How to Buy Viking Clothes (and What to Avoid!) 

Hi all! I managed to miss a glaring error in the turn shoe segment of this video. The image of barefoot men is obviously not a picture of shoes! Bat-apologies for the gaffe!

I can imagine a wife running out of matching fabric and telling her husband don't worry about the mismatched but piece no one will ever see it under the tunic. Years later displayed in a meseum and pictured on the internet.

Am I particularly interested in the Viking age? No. Am I interested in Viking reenactment? Even less. Have I learned something? Yes. Am I entertained? Yes. Would I listen to you reading a telephone book? Umm...guilty. Your voice is super calming. Keep up the good work :)

"Everything that is questionable comes from Birka." I just spat out my tea remembering research I did for a project last year.

The Welsh Viking:”your tunic should be long and made of wool.” Me(living in south Alabama, USA): “I can hear you...but I won’t.”

Jimmy's two categories of items not supported by historical evidence: Dumb as hell. Cool as hell. Either way, I solemnly swear items lacking historical evidence will never appear at a reenactment, I'll save them for the "ren faire", or the grocery store.

I'm not a reenactor or anything of the like - just a person who likes to "History-bound," as that allows me to have all the machine seams I like in my 14th-century-looking boots, hehe. But I always admire and appreciate the research and work it takes to compose as historically accurate of an outfit as one possibly can!

I happen to be nålbindning as I watch this lol. Easiest stitch is essentially blanket stitch, btw. Get a decent 8 to 12ply wool, make a slipknot, loop in about 7 -12 loops, and blanket stitch out from there. Totally doable!!

Definitely strayed towards Vimes 'Boots' theory of socioeconomic unfairness at the start there when talking about saving for a better pair of shoes that will last longer. Great video as always, and I did enjoy the picture of the saucy hose with the toes poking out the end instead of turn shoes.

So: Context, Context, Context! Also don't burn my yarn! Just tell me and I'll bag my craft or tuck it under my other layers! I sob at the idea of burning someones nalbinding, no matter how out of place it is.

I know how hard University deadlines are I am astounded you can do videos while finishing your doctorate. Thanks for the hard work you do.

Nalbinding is like tap dancing, it's easy once you get the knack. I taught myself how to do it, and teach others who ask. It's very hard wearing.

Oh nifty! The trick with the un-spun wool fiber being pulled through/woven/knitted into a piece helps make it waterproof and really hecking warm! There are a ton of modern knitting patterns that can explain how to do it/add it to a pattern. If you look up 'fulled mittens' you will get them (most patterns are in Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish etc.). I hope your PhD is going well! I'm excited to hear about it!

Morgan Donner has a turnshoe video thats pretty awesome too! :)

When in doubt WOOL... if you're considering any other material... That's not it lol This was great

That boot based on the show looks like it is made of bike tyre inner tubes.

"Everything comes from Birka that is questionable." So good.

As somebody who has just learned doing the Oslo stitch two days ago: Cool, I'm a wizard now! :D ... I mean, I knew I was one after my 30th birthday, but still, nice to have it confirmed.

I just found your channel and so far you strike me as a younger, vikingy version of Lindybeige, (which is meant as a big compliment!) and I will now binge watch all of your content, thank you very much! Lots of love from Denmark!

I knit and crochet but when I watch videos on nalbinding, my brain shouts, "Black magic! Trickery!" I cannot convince myself that it somehow produces fabric.

I've seen a handful of reenactors look the other way when it comes to using cotton simply because of what you mentioned as a matter of cost and accessibility: It's nigh impossible to find wool, especially in an accurate twill weave, at most local fabric/craft stores, and they're expensive as crap online (never mind the additional cost of buying premade items rather than making it yourself) One thing I will point out if you're forced to use cotton for that issue: at least use a flannel that's woven in a twill or herringbone pattern, from a distance it will at least have the "look" and only you or a well trained eye will know it's not wool, it's what I've gotten away with for now 😅😅

This is actually so helpful! I was just looking at a few websites for illustration research in relation to the Viking Era and it’s been rough.

This was exactly what I was hoping for when I typed in "viking fashion" in the search bar; I've learned so much in these 30 minutes, and I'm about to jump over to the jewelry video to learn even more! Thank you so much for making this video and posting it!

