Stomacher

A stomacher was an essential accessory in women's fashion in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It consisted of shaped piece of fabric, which filled in the gap between the fronts of a woman's open gown. Stomachers were often richly embellished to contrast with the fabrics and decoration of the gown.

This example is roughly square with shaping for the armhole on each side, and laps (or tabs) at the waist in imitation of those on a man's doublets. The stomacher would have been pinned in place at the sides, under the gown. A ribbon tied through the lacing holes at the centre front would have attached the stomacher to the bodies (or stays) worn underneath and held it taut.

.