Man's white silk waistcoat decorated with punching and multi-colour embroidery, Great Britain, late 1780s

Man’s waistcoat with a standing 2-inch (5 cm) collar, revers, straight fronts and straight hem, hip-length. Each front has a welted pocket. The fronts and collar fronts are made of white silk with broad stripes of satin and taffeta, the back and back collar of linen. The waistcoat fronts and pockets are lined with linen; the revers are faced with the white silk striped satin/taffeta. The taffeta stripes are punched in a design of scrolls, with holes of varying size to give the effect of lace over an interlining of pale blue silk taffeta. The waistcoat is embroidered-to-shape with silk floss in white, pink and shades of blue and brown, in a pattern of floral sprigs, on the pocket welts, front collar and revers, along the front edges and hems. There are 11 worked buttonholes along the left front and 11 embroidered buttons on the right front.

The 2 pairs of linen tape ties on the back are probably 19th-century additions.

Punching a configuration of holes on the silk of this waistcoat creates the effect of lace, but much more quickly and inexpensively than real bobbin or needle lace. The holes were made by fine but rounded teeth, which push aside the woven threads rather than cutting them. A close repetition of the pattern suggests that the design was made with a roller, bearing metal teeth of varying sizes. Prior to perforation, the silk was probably treated with starch to make the threads stick together so the holes retain their shape. The fabric may have been specially woven for punching, which has been carried out on areas of silk taffeta dense enough to be perforated without fraying.
The inspiration for this method of decoration comes from a similar technique carried out on paper and card, and used for fans, screens and powder boxes. It is still used today for paper doilies.

835-1907