My Texas living self is glad you mentioned if its hot that linen is okay!

"No one can read a map anymore. It's fine *DERRICK* it's fine! It's fine. It's ok... it's ok... let's talk about pants". Or is it Derek? 😅😂🤣

I love the “after-credits”-so much fun!!!

Super useful resource, thanks! :) Would you ever do a video on Viking women's clothing? Although I know some elements are largely similar

Well done! Thank you! I'm hoping in your jewelry video to hear your advise on cloak pins, particularly bone, penanulars. Oh and I'd love to hear you talk on hoods and tablet woven belts. Just getting into Viking reenacting and really enjoying researching and making as much as I can myself. Cheers my friend!

I'm gonna start now, so when british summer is over I can get back to the lovely Autumn clothing.

This turned out to be a great checklist for the basics of how to Viking authentically, whether you decide to buy or make your clothes. Thank you so much! :)

This video is keeping me company while I'm handsewing an 18th century shift! It's cool to see what changed and what stayed the same throughout the centuries. The tunic honestly looks very similar to 17th-19th century shifts, and underclothes are still linen. It's cool! Anyway, thanks for keeping me company!

Awww and here you go ruining my plans for a big floofy hat, boots'full'o'toggles, and a "tunic" that bares half my chest thru the totally-accurate lacing! Quite a good video. And I don't get why folks don't want to talk about a butt patch of a different color fabric. That's such a fun thing (even if it's just a singular example of repair work!) that I'd do it just for my own entertainment.

I just learned Nalbinding this year. Was super excited to learn & it wasn't easy to learn how to start a project but now I know how it is so relaxing to just stitch away and make a beautiful wool garment that should last for a lifetime. I couldn't find a needle (nal) that I really liked to work with so I learned to whittle them myself according to what shape, style, length and type of wood my trees have blessed me with :) I keep a chunk of red cedar with my woolies to prevent anything getting into them - damn crickets will eat literally anything! Our wool clothing always smells great when we pull them out to wear. (I also put a piece of red cedar in the box with my unworked wool yarn.

Might we see the spines/titles of the books on the shelf behind you? You have been teasing us with them for several videos.

Very splendid approach. This is be very useful to anyone getting started. No fluff and all reasoning. It’s ok to be wrong! Turn around! Cheers

I LOVE to settle down with some hand sewing and listen to these lovely vids. Thank you!

Nalbind is a favorite craft of mine. I’ve made several hats and a simple handbag which I love. It’s made of some type of heavy yarn I called Ramtop Wool and now I think I will drop all my projects and go back to nalbind.

Thank you for the video. I've been struggling to make boots for my partner and son and . . . ach! My poor hands. I have considered buying but it's so hard to see things well online. This is a great resource. I hope you are safe and well.

Thank you so much for this Very informative video! I'm working on redesigning a viking-inspired character for tabletop, and your channel has been invaluable (especially during these Times Of Plague when my brain is garbage and can't concentrate on reading for any extended period of time). Really looking forward to that jewelry video!

this has to be one of the best channels I've come across. awesome work and great information

I lost it at the mitten string. 🤣

Although I'm fascinated by re-enactment, I'm probably too lazy to ever actually do it. However, I like taking inpiration from historical clothing and incorporate into my usual daily outfits, and I love learning about clothing history stuff. I also like sewing and altering my own clothes, although I'm not particularly skilled. I did however make a pair of simple medieval style britches from a plain, black cotton fabric once. And no, they were not meant to be authentic. I made them on my sewing machine. I just made them for a medieval market festival that's held annually in my area, or at least was pre-covid... It's a fun festive, but far from re-enactment. But even I cringe at "medieval style" clothes made of fucking polyester. I like wearing those britches I made, together with an equally inauthentic tunic, tied off with a modern belt, lol. I just like that style.But I think it's important to know what is and isn't authentic! So I thank you for that info. I think it's useful, even though I don't do re-enactment. I love the puffy knee-length britches worn with long socks, though. I might wanna make something like that. I think it's a shame that wool is so expensive, though. It's such an incredible fabric. Warm, breathable, soft, and whatever it does with moist is some kinda magic. I'd seriously ditch all my t-shirts for wool tunics if I could!

