Posted by mauriz on March 1, 2015, 5:48 am, in reply to "Re: stomachers"
--Previous Message-- [snip] : However, my belief is that that odd term : "stomacher" originally referred to : a large embroidered decoration covering the : bodice, and for those long pointed bodices : the decoration would have extended down to : over the stomach. [snip]
Not only a decoration, but a (decorated) triangular panel of (boned) fabric itself. The gown was open in the front and the stomacher was used to cover that gap. Two examples from the digital archives of the Kyoto Costume Institute:
A stomacher could have various shapes and sizes over the centuries with some ridiculously unpractical fashion excesses, and was in some periods attached underneath, in others above the dress. The perception of the stomacher as part of the undergarments and thus a tendency to cover it is a fairly late development.