A brief overview of Iroquoian clothing

A brief and superficial look at some elements of precolumbian Iroquoian clothing.
No doubt I made some mistakes and phrased some things poorly. My apologies if you spot an issue.
The corn husk doll was a historical method of teaching girls how to sew, and more importantly how to pattern clothing. The primary concern when patterning for a corn husk doll is how to get the clothes on, as the dolls are more delicate and less flexible than a human. This is an important consideration when devising your own patterns for real people.
The sketches on the other hand were just an unfortunate necessity. The doll's proportions are a little off and the clothing elements have to be oversized or distorted in order to fit, sketches let me better illustrate the designs. Besides which, sketches are a little bit faster than sewing. It would be nice if I were a talented artist, but instead I squandered my youth reading books and hammering iron.
Link to patreon if you are so inclined.
www.patreon.com/user?u=3998481

[@trikepilot101]

+1 for "corn doll modesty." : )

[@fandangofonteinskalita1333]

Ancient Latvians had weaved belts and the longer it was the richer you were. It usually went twice around your waist, as to not slip down.

[@georgecuyler7563]

Yau! I am Heiltsuk and to my understanding cotton is native to the Americas, Europeans brought linen and heavy wool from sheep.

[@MalcolmPL]

Cotton is native, but it only grows in the south. There is some evidence that small amounts were traded this far north, but it would have been extremely expensive.

[@darrenvanevery5274]

Then people made sweater’s, socks, 👖 & shirt, skibs and hats.. cuz of sheeps…

[@shirleylysen9178]

Thank you. Very interesting. Some of the clothing for women must have been influenced as well by the need to nurse and size changes in pregnancy

[@MalcolmPL]

Quite likely. Some of the designs seem to facilitate this fairly well.

[@simonfraser3332]

its really surprising to me how similar the clothing was to medieval European clothing, not just the tunic but the leggings and garters too! reminds me of the hose and braise of the 14th century

[@AncientAmericas]

Great job! You are an excellent researcher and teacher!

[@felixstr9082]

That double length belt u theorized about was used in that way in neolithic europe. They found one with ötzi the iceman (neolithic man mummified in a glacier)

[@randomtechpriest4146]

tunics are so great i love them from all cultures. i really wish it'd be possible to just wear one around in public as a guy without looking like you're in a costume or something

[@hendrixman1996]

You'd probably just need to adapt it to modern materials/colors/patterns! A tunic thats the same material/color/pattern as like an 80s windbreaker would go hard as hell

[@bravechicken6251]

I wear them at home freely.

[@lisafish1449]

You're hanging out with the wrong people. Historical reenactors wear tunics all the time

[@hendrixman1996]

@@lisafish1449 ugh youre so right

[@Isseinoyuu]

Great video, it's interesting how the two separate leggings plus a third piece to cover the groin is so similar to the medieval separate hose + braies setup. I guess if you want close-fitting clothing for the lower body in the absence of stretchable material it's a good solution.

[@MalcolmPL]

It's especially interesting when you consider that the design of braies was sometimes just a square of cloth, essentially just an oversized breechcloth.

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

@@MalcolmPL the Ötzi man ice age mummy was also wearing a breechcloth and leggings rather than trousers. I would imagine this design stood the test of time because it's easier to clean than trousers. The crotch of pants needs a lot more washing than the legs.

[@jakestephens4868]

@@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920 Ease of Manufacture may be even more explanatory. many, many times easier , quicker, and cheaper to make two tubes for legs and a rectangle for groin, than a pair of trousers which require complex shapes around the groin/hips/butt.

[@Atanar89]

Your made up belt idea is actually close to the belt of the Ötzi, which was also double length with tapered ends. But the leggins where probably tied to slits in the belt, not over the whole belt.

[@dooleyfussle8634]

I agree, the Otzi belt also included a pouch across the front and several attached toggles for hanging tools etc. Very well done look at the possibilities of Iroqoian clothing based on existing evidence.

