A
jerkin is a man's short close-fitting
jacketA jacket is a type of sleeved hip- or waist-length garment for the upper body. For clothing older than the mid-nineteenth century, a distinction is often maintained with a coat, but in many instances the terms are now interchangeable. A jacket is generally shorter, ending just below the waist, and...
, made usually of light-colored
leatherLeather is a material created through the tanning of hides and skins of animals, primarily cattlehide. The tanning process converts the putrescible skin into a durable and versatile material....
, and often without
sleeveSleeve is that part of a garment which covers the arm, or through which the arm passes or slips. Originally invented to serve as a snot-rag or handy handkerchief; the pattern of the sleeve is one of the characteristics of fashion in dress, varying in every country and period...
s, worn over the
doubletA doublet is a man's snug-fitting buttoned jacket that was worn in Western Europe from the Middle Ages through to the mid-17th century. The term also refers to a formal jacket worn with highland dress, a variation of which is called an Argyll jacket or Prince Charlie jacket .Originally it was a...
in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The term is also applied to a similar sleeveless garment worn by the
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
in the twentieth century.
The stock phrase
buff jerkinThe European Buff coat was an item of leather clothing worn by both the infantry and cavalry during the 17th century, usually worn under armour...
refers to an oiled oxhide jerkin, as worn by soldiers.
The origin of the word is unknown. The
DutchDutch is a West Germanic language spoken by over 22 million people as a native language, and over 5 million people as a second language.
"1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language...
word
jurk, a child's
frockFrock has been used since Middle Englishas the name for an article of clothing for men and women .- History of the frock :...
, often taken as the source, is modern, and represents neither the sound nor the sense of the English word.
Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Leather jerkins of the sixteenth century were often slashed and punched, both for decoration and to improve the fit.
Jerkins were worn closed at the neck and hanging open over the
peascod-bellied fashion of doublet. At the turn of the seventeenth century, the fashion was to wear the jerkin buttoned at the waist and open above to reflect the fashionable narrow-waisted silhouette.
By the mid-seventeenth century, jerkins were high-waisted and long-skirted like doublets of the period.
Twentieth century
During the
First World WarWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, the British army issued brown leather jerkins to the troops as a measure to protect against the cold but to allow freedom of movement. These garments generally had four buttons and were lined with khaki
woolWool is a fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles. The wool is taken from animals in the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals including: goats, llamas, and rabbits may also be called wool...
. They were practical, hardwearing and extremely appreciated by officers and other ranks alike. During the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the leather jerkins were again issued to all the Commonwealth forces and were universally popular. Jerkins made in Canada were dark brown with black wool linings and differed in general appearance from the British jerkins.
The jerkins from the Second World War had
bakeliteBakelite , or polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is an early plastic. It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian chemist Dr...
buttons instead of brass and were each unique in that they were finished around the bottom edges with offcuts in a bid to eliminate waste. Warm and comfortable to wear whilst fighting, working or driving, these drab garments came to characterise the British forces as a preferred alternative to the heavy greatcoats that other armies persisted with.
A practical garment known as the Battle Jerkin was developed in 1942 by Colonel Rivers-MacPherson of the British Army; a modification of the English hunting vest, it was developed into a garment made of leather (canvas versions were also created) with multiple pockets, intended to replace the conventional web gear then in use. It was issued to assault troops for the Normandy landings and was used widely by commando personnel in 1944-45.
During the post war period, a much less distinctive
PVCPolyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter - a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
version was introduced to the forces. WD surplus leather jerkins flooded the UK during the 1950s and 1960s and were a common sight on manual workmen across the country. Wartime vintage leather jerkins are now collector's items, and at least one UK firm has produced a facsimile. The Belgian Army also produced vinyl jerkins in the postwar era.