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doublet

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A fitted, close-fitting jacket worn over a shirt by men from the 14th to 17th centuries, emblematic of Renaissance fashion, masculinity, and social aspiration in poetic portraiture.

Detailed Definition
The doublet was the defining upper garment of the early modern man, shaped to the torso with stiffening, padding, and lacing, often adorned with slashes to reveal contrasting lining. In Elizabethan and Jacobean verse, the doublet is a shorthand for male vanity, martial readiness, or courtly elegance. Poets describe its fabric—velvet, satin, or taffeta—and its details—buttons, embroidery, and sleeves—to paint a vivid picture of a gentleman's standing. The doublet also appears in scenes of undressing, where its removal signifies intimacy or a lowering of guard, as well as in combat, where a slashed doublet indicates a wound narrowly escaped. Shakespeare's plays are rich with doublet references, often used in comic or critical asides about fashion's ephemeral nature, reminding readers that clothing does not make the man.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Oh my captain, you are a secret compass in my breast pocket. A tiny urgency within my doublet" (Hello Poetry); "His doublet of slashed velvet proclaimed him a man of fashion and fortune"; "The doublet's tight fit left no room for secrets—or for breath"; "She sewed the torn doublet by candlelight, each stitch a prayer for his return"; "The doublet's silk shimmered like the surface of a dark pool"; "He doffed his doublet and stood in his shirt, mortal and unadorned"
Additional Notes
The doublet was the defining upper garment of the early modern man, shaped to the torso with stiffening, padding, and lacing, often adorned with slashes to reveal contrasting lining. In Elizabethan and Jacobean verse, the doublet is a shorthand for male vanity, martial readiness, or courtly elegance. Poets describe its fabric—velvet, satin, or taffeta—and its details—buttons, embroidery, and sleeves—to paint a vivid picture of a gentleman's standing. The doublet also appears in scenes of undressing, where its removal signifies intimacy or a lowering of guard, as well as in combat, where a slashed doublet indicates a wound narrowly escaped. Shakespeare's plays are rich with doublet references, often used in comic or critical asides about fashion's ephemeral nature, reminding readers that clothing does not make the man. Related terms include jerkin, coat, and jacket. Students should note the doublet's role in signaling Renaissance fashion and its association with male identity and social aspiration.
Also Known As
padded jacket Renaissance tunic close-fitting coat
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