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Show ORIGIN OF THE NECK RUFF Said to Have Been Devised by a Spanish Span-ish Princess for a Very Particular Par-ticular Reason. It is said that the neck ruff, the sort worn by Queen Elizabeth, which may be considered as the ancestor of most of the modern starched muslin neckwear, neck-wear, was devised by a Spanish princess prin-cess to cover a scar or blemish on her neck. These dainty articles of apparel were considered a tremendous extravagance extrav-agance wln-n they were first introduced intro-duced into England. For they could not be worn after washing. England knew nothing of the art of starching and the starched muslin was imported from the continent. Later some clever person, on the lookout for a new vocation, took lessons les-sons in starching, and set up a starching starch-ing shop in London. Even then starched neckwear was considered a vanity. Philip Stnbbes. who wrote many clever and satirical words anent the fashions of his day and published his writings in spoke of starch as the "devil's liquor." In those days, as in these, the collar that tlttred high and wide at t lie back of the neck was held out with sup-poriasses sup-poriasses or underprops of wire, covered cov-ered with gold thread, silver or silk. |