Clothing of landsknechts struck by the wealth and ornaments. Mercenaries were exempt from the laws and rules which defined style and appearance of garments for other citizens. Emperor Maximilian gave them this right: "Their life is so short and bleak, that the great clothes is one of their few pleasures. I'm not going to bereave them of it".
Costumes of landsknechts were known for their decorative style "puffs and cuts", that appeared as a result of cutting of outer clothing and padding the lower layers through these incisions. Sleeves and pants were often grotesquely inflated. Often the sleeves differed in the palette of colours and even in the contours of puffs from one another! Legs sometimes differed too. They wore broad flat hats, of huge sizes, often decorated with ostrich feathers. Some soldiers wore "obscenely" large bags, embroidered and with jewelry, covering their genitals. Even their shoes were decorated in the style of "puffs and cuts."
Landsknecht's life was often short. Every effort was made to compensate this with women, wine, bright clothing and the cost of hiring.
This landsknecht costume consists of five elements:
- hat made of 2-color wool
- linen undershirt with contrast trimming
- linen tunic with slits
- wool coat with contrast trimming
- stockings with woolen breeches