Jerkin and doublet are both historical men’s garments which were popular in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. A doublet is a close-fitted padded garment with long sleeves. Jerkin is a tight-fitted sleeveless jacket that was worn above the doublet. This is the key difference between jerkin and doublet.
What is a Jerkin?
A jerkin is a man’s close-fitting, sleeveless jacket, made typically of leather. These garments were worn over doublets in the sixteenth and seventeenth century.
Leather jerkins worn during the sixteenth century were punched and slashed. They were worn closed at the neck and hung open at the doublet. By the seventeenth century, they were high-waisted and long-skirted like the doublets at the time. It was the fashion at that time to button it at the waist and leave the rest open.
However, jerkins also refer to another type of jacket – a similar sleeveless jacket worn by British soldiers in the twentieth century. They provided soldiers the protection against the cold while allowing free movement.
What is a Doublet?
A doublet is a padded, close-fitting jacket worn by men from 14th to the 17th century. This garment originated in Spain, but soon became popular throughout the Western Europe.
A doublet is a snug-fitting jacket with a front opening that is fastened with buttons. It was waist length or hip length and worn over the shirt or drawers. Doublets often opened at the waistline with a V shape. They also had several embellishments such as lace, pinks, embroidery, and slashes. They were originally worn under another garment such as a mantle, jerkin or gown, but by the end of the 15th century, they were also worn on their own. The style and cut of doublets changed over time, they permanently dropped out of fashion in the mid-17th century.
Doublets gave a fashionable shape to the body, to support the hoes (a tight trouser that reaches knees), and to provide warmth to the body.
What is the difference between Jerkin and Doublet?
Jerkin vs Doublet |
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| A jerkin is a man’s close-fitting, sleeveless jacket, made typically of leather. | A doublet is a padded, close-fitting jacket worn by men from 14th to the 17th century. |
| Sleeves | |
| Jerkin is a sleeveless garment. | Doublet has long sleeves. |
| Padding | |
| Jerkin is not padded. | Doublet is a padded garment. |
| Layers | |
| Jerkin is worn over a doublet. | Doublets are worn beneath a mantle, jerkin or gown. |
| Length | |
| Jerkins are often shorter than doublets. | Doublets are typically longer than jerkins. |
Image Courtesy:
“Dudley portrait” By Anglo-Netherlandish School -, Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
“Giovanni Battista Moroni 001” By Giovanni Battista Moroni (circa 1525–1578) – 1. The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.2. Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork3. Unknown (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia