• Home
  • About
  • Get in Touch
  • Costume History & Fashion Legends [Essays in English]
  • Žurnāls (modes vēsturnieka piezīmes, jaunumi, dažādas tēmas un stāsti. Arhīvs)
  • Modes vēstures blogs (vēsturiski tērpi, tērpa piederumi, modes aksesuāri & rotas tuvplānā)
  • Kostīmu vēstures leģendas (senāki laiki)

Costume History & Fashion Legends

Picture

The compendium of fashion stories & mini essays that combine my special interest in the greatest secrets of historical fashion & costume legends. Since I have always liked to write stories and to find out the historical origins and development of the components of the costume, I have created content that shows the interaction between literary aspects and the work of fashion detective. 

Ruffles, Flounces, Frills...

7/19/2018

0 Comments

 
François Hubert Drouais. Portrait of a Woman, Said to be Madame Charles Simon Favart (Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray, (Detail) 1727-1772). Date of Creation: 1757
François Hubert Drouais. Portrait of a Woman, Said to be Madame Charles Simon Favart (Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray, 1727-1772). Date of Creation: 1757
François Hubert Drouais. Portrait of a Woman, Said to be Madame Charles Simon Favart (Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray, 1727–1772). Date of Creation: 1757 Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Image: Public Domain
Ruffles, flounces and frills - all this apparent stuff on our dresses, blouses, skirts and shirts historically have been an important element of costume decoration. There have been several periods when these little frills were so popular in particular... Those who loved to adorn their outfits with ruffles, frills and flounces were not only women... There were soldiers and courtiers who, at some stages, stood out with spectacular ruffles or tiny frills that flickered in their luxurious costumes. 
Looking back into history, we will conclude that today's widely used ruffle have an ancient and interesting history. But let's first think about the difference in their names! 


All these words can refer to quite a similar or close meaning. So to speak, in the broader sense of a word,  in sewing and dressmaking terminology, - ruffles and frills are a strips of fabric, lace or ribbon that is tightly gathered or pleated on the edge and applied to a garment or any other textile piece as a form of trimming. 

Frill - according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, frill a gathered, pleated, or bias-cut fabric edging used on clothing. Figuratively it also refers to something decorative or useful and desirable but not essential. [14.]

Ruffle - ruffle is  a pleated piece of decorative fabric often used as trim on clothes. The word ruffle is mysterious, but it might be from the Low German word ruffelen which means "to wrinkle." A ruffle on the bottom of a dress is like a fancy wrinkle. [15. ]

Flounce - according to Collins dictionary, a flounce is a piece of cloth that has been sewn into folds and put around the edge of something, for example a gown with a flounce around the hem, or a skirt, tablecloth, curtain. [16.]
​
Such meaning of 'flounce' first was recorded in 1665–75 as an alteration of obsolete frounce / wrinkle. [17.]

Origins of Ruffle 

Rodrigo de Villandrando, Isabel of France, ca. 1620. Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Rodrigo de Villandrando, Isabel of France, ca. 1620. Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid. Image: Wikimedia Commons
Interestingly, the ruffles that we associate with women's costumes actually first appeared in men's clothing. Historically, ruffles were unisex.  They first appeared in 15th-century, when Landsknechts - mercenary soldiers wore several layers of clothing and often slashed their sleeve ends to reveal the fabric beneath. The natural wrinkles that appeared were then appropriated by garment makers, who sewed flexible strings into their clothes. These could be pulled tighter to give a fashionable ruffled appearance. [11.] 

The next stage of development were the ruff that evolved during 1540's from the small frill produced by a tasselled drawstring at the neck of the shirt or chemise. Initially the ruff was a practical way of protecting the neckline of a doublet or bodice from dirt and grease. It eventually became a separate garment that expanded in shape and size until the 1590's, when it developed into a rigid upstanding collar that encircled the head and was sometimes as wide as the wearer's shoulders. [1.] 
​

Wearing of such ruff culminated with the Elizabethan era when it became a heavily starched accessory. Sources say, that the posture-correcting ruff was worn by both men and women of high standing, from William Shakespeare to Queen Elizabeth I. [ racked] At the height of their popularity, they could span up to a foot in width, sometimes requiring internal wire to keep them in place. A hot iron, not dissimilar to a fireplace poker, was even invented to expertly pleat the fabric. [11.]
​

