Stays from a transitional period in the 17th century, when the boned bodice was evolving from an outer garment to two separate items: unboned bodice and reinforced stays worn underneath. The luxurious fabric of these stays and the presence of sleeves suggests they might have been worn as outer as well as underclothing in an informal setting The back of the stays reaches as high as the shoulders and covers the very top of the arm. Both the front and back are flattened, creating the long, tubular torso fashionable for women in the 1660s.