Canvas Gambeson “Dark Star”
Two-piece women's gambison with lacing
Canvas Gambeson “Dark Star”
Two-piece women's gambison with lacing
Don’t cross the Dark Star - I promise it will be the last thing that you will ever do. Sure, you may feel drawn in by her sharp wit, but don’t kid yourself - she doesn’t need you any more than she needs anyone else. Believe me, it’s better just to sit back and watch the other poor fools who fall into her orbit.
Are you ready to fall in love with our new collection of armor and accessories designed especially to fit the female figure? The Dark Star is our long-awaited foray into full plate armor for women, and we have designed it to be comfortable, functional, and of course - beautiful! This gambeson is a design that we have worked on for a very long time, and we are pleased to be launching it alongside the rest of the “Dark Star” collection. As a woman, it can be very difficult to find a gambeson that fits well, is comfortable and looks great. We wanted to create something that would satisfy all of these requirements and more. After months of testing designs, we finally decided on this two-piece gambeson, which is perfect for fencing, LARP, SCA, and many other formats of fighting.
Our historical inspiration for this gambeson was the XIV-XV century. Gambesons in this time period were shorter and more fitted compared to Viking and other earlier designs. This later style only comes down to your hips and is quite fitted. There are two segments to this gambeson: the sleeves and the vest. Instead of lacing on at the shoulder (as many sleeve/vest combinations do), the sleeves are connected by an unpadded crop-top type layer which laces up the middle with metal eyelets. The sleeve padding comes all the way up to the top of the shoulder, and the sleeves have a split from wrist to forearm which will allow you to put bracers or other armor overtop. The vest is completely padded and has been designed to hug your curves and give you space where you need it, including gores along the breasts, a tapered waistline and a flared out hip area.
You can absolutely wear each part of this gambeson separately, as they are great pieces, but the real magic happens when you wear them together. The vest fits perfectly over top of the crop-top, as the lacing allows for the top to sit completely flat underneath. The padding in your shoulders is doubled up so that you can wear a breastplate or shoulder armor and get some extra padding where the strap tends to dig in. Because the sleeves and chest are two different pieces, you can swing a sword without affecting the rest of the gambeson too much. This two-piece design has given you tons of added arm mobility and will allow you to move and fight without your gambeson riding up too much (and without the added underarm bulk that excessive underarm gores would).
Like the most of our pieces, this is an ArmStreet exclusive design, meaning you won’t find it anywhere else. We have spent countless hours making sure that this is the perfect piece - we are sword fighters ourselves, so we have put a great deal of love and care into making it perfect! This gambeson is constructed from strong canvas, which has a beautiful texture and is very tough. All of the edges are finished with soft, supple leather, and the lacing up the front is reinforced by embossed leather patches. We have used premium sewing techniques and finishes throughout this gambeson, including welted seams for extra durability and comfort. The unpadded portion of the crop-top is made from natural flax linen, and the batting inside the gambeson is all-natural fibers. Every aspect of this gambeson has been thoughtfully designed, down to the quilting pattern that flatters the female figure and the 4cm of overlap in the middle to ensure you’re protected. You’ll also find arming points on the shoulders so that you can attach your pauldrons and get ready for battle!
To check how to measure yourself please click here.
Please contact us if you have any additional questions.
- Canvas;
- 100% flax linen;
- Thin leather;
- Embossed leather;
- Leather thonging;
- Natural batting.
- Exclusive ArmStreet design;
- Two pieces;
- Embossed leather reinforcement;
- Does up with ties;
- Fits the female body;
- Leather borders;
- Shoulder arming points.
This item is part of the “Dark Star” collection View collection
This item is part of the “Stars of Steel” collection View collection
I am disappointed. The edging bias tape has badly discolored the body of my gambeson as well as 2 articles of clothing. When I asked Armstreet how to care for it I was told to take it to a dry cleaner. With as much as I intend to use this garment that is not a practical solution. This discoloration is after 3 uses. I accept my part in that I did not ask about care instructions before purchase. My options now appear to be , co stant added expense of drycleaner, run it thru a cold water wash and risk further discoloration or completely ruining the garment, or using it until it stink so badly it just has to be thrown out. None of those are appealing. I would prefer either a refund or an exchange for a linen one that is able to be machine washed. Again. Very disappointed. I was so excited to get this. Tryi g to replace a badly worn one that I made myself. Was trying to up my kit for Crown and other High Profile tournaments. :(
Thank you for your feedback. Non of the gambeson can be washed in the washing machine, sorry. However, you can wash the gambeson with warm water and soap. It is important to dry it horizontally on the towel. Othwerwise, you can surely return the order if it was not used or worn yet.
While I love the idea of these gambesons if you have a large bust and a small underbust I would probably advise against them. I can't get it to tie tight enough under the bust so it rides up a fair bit when fighting.
I really like these gambesons. I ordered one of the men’s before these came out! Sometimes I only wear one piece or the other. The sleeves are nice on a chilly day. I mostly use for sword class & riding.