent as he sits upon his horse. I think both kinds of pteruges can coexist in one garment if the separated ones are in the front apron while the rest (which wraps around the hips, back, and to the front again) remain connected. This might also help to understand better why we see so many layers of pteruges without the bulking of fabric that would happen if you were to sew three or four layers of individually constructed 'flaps' onto each other. Pleat construction easily handles the gradual tapering from hips to waist by taking up fabric in the hidden under pleats. If there is not enough slack to be taken up in the under pleats, the over pleats can overlap very much like what we see on the hips of Augustus (prima porta). The shoulder pteruges are another point I've tried to recreate, since just about every example I have found shows them going all the way around the arm like a sleeve does. Let me also say that I don't believe there was one and only one method of constructing these. Even following the steps I have taken, there is room for a *lot* of variation.

The construction is fairly simple. It just requires a lot of sewing along the pleat lines which must be drawn out before hand. The pleats which show on the outside of the garment are all 2 inches. Between each outer pleat is the inner pleat, which requires 3 5/8 inches. The inner pleat is not brought together when sewing so that the tapering in to the waistline doesn't bulk up. To make this garment I used a single 14 foot of 8-10oz 60" wide fabric. I know I won't win any points for it but I used cotton duck canvas because I got a deal on it and I didn't want to spend a bunch of money on expensive linen if I didn't even know if this would work :wink:

I should also mention that this is not finished. I plan to make a second garment which goes over this which will have another level of pteruges which come to mid-thigh (such as on the facilis stele). I'm not sure about the material yet or how it should be constructed. If you see some rough edges in the pictures below it's because I'm holding off on the fastening and edge finishing until I have the over layer worked out.

If any of you are wondering about the protective qualities, I'm not sure. I can say that the fabric is 8-10 ounces in weight and that the pleating causes there to be at least three layers on the back and sides. The front of course gets doubled over, so you wind up with six layers from the neckline to the hem and about 10 inches across (although the overlap can be made greater). The defensive quality of the pteruges is debatable I suppose.

I'll be happy to post a diagram of the pattern if anybody is interested. Meanwhile, I think the photos below can explain better what I'm trying to describe.

I realize this is a bit of a departure from the excellent subarmalis reconstructions I've seen from this group, so I'm hoping this sparks some good conversation. Let me know your thoughts guys!

--Kelsey

[attachment=909]Subarmalis-01.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=910]Subarmalis-03.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=911]Subarmalis-04.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=912]Subarmalis-07.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=913]Subarmalis-09.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=914]Subarmalis-15.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=915]Subarmalis-20.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=916]Subarmalis-27.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=917]Subarmalis-35.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment:10]Subarmalis - 40.jpg[/attachment]

[Astiryu1]

I believe this is a very good reconstruction. I am no expert in the subarmalis construction techniques of (subarmali ?)but think it a valid description of one. The piece looks like it would keep the wearer warm in the Northern climates at least! The diagram would be nice to have. I think with a friend's expertise at sewing I might have a shot at one of these fairly soon. Do you plan on adding any decoration and color; or keeping it as is?

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

Do you plan on adding any decoration and color; or keeping it as is?

Yes I think I would like to add a little something. I guess once I work out what material the shell should be then I'll decide

Here is the layout of the measurements by the way (I hesitate to call them patterns because there really isn't much cutting). I've exported two - one metric and one inches.

Note that these measurements are for 42" chest, 36" waist, 43" hips and I'm 5'7".

--Kelsey



[attachment=921]Pattern-Centimeters.jpg[/attachment]

[attachment=922]Pattern-Inches.jpg[/attachment]

[Lessa]

Centimeters.........

really thanks, i have always problems with inches, thumbs, and so on....!

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

Hehe I thought this would prompt a lot more comments :? lol:

[Marcus Mummius]

It's confusing

I like how the end result looks, but I would like to wear it for a while to see how it works

How long did it take you to make this?

[Astiryu1]

Experimental is in the Headline. There is no one that would fault you for that! I hope... :roll:

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

It's confusing

I like how the end result looks, but I would like to wear it for a while to see how it works

How long did it take you to make this?

