In terms of the technical development of European armor, the
fourteenth century is often referred to as the "age of
experimentation." Mail armor was being reinforced with a range
of additional defenses of varying shapes and construction for
different parts of the body, ultimately leading to the
development of the complete suit of plate armor in the following
century. An equal variety is witnessed in the use of materials,
such as quilted fabrics, hardened leather (cuir bouilli), and
metal plates. The fourteenth century also witnessed some
remarkable changes in civilian fashion. During the first quarter
of the century, the waist as an individual feature of human
anatomy began to be emphasized by the cut of the upper garment,
and not by girdle or belt alone as before. From around 1340
onward, the upper part of the garment became increasingly
tighter, while the waistline was continuously lowered until it
reached a line with the crotch, and the skirt (of male garments)
became constantly shorter. Contemporary chron