Undershirt, vest

This child's knitted wool vest was found at Finsbury in London. It is a rare survival of a knitted garment from this period. It is seamless, suggesting it was knitted on four needles, a very old technique. Knitted shirts or vests are mentioned in a list of knitted items in an Act of Parliament of 1552 limiting the times of year that wool could be bought and sold. Poorer people could find a bargain at the second hand clothes dealers ('fripperers') in Houndsditch, but many relied on homespun woollen clothes and home-knitted vests and hose. This garment offers a rare insight into how children were protected from the cold.

The slit is down the front of the vest, allowing it to be pulled over the head.