
Waistcoat
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
In the 17th and 18th centuries, lace was a valuable and luxurious commodity which men wore primarily as decoration at the neck and cuffs. Most waistcoats were made of silk, elaborately embroidered at the edges and pockets, and often with an overall spotted or sprig motif. Here, the lace design mimics the lines and placement of the embroidery on the more typical silk examples. Lace waistcoats such as this one were rare, and there are very few extant examples.
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.