[@karasuarts900]

I’d love a video of just you playing with the dolls you’ve made lol ( great video❤️ )

[@grumbeard]

Lovely talk. Clothing is a very difficult topic the older the timeperiode. You give me a lot of inspiration, my thanks.

[@jakejacobs4463]

I just noticed your channel, I’ve always been curious about the Iroquois culture and History, as I believe that without the Iroquois, the United States would have never ended the Monarchy role in Society…. I have always had a particular curiosity about the iroquois…. Do you know, to what extent, information was available…. For example, were the Iroquois aware of the plains or the western native tribes…. Were they aware of the Aztecs or the native empires of the carribean….

[@elmerexpress]

Not only informative, but also a beautiful job. Honor to you!

[@bravechicken6251]

Its also entertaining. I like the hummer.

[@MeUrWishGranted]

❤❤❤❤ I'm fascinated by the people that were here thriving before colonization. I'm happy I found your channel to help me to learn and better understand them. 😊

[@MossyMozart]

@Malcolm P.L. - Fascinating. I appreciate the extent of your research. And I love the creativity and cooperation of your little Iroquoian models.

[@alecfleming4782]

Were any textiles used before the introduction of wool & linen? You mentioned the corn husk moccasins; was corn husk weaving used for other clothes? Great video!

[@MalcolmPL]

No, braided corn husks are too bulky and coarse. They were used for mats and shoes and maybe hats, but not clothing proper. Dogbane cordage was used for making bags but I haven’t heard of it used for clothing.

[@alecfleming4782]

@@MalcolmPL thanks

[@Noah-jx8qw]

Great video, so thankful I found you channel

[@bombardboxing]

Excellent video. The dolls work well and the patterns are appreciated.

[@wadewebb8977]

really good!I always wondered about bathing

[@beetard5384]

Great video! I always look forward to what you make!

[@breadtoasted2269]

My grandparents parents used to wear multiple layers. Maybe because it is the woodlands. The coats too, like two coats

[@josephbloggs6455]

Learning about the breech cloth is definitely the most interesting thing I've heard all week. Thanks for such a great video!

[@Justusrabbits]

Thank you for your time.

[@jezblades9913]

Very interesting/enlightening video. Thank you very much!

[@dinahnicest6525]

Any girl who ever peed in the woods, or a guy doing a #2, can appreciate the practicality of a breech cloth.

[@alterangel]

This is amazingly in depth. What am insight into the past

[@fuzzytheduck6821]

I'm so glad I found this channel! It's fascinating how many similarities there are to medieval European clothing (which I'm more familiar with) Especially in the gender differences. The leggings for example almost perfectly echo the way that hose were worn. I see so little content about clothing history outside of Europe so this channel is really a gem!

[@Angry_Goose_Arms]

so happy to see you again!!!

[@jamesellsworth9673]

This is useful ethnography. It is also useful instruction.

[@LordJordanXVII]

I loved this. Very special and informative. Fills me with emotion.

[@computertechnician120]

Great work mate. Good history, well spoken.

[@Bambisgf77]

This was such a great presentation and commentary on current fashion. Thank you

[@alterangel]

Would be curious to see what children and babies wore and how babies were carried

[@OneOneThree-wl7ml]

The doll is cute ahaha. Also, the clothing you made looks amazing. Awesome demonstration!

[@Ivegotwormsinme]

If you're not watching AdvokoMakes, you really should. You both present your materials in a very similar way.

[@quickdrawmaster]

Excellent! A very informative video, much respect!!

[@harryrabbit2870]

Love this. Great work.

[@jonajo9757]

That reminds me, but how did they clean leather attire?

[@MalcolmPL]

Smoked leather can be washed like cloth. Unsmoked leather was rubbed with clay dust, which would bind with any grease and could then be brushed off.

[@tundeszollar4230]

Wow. This was informative as hell, good work.

[@AnotherBrownAjah]

Thank you so much for making these videos and sharing this knowledge.

[@KennyRider137]

Do you know if the quill work told a story like wampum or held any social status like a feather headdress? Great video!

[@MalcolmPL]

I haven't heard anything like that.