Super interesting! Loved it - this channel inspired me to learn some Nalbinding - I've already created some lovely wristwarmers! Now to master something other than a tube! Thanks again

This was immensely helpful! I have been wanting to put together a Viking garb set for my local Ren Faires and I appreciate that i can re-create something much more appropriate and much less TV inspired.

The mittens with the string, when I was a child mittens with the string were called idiot mittens, cause they were harder to lose.

I am so entertained by the informativiness of this video. I love to learn new things. I am mostly familiar with later medieval stuff, so I learn a lot of new things from you. Can you do a video on the questionability of things from Birka? I hadn't heard of that before and it sounds really interesting! Also wondering why not hoods were mentioned? Were they not a thing in the viking age? (As I said, mostly familiar with later medieval stuff.)

Finding my feet in the world of re enacting after recently joining my local Regia group, your videos have been very informative and helpful! Thanks!

Love the idea of butt extensions, in a contrasting color too!!! It makes sense since materials are hard to come by so one has to be resourceful with what they got. Sustainable yet authentic. Love it!!!❤️

I love watching your videos bc it's like seeing how all those historians in documentaries actually think when they're not 100% scripted and it's great I love it

Another beautiful video. Everyone getting into re-enactment should watch this.

Fantastic video as usual Jimmy! I have grown up around and within Viking age reenactment (since I was about four), although some small details of kit in my area are a bit different, mostly due to the climate and the fact that all of the organizations that my dad was involved with considered 1066 the end date for their reenactment, and most folks opted for a couple of centuries earlier. If you have a welcoming local organization with good authenticity standards, I would see if some of the folks who make very accurate and extremely time-consuming pieces are also cool with making pieces with some modern concessions where they won't show - machine sewn inner seams with only hand finishing, and turn-shoes made with more modern punches and such that expedite the process, but are not at all visible on the finished product. Finally, a word on (gasp!) cotton. I am a drafter and stitcher by training, and in my area it can be next door to impossible to find 100% linen locally, and shipping can cost more than the product itself. I have found (by accident, it was labeled as 100% linen, but it LIED) that up to 20% cotton in a linen blend, while not strictly accurate, will not be noticeable to the untrained eye, and even many folks who do know what proper linen looks like are unlikely to notice unless they look very closely. One last thing, if you are still reading, is to be extremely careful with having a new tunic or other garment made if your proportions are dramatically different from most of the people in your organization, or from the "average". We sewers tend to have standard formulas that we use in conjunction with your measurements, and these can cause trouble even for something as comparatively simple as a tunic. My dad is unusually tall and exceptionally slender (his name in our group was Vidur the Lean), and even tunics made by people who knew him tended to be too short and wide. This issue is generally exacerbated when ordering online. If it's not your first ever tunic, providing finished measurements from a well-fitting tunic that you are looking to replace or to have made in a different material may be a better option if possible. If you are in North America, especially Canada, Hello! If you are part of a group, who are you with? If you've been at this for a while, you very well may have seen me in my homemade (by eight-ten year old me) kit running around picking up arrows or some such thing a decade ago. Fun times!

Adorkable opening (thank you for the giggle) and fascinating as always - diolch yn fawr! Also - you beat me to my question!! As I was writing about the lack of jewellery, you mentioned it!

Not my era, but interesting nonetheless! And I'm very much looking forward to the jewelry video, and while I expect we'll have to wait until after you recover from your heavy course load for that one I bet it'll be a fun ride well worth the wait!

Love that you referenced charity shop wool blankets.. Here in the States a good source is Military Surplus (stores or on-line)...have done some lovely cloaks with them.

When it comes to shoes, my best advice is make them yourself with similar tools from the past. If you have the craftsmanship skill to make some nice shoes that are durable and functional, they probably would have done it back in the day as well

I love how passionate you are about mittens. I thought I was the only one. Of course, the ones I make all are post-Viking (knitting), I've never tried to nalbind a mitten.

I NEED to know more about the pink fake fur!! 😆 this sounds like exactly something I need for my wardrobe!

“Insane and authentic!!”........goals right there lol.

Do the reading, do the research! the only part I’ve gotten to. Love it

Good luck on your coursework! It's so impressive that you can do anything else at all, really, and we're all grateful you choose to spend that little time working on these! It's so messed up to me that we've strayed so far from wool. It grows on cute animals! It's not plastic! It's not a fabric produced from cultural genocide! What's not to love?

Heyyyy, wanna see a magic trick? **pulls out a needle and a ball of yarn**

Thanks! Entertaining and vitally informative, good job!

Fab video as always. Hope the PHD stress eases soon.

My new favorite channel

Oh, I'm so, so excited about the Viking jewelry video in the works!!! I'm a (very amateur) jeweler, and unfortunately at least how I learned jewelry-making, there's not much information on historical styles and methods of creating jewelry. Closest my class got was making Byzantine chains and later making poorly-researched presentations on jewelry from eras of our choice (I did my best with a presentation on iron age Ireland, since that's one my favourite styles...it's so ornate!). Not sure how jewelry-making education is in other places than American high schools though, lol. Anyways, I really want to learn how to make jewelry from various eras, as I think it's a detail that's easy to miss in reenactment, but can add so much personality and character to a persona (even just one ring can say so much about a person). Whoops, went on a tangent, lol. Great video as always, and very informative.

Glad I’m alone in awe of the wizardry of nålbinding. Crochet? Ok. Knitting? Sure? Weaving? Alright. Nålbinding? 🤯😭

Oosh..this channel! I love it. Glad to finally find someone who knows and studies his stuff. My old kit was very basic. Your regular norseman who thought "hmm..I'll go Rus and earn a few bob" basic browns and homespun fabrics and that lasted me sailing from denmark to iceland. From sweden. Handmade by my lady because I sew as well as a troll fuc...er..y'know. Much love from the chilly lands. ^.^ I like this channel, and so shall you viewer.

I admit to a small squee when you referenced Stone Cold (I'm a massive wrestling fan!). Another informative and gigglesome episode, Keep 'em comin' (but only when PhD time allows of course!)

I know the video is a couple of years old but still very useful. Im in my second full year of reenactment. Ive been stressing myself out over my kit recently, it is all ok for a generic viking era but I am trying to portray a certain grave (the man from Voll, Norway) Re watching this video has reiterated what my AO has said, not a lot needs doing but little things. I currently have the baggy trousers with the tubes, that bit is covered by my leg wraps so are never seen. I am looking at getting straight leg trousers now. Thank you for all that you do to help fellow reenactors.

Not only is simple more authentic, the simpler something is the easier you can wear it in day-to-day life and not look like a pillock. I legit want to make a pillbox hat for winter now

Great video, answered a lot of questions.

Remarkably free of rants tonight. :)

Tbh i was kinda hoping for a list of online stores to buy from but still learned something thank you

the owner of the original pants the broad axe project interpreted: Dear! I ripped out of my pants! Wife: dont worry, i'll fix them, but probably dont have the same fabric owner: doesn't matter, these are my old pants anyway. *1000 years later*

Your information definitely helped in my choosing of the correct materials as well as the proper lengths and shapes. Just getting into Viking and Norman history and want to do a Viking harness exactly. I had it somewhat wrong. Aloha

Lol "Derek, its okay" my name's Derek, had my rolling bro

i enjoyed the amount of info in this one, and i love the wee ending moments

I'm so glad I've found this video...I just asked for good tips on quality reenactment clothing.... I'm all ears! 👂

"Cobblers" - bravo, Jimmy, bravo! Best shoe pun!

Not a reenacter or anything, but this was very interesting and I really like the channel so far.

Starting basic is a good idea. I mean, so much historical clothing pieces are basic, it's the accessories and details that make it work. If you get a plain basic garment there's nothing saying you can't add your own embellishments and trims. In fact, I think it would be a good way to make your garb a personalized point of pride

As per usual great segment...diamond pattern is so nice looking especially in the sunlight, although I disagree about the pants. There are various sources: Sagas, Runestones, Burial site digs that they had trousers both straight legged, and "puffy legged" there is a saga describing the persons trousers as "they had no feet, but straps that went under his foot" ...I'll have to see if I can find in my links the resources where I found that stuff, and message them to you. I could be wrong but I haven't found anything in research for short pants in the Viking Era Scandinavia. I love that you brought up embroidery. There has been so much of it popping up. I also love that you brought up the "shaggy coat", I don't want to make 1 myself but I would love to find 1 for my winter kit.

