A ruff is an item of clothing worn in Western, Central and Northern Europe, as well as Spanish America, from the mid-16th century to the mid-17th century. The round and flat variation is often called a millstone collar after its resemblance to millstones for grinding grain.

The ruff collar is one of the most recognizable symbols of Elizabethan fashion. Picture Queen Elizabeth I, her head surrounded by a crisp, fanlike collar, or William Shakespeare, the most famous author of the time, whose own likeness and theatrical productions depict the …

The ruff, also known as the Elizabethan collar, was a prominent piece of clothing worn by men, women, and children. It was worn from the late Tudor era to the reigns of the Stuarts, roughly from the 1560s to the 1630s.

Women's Pleated Ruffle Collar Ruff Neck Shawl Detachable Victorian Elizabethan Costume

Sep 20, 2017 · Decorative removable pleated collar popular during the mid to late 16th and 17th century. T he ruff is defined in Fashion: The Definitive History of Costume and Style simply as: “A detachable pleated collar in linen and/or lace starched into shape and sometimes supported underneath” (Brown 455).

Feb 7, 2025 · The Elizabethan ruff is easily identified: a large, stiff, upright, usually lace collar that, in all honesty, looks uncomfortable and awkward. The Elizabethan collar that dominated fashion during the 16th and 17th centuries, however, was an …

Aug 20, 2024 · What is a Ruff Collar? Picture this: a circular collar made of starched fabric, pleated and folded into intricate patterns, standing proud around the wearer's neck. That, dear friends, is a ruff collar. It's like the Renaissance version of a …

ruff, in dresswear, crimped or pleated collar or frill, usually wide and full, worn in Europe, especially from the mid-16th century into the 17th century, by both men and women. The beginnings of the ruff can be seen in the early years of the 16th century, when men allowed the top of the shirt to be exposed.

Jan 12, 2025 · History books and pictorial depictions of the time never forget – whether for Elizabeth I or William Shakespeare – to draw these gigantic fan-shaped collars around the heads. But where did this fashion come from, and who could wear it?

Nov 1, 2024 · Their collars stood upright more than out, a face-framing take on the trend influenced by French Queen Marie de’ Medici — and one that came up against the growing Puritan movement in England. Prominent figures in the movement, such as Philip Stubbes, condemned ruffs as symbols of vanity and excess.