I think it took me about a week. Lot's of sewing (I've gone through almost two 350 yard spools of thread!) on the pleats and kind of custom fitting the sleeves so there wouldn't be too much bulking around the shoulder/armpit area. It's pretty comfy actually and definitely feels like it gives some degree of protection.

Yeah, I think it looks more confusing than it actually is. It's really just like a linothorax pattern only instead of layering fabric flat onto itself it just folds pleats into itself every two inches. Here's a picture which might show it better:

[attachment=920]PleatingDiagram.jpg[/attachment]


The longest part I think was pulling out all the weft threads on the bottom 8.75 inches in order to twist the ends up into tassles. And again doing that for the pleats around the sleeves.

One could probably simplify the pattern by just sewing the pleats straight up instead of tapering around the waist, but I was afraid that would create a lot of bulk around the waistline as the fabric bunches up.

--Kelsey

[Astiryu1]

It looks great. The work you put in shows. The diagram reminds me of folding paper airplanes, is this incorrect?

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

Correction on my previous post. The splayed pteruges belonged to Marcus Aurelius, shown here[url:1xqs9021]http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bkh/rome/images/5-21/521-3_420%20Marcus%20Aurelius%20Relief%20-%20Foreign%20embassy.jpg[/url]

The fellow standing next to him shows another really common way these were depicted, with the pteruges overlapping around the hips like knife pleats, then changing somewhat in how they hang across the front 10-12 inches (hipbone to hipbone). This is the part I'm interpreting in my "theory" as an over-apron and under-apron (in other words that it might be part of a wraparound garment).

--Kelsey

[Marcus Mummius]

I sent you you a PM.

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

Here's a picture of the M Aurelius relief with markings to show what I was referring to:

[attachment=919]m_aurelius_subarmalis.jpg[/attachment]


Mind you, the bent knee pose is so ubiquitous I don't know how much artists were just repeating patterns, but I don't know if the same can be said for the seated pose above.

--Kelsey

[Lessa]

Hehe I thought this would prompt a lot more comments :? lol:

what? no, i was just congratulating with you for the "S.I." PDF project. Its very useful for people like me that dont understand how to trasform in S.I. english measurements (or don't have the time and patience).

I guess you're misunderstanding what i wrote. Maybe is because i wrote in englis badly .
anyway, congratulations, it looks really a nice work.

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

The diagram reminds me of folding paper airplanes, is this incorrect?

Yes, like a paper airplane *except* instead of the middle coming to a point inside it forms an interior pteruge/pleat.

Like this (this shows 5 pleats)
=--=__=--=__=--=__=--=__=--=

...only the two layers overlap so that the outer pteruges edges meet and the inner layer pteruges *almost* meet at the hip circumferance (about 1/4 inch apart), then get closer as they taper in to the waist where they actually overlap a bit, then spread out again to accommodate the chest circumferance.

Just divide your hip (at the hip bone) circumference by 2 inches and you'll know how many outer pleats you need. My hips are about 42". The aprons are each about 11 inches (or 5-6 pleats each). That gave me 13 pleats to go around the sides and back and a total of 25 pleats including the over and under aprons.

Also to get the tapering right you have plan carefully. What I mean is my hips are 43" and my waist is 36". So I need to taper 6" at the waist right? There are thirteen inner pleats from pelvis bone to pelvis bone around the back, so you might think just take in each of those pleats about 0.46 inches. Not exactly. You actually take in more at the sides and in the middle. So on my thirteen pleats I actually took in something like 0", 1", 1", 0.5", 0.25", 0.25", 1", 0.25", 0.25", 0.5", 1", 1", 0". It sounds weird but that's the way most bodies are shaped -- more curvature around the hips and across your bottom... not like a round cylinder :wink:

--Kelsey

[L_CORNELIUS_CETHEGUS]

I guess you're misunderstanding what i wrote.

No, I didn't mean you, Lessa - actually I was just saying since pteruges have been discussed on and on and, although there has been only one mention of the pleating possibility, I thought my experiment here might have stirred up some controversy since it's a departure from the approach I've seen mostly used out there.

--Kelsey