without welt or guard

Prepositional phrase

1. (dated, figuratively) Plainly or straightforwardly; without embellishment.
   • … without Flattery or Dissimulation, but relate the Story without Welt or Guard, that these People, who are all Persons of Quality, may understand the want of …1657 (published), The history of the most renowned Don Quixote of Mancha and his trusty squire Sancho Pancha now made English according to the humour of our modern language and adorned with copper...
   • [BEDFORD-SHIRE, proverbs:] [...] / It is applyed to things plain and simple without either welt or guard to adorne them, as also to matters easie and obvious to be found with / [...]
     [WARWICK-SHIRE, Saints:] Jacob, a plain man, with Nathaniel an Israelite without guile, welt or gard.1662, Thomas Fuller, The history of the worthies of England
2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see without, welt, guard. Of clothing, etc: not having a welt or hem.
   • For, as the Romans, a gowned nation, gave unto them that were entring into mans estate, a virile and plaine gowne, without welt or guard : even so, the Germans our Ancestors bestowed upon their young men, whom they judged meet [...]1610, William Camden, Britain, or A chorographicall description