Shopping for lace in seventeenth century London

This engraving by Abraham Bosse shows the interior of a Parisian gallery in the 1650s where lace, embroidery and other haberdashery items were sold. Examples of the pieces for sale are pinned on the wall behind the counter and saleswomen and their assistants are shown dealing with the customers. A similar establishment, called the New Exchange, opened in London, on the south side of the Strand, in 1609 and was described as having two long double galleries one above the other, which housed ‘great numbers of very rich shops of drapers and mercers filled with goods of every kind’ according to Count Lorenzo Magalotti who visited it in 1669. High quality fabrics and dress accessories were also sold in shops crowded together along the old London Bridge, which at that time was the only crossing over the River Thames in London. In 1633 the bridge was nearly destroyed in a fire that started in a needle makers shop. Luckily the bridge survived but 41 shops selling fabrics, hats, gloves and haberdashery were destroyed – imagine the value of all the beautiful things lost in that fire. These galleries were a place to shop but also a place to promenade and show off ones clothes. However, according to a satirical pamphlet of the time, the best place to show off was the middle aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral, where fashionable young men would congregate every morning to parade up and down, showing off their latest fashions, lace and accessories. The pamphlet advises them that ‘four turns’ of this catwalk were enough as any more than that would be boring for their audience!

A close up of the engraving shows the type of lace items being sold readymade to customers. There seem to be several styles of collar, some with lace edgings round a linen collar and others made entirely of lace. The latest fashion in lace at the time would have been Flemish bobbin lace, which was a flat style with detailed designs (the lower piece in the photo below), however Italian bobbin lace was also popular, and you can see an example of that in the upper piece below.

Needle lace and various styles of cutwork were also fashionable, so there was a varied choice for customers. Styles of neckwear were changing at this time from the ruffs  of the sixteenth century to the falling bands and soft collars of the seventeenth century, which most of the customers are wearing, and this shop seems to have both in stock. As well as collars the image shows lace cuffs and fans for sale. There are also some rosette shapes which are probably decorations for shoes. This shop would also have sold lace trimmings and lengths of lace for customers to buy and apply to their own clothes. Larger and more important items would have been commissioned and the design and type of lace discussed with the lace merchant. It is interesting to see that saleswomen seem to be advising the customers while their male assistants are collecting items off the shelf or boxing them up and wrapping them once the purchase has been made. Most shopping at this time would have been done locally because the cost of transporting goods was high. However many people took advantage of any of their friends and family visiting London, giving them requests to buy items of lace for them. It’s always difficult buying things for other people though and frustrating for them if the item isn’t exactly what they wanted, so it was not an easy task. However, it must have been very exciting for Londoners and visitors alike when these new galleries opened and people could wander past a series of shops selling so many luxury items and browse a variety of beautiful things.