Fashion is a very strange thing, especially in the area of clothing. Sometimes a thing doesn't change for centuries. In other cases, it changes in just a couple of years. One of the strangest pieces of European wardrobe is the lush lace collars worn by noblemen during the Renaissance. The collar is especially interesting in light of the fact that it does not look like a thing in any way comfortable.
Surely everyone has seen in the old paintings of noble persons with huge lace collars. At the same time, not everyone knows what it is called this work of the tailors of the Renaissance. Such a collar is called "raf". In the history of fashion, another name is also adopted - "millstone".
The Raf appeared around the beginning of the 16th century in Spain. Popular legend says (no more than a legend) that such a collar was invented by one of the prominent Spanish noblewomen, who had a very ugly neck. In fact, the raf has evolved for a very long time from a small lace collar to a monstrous heap of fabric. This is clearly seen in the portraits of that era.
At first, the "millstone" had very modest dimensions. It is noteworthy that from the very beginning both men and women wore it. However, by the 1560s, the raff had significantly increased in diameter, and after another ten years it had seriously increased in thickness. If you look at all the same portraits, you might get the impression that the court nobles from year to year practiced increasing the raf.
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Interesting fact: after the "millstone" became really big, they began to actively powder and starch it. This was not an easy matter, and therefore whole workshops began to appear in cities, engaged in the care of collars.
There are much more crazy versions and, accordingly, disputes are spawned by the utilitarian functionality of the Raf. Protection against fleas and lice, concealment of syphilis, dirty neck. Some even claim that the raf worked as a fan, helping to hide the smell of sweat. All these versions are absolutely not consistent, if only because long before the 16th century, a huge number of baths and barbers were built in European cities. Cleanliness has always been the hallmark of a wealthy person, and especially a noble one. The stereotype of "unwashed Europe" is, at best, relevant to the Early Middle Ages, which chronologically stands from the moment of the creation of the Raph for several centuries.
Note: there is no need to discuss versions of syphilis. Was the whole Spanish court sick? (rhetorical question).
Did the “millstone” have an applied function? Most probably not. In that era, fashion was very often asked by prominent court officials, as well as the favorites of the rulers. It is possible that the Raf was born with the filing of one of the then "stars" of the Spanish court. Definitely, such a collar has only a decorative function. This version is also supported by the fact that the raf from the wardrobe of the nobility in Spain disappeared almost as easily as it appeared. The outlandish collar was banned already in the 17th century by King Philip IV of Spain.
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Do you want to know even more interesting things? How about reading about 16 ingenious inventions for womenthat are still relevant today.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/110919/51704/