Blouse

The cool climate of northern Europe makes wearing clothes that fit the body snugly at the wrist and neck almost a necessity to retain body heat. This high stand-up collar was made from two thicknesses of cloth, embroidered with wool in small and closely packed cross stitch, creating a substantial fabric with a fair degree of rigidity. It would have been secured with a piece of silver jewellery inserted through the two loops. Not only would the wearer's neck and shoulders have been kept warm, but the height of the collar would have required her to maintain her head in an elegant, upright posture.

It is difficult to achieve a sharp, crisp edge at the bottom of a neck slit such as this. As the fabric is turned under and secured, there is a tendency for the slit to widen into a curve. In order to disguise this and to reinforce the part most vulnerable to tearing, a few interlacing stitches have been worked with blue wool.