[@KennyRider137]

@@MalcolmPL I just read a short booklet that explained Native American paths would utilize trees where the bark was stripped off in a ring and pictographs were painted on the exposed wood to tell stories about the paths and advertise goods nearby. I have a theory that every design and image Native Americans used conveyed some message. What history remains to be discovered is truly exciting!

[@spiritualbeancoffee1031]

Shout out to your assistant!

[@speeder7000]

Love your shit, so happy you're making videos

[@tabletkashmir3708]

Great, interesting, informative video. Thanks!😁

[@mcRydes]

interesting, great treatment of the subject.

[@Bambisgf77]

May I make a suggestion about the ladies hat? I think it is more like a cap to protect the top of the head from sun and the added bonus of looking pretty. My guess anyways.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

Great analysis! I never considered the cost[in time, effort, and weight] of clothing made from animal skins. Your mention of the knots attaching leggings, makes me wonder if the Iroquois developed the same knots that Europeans used, or did they develop different knots[perhaps better suited to animal skin ties and available cordage materials]?

[@MalcolmPL]

I’d imagine simple knots were the same, overhand knots, figure eight knots and half bows etc are the simplest way to accomplish their respective goals. More complicated knots I’d imagine would be different, many sailors knots for example are fairly counterintuitive.

[@leoscheibelhut940]

@@MalcolmPL I assumed that there would considerable overlap in invented knots, but I seem to recall from my time in Japan that they had some unique knots. sadly, I can't recall any of the knots I learned in Japan, although I remember that when harvesting rice into sheaths by hand they bound the sheaths with single-use cordage twisted on the spot from rice straw. The knot they used was completely new to me. It may be similar to the one used by farmers to bind wheat sheaths though--I never saw it done up close so I can't say. How are ends handled with split spruce roots when making a long house or canoe?

[@jhonviel7381]

@@leoscheibelhut940 did you ever recall? its been like 7 months now

[@user-mn7bb9nj5y]

Thank you.

[@archcessory7581]

very excellent as usual

[@TaylorsAuthenticTraditions]

Osiyo. Very interesting and thorough video. Well done. Have you tested the leggings without cinching them? I dont have any issues with my leggings pulling my belt down and I have walked miles with little to no pull down. Just curious. I have 2 flaps sewn onto the legging, one flap simply is run up thr length of the leg, underneath the belt against the body and then back out and the other is brought straight up and then a simple pull knot if formed. It has served me well. @8:32 you have spoken the truth. I have stated this for years and many roll their eyes. I am glad to know others are like-minded. Do you have a video on how to produce wampum and if not would you consider producing one? It would be historically beneficial. Sgi.

[@MalcolmPL]

On the leggings, I’ve tried a variety of configurations, they all have the issue to various degrees. If it’s a design issue it could be that I’m making the leggings too tight around the knee. On wampum, I have an old video where I make a button, disk beads would use the same process but with only one hole. I haven’t yet figured out a good technique for the tube beads. I also haven’t tried weaving a belt.

[@Proctor_Conley]

This was great, Thank You!

[@landrum3893]

Excellent

[@FathomLordKarathr]

Can you do one on Iroquoian hair styles? I had heard that the Mohawk wasn't actually ever warn by the Mohawk people

[@MalcolmPL]

Here you go. Some of the information is outdated, but what have you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKHWm6F9aMp4Zrs

[@billjenkins5693]

Well done

[@TheBoldDeciever]

good vid. thanks

[@phoenixthehobbyist6071]

Nice video

[@imperatorcaesardivifiliusa3805]

I would to ask if anyone knows the method by which sinew was used as thread in clothing? Sinew obvious isn't like modern thread being a continuous line. What was the method common for overcoming this? Was it typical to loop back with shorter sinew threads to overlap another thread into the holes or did they use a two ply twist method to extend the length?

[@MalcolmPL]

I don’t know the exact method, but I do know that twisted thread was not commonly used.

[@imperatorcaesardivifiliusa3805]

@@MalcolmPL Thanks for the reply. I suspected so from looking at examples. I've seen single ply twist on some of otzi the iceman's gear like his dagger in prehistoric Europe. But everything across cultures usually seems to be single strands of sinew.