The tunic hem you're seeing isn't (I believe, from my time sewing as a re-enactor myself) longer in the back so much as it is cut straight across the bottom when the tunic flares outwards, and then the pointy bits at the sides are left to hang downwards, longer than the rest of the hem, rather than being cut in a curve so that the hem hangs evenly all the way around. Essentially, the tunic body is the bottom part of an isosceles triangle, and the outer corners are left to hang downwards when the middle is held in place--since the diagonal side-seam edges are longer than the distance from the waist of the tunic to the middle of the hem, the points hang lower on both sides.

Working on my first nalbinding piece (a cap) as I watch this :). Learning curve is steep but once you get one stitch down, it's like riding a bike.

I would love a video about women's clothing. Thanks!

I would totally wear the boots at 3:10, in my everyday life and call it historybounding 😊 I'm really looking forward to the jewellery video and hope your PhD work is going well!

I love your accent. Okay. Now to watch again and pay attention.

Nalbinding looks interesting. I already do knitting, crochet, and some of the offshoots like broomstick lace.

Interesting that you mention them looking like Sailor slops! There are actually theories that the two might be related, as Slops seem to start out as peasabt/worker wear in Northern Europe.

Love the videos, would be great to have pointers to craft people, traders/shop selling reenactment grade gears etc...

haha, the part about Birka made me laugh. My uncle used to be in charge for the architectural parts of it (so buildings of the "exhibit" parts. not actual archeologic things). I do remember him complaining about how there would be arguments about what clothes to use for the staff working the exhibit, and those silly hats in particular.

Gretings from Denmark :). Thank you so much for this fantastic video. Im living i Ribe :)..i work in the viking musseum in Ribe, and allso a viking reenactor at the Ribe viking center. Its so nice that you in a good..funny, and gentel way tell folks what is go and NO go :).

Interesting video as always, that mug definitely contains tea some very impressive tanning

We buried my best buddy in her hand embroidered, linen tunic and fur trimmed cloak. Her heavy leather belt, sword, and sheath. Bronze thor's hammer around her neck. She loved her outfit, and expected to be referred to directly. She grew up in medieval reenactment. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she is exhumated at some distant time in the future, for paleontologists to ponder WHY a chicken was buried in 9th century Viking kit..... She would get excited when she saw reenactors; all the locals referred to her BY NAME and she would verbally acknowledge them. She would watch fighting and occasionally yell or scold. She would sit for half an hour at a time listening to mandolin music or singing. Of course she loved the feasts! She put herself to sleep in our tent, and laid a fresh egg every morning. I miss that bird, she really enjoyed the meets.

Damn, this is gold.

No one: Absolutely no one: The Welsh Viking: IT HAS TO BE WOOL! (I loved ur video!)

There used to be a very big Viking warband at my cities major LARP event. They started off being very Vikings (the TV show), which is absolutely fine because it's a fantasy larp set in a fantasy world and theyre not trying to be historically accurate. Theyre meant to look cool, but they used a lot of those boots because it allowed them to play safely and still look in theme. So I would say a lot of those boots are made for LARPers. Towards the end of their life (they only disbanded this year after more than ten years) many of their members started to look a lot more authentic, and other early medieval warband popped up around them who were full of reenactors and people who wanted more authenticity. LARP is fun and surprisingly full of reenactors making a-historic choices on purpose for comfort and safety and Coolness

I had a pair of mitten like that when I was a kid! :D

Would love to see a video of you talking us through your Viking clothing.

For making a cloak from a wool blanket etc... what do you suggest in terms of color and size. Also, how are they typically worn? Video idea? 🤣 Also, I love your channel and im very glad I found it. You address several issues that I have been thinking about a lot lately, particularly the connection between "Vikings" and white supremacy, and frankly, Right wing ideology in general. I have been very disappointed lately by "Viking" themed channels that are clearly going down a far Right themed path. Very frustrating.