In the 17th and 18th centuries, lace was a valuable and luxurious commodity which men wore primarily as decoration at the neck and cuffs. Most waistcoats were made of silk, elaborately embroidered at the edges and pockets, and often with an overall spotted or sprig motif. Here, the lace design mimics the lines and placement of the embroidery on the more typical silk examples. Lace waistcoats such as this one were rare, and there are very few extant examples.