
Doublet
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
This extraordinary doublet is one of only two surviving examples of its type from the 1620s. The only other known doublet of this kind is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Made of luxurious silk embellished with pinking and decorative slits, this doublet followed a fashion that existed barely five years. Pinking, or the intentional slashing of fabric, was a popular decorative technique used to reveal colorful linings, shirts, and chemises. It is possible that this garment was constructed from silk previously pinked for another use as the pattern created does not follow the cut of the garment.
The Costume Institute
An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.