[@MalcolmPL]

@@imperatorcaesardivifiliusa3805 It could be that it just wasn't considered worth the effort to spin it into long strands, easier to just knot smaller pieces.

[@dooleyfussle8634]

I have sewn with sinew, in some regards it is easier than thread (you can moisten the end and let it dry hard for a built in needle) and in others it is tedious (short lengths require you to rethread the needle frequently and you must overlap the last bit until it holds). It is far superior to thread, though, in that it melds in to the leather and becomes almost invisible, especially on brain tan.

[@imperatorcaesardivifiliusa3805]

@@dooleyfussle8634 Ah I see so just overlap a new sinew thread through the existing one done already?

[@Richard-od7yd]

I studied the IROQUOIS CONFEDERATION in 5th and 6th Grade at St. Michaels In Brooklyn New York and now live in Vermont where that culture is around me every day . Who knew 😂

[@colincrovella4160]

I have a question about the outfit shown at 13:23. Does the red belt you’re wearing have a specific name? I saw something similar in a photo of a display by the UKB John Hair museum, where a mannequin is wearing a trade shirt and a red fabric belt like you are. It seems this look was popular across the Eastern Woodlands region. What is the role/story/significance of that particular garment?

[@MalcolmPL]

It's just called a sash. There isn't any particular significance. They were part of european fashion in the 1600s and were adopted by eastern Indigenous people along with other elements of european dress. Different groups developed their own styles of weaving. This one is a generic factory produced example.

[@1lobster]

Why didn’t they scrape the deer skin to make it breathable? Isn’t that what makes buckskin different from normal leather?

[@MalcolmPL]

They did. The epidermis of most buckskin is removed. It breathes much better that way, but it's still sticky in the dead of summer. Buckskin is different from normal leather by way of the tanning method. Modern leather is tanned in chemicals like chromium oxide and alum. Historical european leather is tanned with tannins from oak bark. Buckskin is tanned with brains or animal fat. Buckskin is softer, warmer, more breathable, more flexible, more stretchy than other leathers. It's less durable though.

[@1lobster]

@@MalcolmPL that’s all very cool and makes a lot of sense. But native people also had access to Oak bark, and other vegetable tannins. So, wouldn’t it make sense for them to use small amounts of vegitan leather for some specific purposes? Like belts?

[@MalcolmPL]

@@1lobster It would indeed. Veg tan is better for belts and shoe soles and other rigid applications. But people didn't do it. Maybe it just takes too long. Brain tan can be done in less than a week, veg tan takes the better part of a year.

[@1lobster]

@@MalcolmPL makes sense.

[@gregcale5388]

So no weaving of any sort was used in clothing? I saw you reply to another comment that there was no evidence of twisted thread used in clothing. That seems almost surprising. Even just playing around with overwintered dogbane stalks yeilded a few inches of thread in an hour. I had vague hopes for finding out better how to process it. Would the rabbit and other small pelts have been tanned? Is it safe to assume that they also would have been brain tanned?

[@MalcolmPL]

Clothing was sewn with untwisted sinew threads or leather lacing. Plant fibre cordage is either weaker than sinew if thin or more labour intensive than leather if thick. Woven cloth was not used for clothing, clothes were made from leather or braided cornhusk in the case of shoes or hats. Leather is a lot quicker to produce, more weather resistant and more durable than plant fibre cloth. Weaving was used to make bags as the weaving allows air flow which is useful for storing perishables. Weaving was also used for mats. Possibly also for bark or reed rain cloaks, but we don’t have direct evidence for that. Some people believe that the Tuscarora wore dogbane shirts, but that idea is based only on shaky linguistic evidence, which other people interpret differently.

[@gregcale5388]

@@MalcolmPL you are a great fount of knowledge, and I appreciate you sharing it. I will add sinew resources to the "pro" column of "should I take up hunting." Of course, that also assumes I stop being a vegetarian, so a strong counterweight exists. I have been reading "Tending the Wild" and it has me looking much more closely at all the natural resources going uncared-for around me, while I import my food and clothes from wasteful, dirty systems.

