Stomacher

A dress such as open robe in the eighteenth century was worn with a stomacher, a V-shaped panel, which covered the front of the bodice. To keep the bosom from standing out, the stomacher was extravagantly adorned with embroidery, laces, rows of ribbons called "échelle" (ladder), and sometimes jewelry. Since stomachers needed to be pinned to the dress each time they were worn, to wear was time-consuming.