Dictionary

Ruff is a detachable pleated collar made of linen or lace starched into a distinctive shape and supported underneath. Ruffles were considered as luxury garments and originally worn by men under their jackets, as well as by women later on. The purpose of wearing the ruff besides luxury was to protect the outer fabric of the clothes. At the end of the 16th century, the ruff was generally replaced by other types of collars, however the modern designers sometimes feature their variations of the ruffles in new collections too.