Brigandine was medieval armour made from small metal plates riveted between layers of cloth or leather.
The plates were usually arranged so that the protective garment remained relatively flexible while covering the torso. Rivets often showed on the outer surface, creating one of the garment’s most recognizable visual features. Brigandines could be worn over padding and alongside other armour, including helmets, mail, and arm defenses.
The form became especially common in Europe during the later Middle Ages and continued into the early modern period. Its design offered a compromise between protection, mobility, and practical construction. The exact materials and arrangement varied, so surviving examples are not all identical.
A brigandine is not the same as a gambeson, which is padded textile armour without the same internal metal-plate structure. It also differs from a coat of plates, although the two types can overlap in historical descriptions.