[@pilotravis]

cool

[@izzygarcialionibabaloipici6293]

is the clothes comfortable? Would it be worth making my own set and wearing daily to save on cost of garments?

[@MalcolmPL]

The clothing I have experience with is all fairly comfortable. I don’t know if you’d end up saving on garment cost though, leather is expensive.

[@acecat2798]

Your assistant is a natural at modeling- have they done this before?

[@bravechicken6251]

Haha😂

[@Chad-Giga.]

Hey why didn't you show a kilt?

[@simonfraser3332]

0:59 is this a pre or post colonial example? the cut almost looks like a modern T-shirt

[@Bambisgf77]

Great vid! For modesty of the model made me laugh and sub! 😅

[@elshebactm6769]

🤠👍🏿

[@EricK-ff2ff]

Can tell me what book you found those images in?

[@MalcolmPL]

If you mean the pencil sketches or the digital patterns, I made those myself, otherwise, you'll have to be more specific.

[@EricK-ff2ff]

@Malcolm P.L. at the 22 23 second mark in the video. It looks like you show illustrations from old books

[@MalcolmPL]

@Eric K "The voyages of Samuel de Champlain." It's a relatively well known illustration titled, "illustrations of Algonquin dress.

[@EricK-ff2ff]

@Malcolm P.L. I forget who o herd ot from but there's a book from a famouse German trade person who traveled the east coast illustrating and talking about tribes of both Indian and white settlers that were so unique and wild. This was before the foundation of America

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

How did they wash their deerskin clothes?

[@MalcolmPL]

Smoked buckskin can be washed like wools, simply soak and agitate gently, lay it flat to dry. Unsmoked buckskin doesn’t like water, so people would rub it with powdered white clay. The clay would bind with any grease and could then be brushed off.

[@clobberelladoesntreadcomme9920]

@@MalcolmPL You are literally answering questions that I have had for years about everyday indigenous life and not been able to find out. Love your channel!

[@Noah-jx8qw]

Do you know if the Iroquois had dogs before European arrival?

[@MalcolmPL]

Yep. Dogs have been here as long as people.

[@iandunn989]

There’s a really good video about pre Colombian dogs by trey the explainer.

[@dancing_odie]

I like your little corn husk buddy

[@fasted8468]

Would be cool to make them with magnets to hold it together

[@markeverson5849]

I wish I could send you a picture of the clothing that I made from deer that I harvested and tanned brain tan and smoked very awesome

[@earlyriser438]

Niawen'kó:wa. I know we were late to the Confederacy party, but any love for Tuscarora textiles? Literally people of the hemp. I know next to nothing, except that it wasn't cannabis sativa but dogbane "Indian hemp" and it must have been in high demand during the summer months. Would *not* want to live in a smoky longhouse during the summer with a bunch of aunts and uncles clad in leather and fed a bean diet.

[@MalcolmPL]

I've done some reading and unfortunately there is next to no information on the precolumbian Tuscarora.

[@My-cat-is-staring-at-you]

Why weren't pants a thing?

[@MalcolmPL]

I've often wondered that. Surely pants are an obvious solution. It's odder when you consider the medieval european situation, where they started with pants in the dark ages and then abandoned them in favour of leggings and braies.

[@My-cat-is-staring-at-you]

@@MalcolmPL Humans are weird.

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

I figure ill-fitting pants are a lot more uncomfortable than ill-fitting leggings, which are adjustable without having to take them apart, and you don't have to make new ones quite as often for your kids as they grow. There are certainly benefits to both solutions.

[@WhiteThumbs]

Keeps the insects off the wobbly bits, I hate mosquitoes biting my ass.

[@TomLeg]

So First-Nations women were just like Asian and European women, wanting a variety or styles of clothing :-)

[@codewordslinkydog]

I don't like drawing hands either

[@MalcolmPL]

Partly I lack the skill, partly I don't want to obscure the clothing, and it's just a more natural stance than t-posing.