Arming point

[2] These fastenings evolved from civilian clothing, which used similar tresses to attach sleeves and hose to a doublet, and to hold heavy coats together.

The concept itself predated the Middle Ages, as both Greeks and Romans "used larger pieces of bronze and, later, iron fastened together with internal leathers..."[3] The popularization of full plate armour, however, required specially-made gambesons or arming doublets that could support heavy pieces of armour.

While the hose supporting an arming point on the leg could be made from worsted cloth, for example, additional padding or "blanketing" was usually added to the knee to prevent painful chafing.

[2] Specific arming points needed to be secured first if a warrior was dressing in full plate armour, beginning with the feet and moving upward.

This process allowed plates to overlap, creating a glancing surface that would direct the potentially lethal force of a blow away from the body.