This ensemble of plain wool serge, probably once black, now faded to brown, is a rare example of everyday men’s dress of the early 17th century. It is lined for warmth with a linen pile fabric, similar to modern towelling. The doublet openings are faced with shot silk, perhaps to deceive a casual observer that the whole garment was lined with a more luxurious fabric.
The cut of the ensemble may represent the rather old-fashioned tastes of someone from a rural area or an older man. By 1625 slashed or paned sleeves were coming into fashion and a longer, slimmer cut of breeches replacing the full style seen here.