This waistcoat is a fine example of the type of garment worn for formal day wear for Englishwomen of the late 16th and early 17th century. In the portrait, the waistcoat is worn with an Italian needlelace collar and cuffs, a black velvet gown, a red silk petticoat and a whitework apron. The embroidery pattern is typically English of the late 16th and early 17th century featuring a variety of plants, flowers, birds and insects based on images in pattern books, herbals and emblem books.