


I purchased some curtain sheer fabric from my local "fabric warehouse" a long while ago, and I've been slowly using it up for a variety of projects. My latest piece is a soft, romantic ruff made for ladies with long hair so they don't have to put it up in a bun. It's made almost the same way a "traditional" ruff is made, but this drapes gently over the shoulders instead of standing out stiffly from the neck.
This kind of ruff is more popularly seen in clown figures rather than historical reenactments. It's got a quality about it that is decidedly less "formal" than most historically accurate ruffs. I doubt it's something you'd find at a renaissance faire since it's not "authentic" enough, either. It's simply what it is--a pretty expression that's more appropriate to Carnivale, Mardi Gras, or a Venetian Masquerade than in someone's Elizabethan attire... It's for sale in both my Etsy and Artfire sites.
There have been some famous clowns of yore that have worn soft ruffs like this, but most notably the Commedia dell'Arte inspired "Pierrot". From Wikipedia:

This ruff embodies many of the characteristics of the Pierrot clown that inspired it--an artistic naïveté, an innocence, and an optimism that is very different from the harsh and strong edges of a regular ruff. Unlike Elizabethan ruffs with blackwork around the edges, this relaxed and informal ruff isn't haughty or stiff, nor formal and direct. It is gentle, childlike, and hopeful.
Live Life with Relish!
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