Tough tailoring 

Detail of buff coat, 1631–1670, III.1929. Royal Armouries, CC BY 4.0

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Buff coat (III.1929)

This buff coat is made of oil-tanned bovine leather. Buff coats were usually worn under a breastplate and backplate by soldiers in the 17th century. Because they were tough, they offered some protection on the battlefield. This one came from the armoury at Littlecote House in Wiltshire, and forms part of the largest single-surviving collection of buff coats in the world.

View the Buff Coat in our collection