Doublet Merchant
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Le Marchand pourpointier | The Doublet Merchant
"Portrait of a Man with his Doublet Ajar", 17th century oil painting by Lucas Franchoys the Younger, Wikimedia Commons.
The marchand pourpointier was a merchant who sold doublets (a man's short, close-fitting padded jacket). In French, the doublet is called a pourpoint.
The doublet was first worn in Spain and then spread to Western Europe from the late Middle Ages up to the mid-17th century. It was hip- or waist-length, and men wore it over their shirt or drawers, as seen in the painting on the left. By the 1600s, doublets were short-waisted and could feature decorative ribbons that were pulled through the breeches’ and waist’s eyelets to keep the breeches in place.
In the mid-17th century, the royal courts of France and England began to adopt a different costume that featured a long coat, a waistcoat, a cravat, a wig, and breeches. This spelled the end of the doublet, which fell out of fashion.
Source: Susan J. Torntore, “Doublet”, LovetoKnow Fashion History (https://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-accessories/mens-hosiery).