Codpiece

A codpiece (de. Schamkapsel; es. Bragueta; nl. Braguette; ru. Гульфик; pt. Braguilha; pl. Mieszek) is part of men’s clothing or armor. The codpiece appears in men’s fashion in the third quarter of the 15th century. The two legs (Chausses) began to be sewn together and it became necessary to hide the underwear (Braies) in the front. For this, outerwear or a cape (Heuke, Giubberello) was worn.

At first, the codpiece was a “bag” that was tied to a doublet. In the 16th century, there was a greater emphasis on the codpiece. The codpiece became a decorative element. It was often stuffed to give it volume, giving it a vertical position. The codpiece was a very prominent part of the trousers (Pluderhosen) of the 16th century. In the 1570s, Pluderhosen became very voluminous and the codpiece did not stand out. The fashion at Pluderhosen turned into a trend for breeches (culottes) and the codpiece “dissolved”. The fashion for codpieces did not last very long, about 100 years.

The codpiece appeared in armor fashion only in the middle of the 16th century, under the influence of ordinary fashion. Before this transition, knights wore special “pants” made of chain mail – Brayette.