Bodice insets entered the national costume from the end of the 16th century, when waistcoats and cardigans had a more open cut in the chest following the influence of new European fashion.
They were given a protective function, not only in a physical sense, but also in the form of decorative protective symbols such as eight-petalled roses, bowen knots and metal laces.
You can see a great deal of variation in the older cloths, almost none are exactly alike. A woman could have several cloths for use on different occasions. They got a personal touch since they were decorated with what you had access to; glass beads, a metal broach, or a piece of silk ribbon
