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stomacher, ornamental garment worn at the front of the upper body by men and women from the end of the 15th until the late 18th century. At the end of the 15th century, men’s jackets often had a V-opening allowing for a decorative front-piece, or stomacher, and women’s gowns were laced over an open bodice that was also filled in with a stomacher, which could be embroidered, jewelled, or decorated with bows.
In time the stomacher grew more rigid, being stiffened with pasteboard or buckram. Queen Elizabeth I wore stiff, pointed stomachers that reached below the waist and worked against the natural lines of the body. Stomachers were worn well into the 18th century, until women’s fashions became less rigid.
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