In Praise of the Statement Collar (and a Few Dozen to Shop)

And a brief history of the Elizabethan ruff

Aug 28, 2024

As I shared on my Instagram last week, my sleep schedule lately has been abysmal and I’ve been staying up way past my (ideal) bedtime. I really need to get it together, but while we wait, I’ve been having a field day scrolling Etsy and TheRealReal at 2am. My latest treasures? A grab bag of vintage white-lace collars for $8.

I don’t know what it is about a white statement collar that tickles my fancy. It could be that, until I was 14 years old, I wore a school-mandated uniform that included a Peter Pan collar. It could be the stately portraits of nuns in their habits that filled the halls of my all-girls' Catholic school. Or it could be the result of my English heritage, on my Mom’s side, and my past life as a 16th century frazzled English woman. I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. What I do know, though, is that any kind of white collar–be it the influence of academia; clergy; Wednesday Addams; or the Elizabethan, Victorian, and Edwardian eras–is my weakness. And I do wish the Elizabethan ruff would become more mainstream (and I applaud Alessandro Michele for including them in his Cruise 2023 collection for Gucci, shown below).

For any curious minds out there, ruffs were worn as functional pieces of clothing in the 16th and 17th centuries–much closer to a child’s bib than a full-blown adult (such as myself)’s styling preferences–as their purpose was to keep the wearer’s doublet or gown neat and tidy. The stiffness of the garment forced upright posture–I’m having visions of Queen Clarice Renaldi giving Mia Thermopolis princess lessons–and they quickly became a symbol of wealth and status.

The evolution of the ruff, c/o The Closet Historian.

Anyways, back to present day, there are a few brands–namely Tanner Fletcher, Alessandra Rich, Sandy Liang, Dôen, Chylak, and Salter House–who routinely deliver in the White Collar Department, whether with a Peter Pan style, ghost-like lace, or pussy bow. I’d like to think of them as modern-day ruffs, even if they don’t keep my outfit safe from Grady’s Cold Brew spills (woopsies). And it’s my pleasure to deliver this roundup to you as you’re planning your F/W 2024 wardrobe.