Partlet
The partlet covers the area between the dress and the neck - basically covering the chest and shoulders - to varying degrees and ties under the arms. The accessory dates from the Tudor and Elizabethan period (England, 1500 - 1600) and Flemish working-class women 1550s - 1570. The original garment was intended for warmth, but by the mid 16th century, it'd purpose was purely decorative, and thus it was made from very light weight materials.
It could be used in varying ways, either to make things more modest, or to make things veiled and enticing. The partlet either gathers to a tight band at the neck, or lays flat with only the front two or three inches gathered to the neckband. In either case, it opens at the front, where the neckband is fastened together with laces, or hooks and eyes.
Earlier versions of the partlett include: a scapula.
