An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
"Pockets" held a lady’s handkerchief, keys, money, or love letters. A lady put her hands through the side slits in her overdress to reach her pockets, which were worn tied around the waist under her panniers. These bags were made in a variety of sturdy materials, often covered with silk and embroidered in fanciful patterns.
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.