Costume

Such finery was the attire of choice for fashionistas of the 16th and early 17 centuries. Men, women and children donned ‘ruffs’ such as this one upon their necks - the thickness and detail of the ruffs growing ever more elaborate as those who wore them sought to show off their social standing. Up to 17.5 metres of fine linen, gathered into hundreds of pleats, created the ruffled look, while starch and cone-shaped setting irons enabled them to be styled to suit one’s personal taste.