Royal Opulence of Ruffles and Frills in the 18th Century 

Elizabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Marie Antoinette, 1783.
Elizabeth Vigée-Lebrun. Marie Antoinette, 1783. Location: Palace of Versailles. Image: Wikimedia Commons
And then came not only ruffles, but also frivolous frills, demonstrating the attitude of the aristocracy and  the previously unseen luxury. The ruffles and frills also did not disappear in men's clothing. In fact, both men’s and women’s fashions featured the lace sleeve or necktie as a more gentle interpretation of what had come before. In the 18th century, stiff cambric shirts, made from a material similar to linen, became popular for men. Cambric was also used to make jabots: heavily ruffled neckties worn by men to cover the openings of their dress shirts. [11.]

Fashionable and flirty ladies of the 18th-century, such as Madame de Pompadour and Marie Antoinette, forever strengthened role of frills and ruffles into the fashion scene. Ruffles and frills symbolized the frivolity of the court society, and also played their role in the composition of the Rococo style dress. The frills, that were made into fine folds and ruffles of airy lace corresponded to the mood of the era, creating pearly flickering lightness and almost theatrical environment.

Victorian Flounces, Frills and Ruffles 

Fashion plate from Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1871.
Fashion plate from Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1871. Image: Google Search

And then the flounces appeared. Besides, it was not just the flounces alone.

The 19th century shows a very rich scene of ornamental décor, as women's outfits at the same time were adorned not only in frills, but also in ruffles, and especially in flounces, which since the beginning of the century have been added to the bottom of the dress. Gradually the intensity of the decoration increased throughout the century. At first, there was one flounce at the bottom of the dress, and then the ruffles were on a number of levels, especially in the middle of the century. In Victorian England, women’s dresses were decorated with bustles, tiers of flounces, and ruffles in endless cascades, culminating at the end of the century during 1870's. 

And yet ruffles still do not disappear in men's outfits. The elaborately tied or ruffled necktie was a sign of a perfect dandy. From Lord Byron to Beau Brummell, the early 19th century saw the rise of the fashion-obsessed decadent man. [11.]  Ridiculed as essentially effeminate and shallow, it was a short-lived trend. [11.]  By the end of the 19th century, simplicity was in vogue and ruffles disappeared from menswear. 

Rise and Down 

Fashion Plate from Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1875.
Fashion Plate from Le Moniteur de la Mode, 1875. Image: Google Search

During the 20th century, both the rise and fall of the popularity of the ruffles were experienced. It was really only in the 20th century when the ruffle was not there anymore in men's attire, or - to put it more precisely, they no longer seemed acceptable. Ruffles, frills and flounces were so very popular in women's dresses during the 1930's, 40's and especially in the 50's. In the 1950's, Christian Dior’s voluminous New Look allowed women to return into the realm of romanticism with more elaborate style after the rigid years of the war. Mid-century fashion also saw the rise of the peplum waist, another variation on the ruffle. In a decade when women’s roles were increasingly narrowed and idealized, the ruffle became more clearly gendered than ever — and synonymous with all that was feminine and sweet. [11.] 

In the second half of the 20th century, ruffles once again experienced falls and ups. But the romantic 70's brought them again, while the aggressively romantic and even neo-romantic 80's gave them a completely new meaning. And so, once again, they came back cyclically and disappeared, moving along the spiral of fashion to the present day.

Picture
During the 1940's ruffles were in fashion almost everywhere. As seen in the photo taken ca. 1944, ruffles were the medium to get the look during the harsh times of the war. Image: Google Search
References & Further Reading: 

1. Fashion - the whole story. (general editor: Marnie Fogg). - Thames & Hudson, 2013.
2.  www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436213 !!!!
3.chatterblossom.blogspot.com/2013/09/friday-photo-swoon-riveted-by-ruffles.html​
4.www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2016/09-10/daily-life-france-fashion-marie-antoinette/
5.www.differencebetween.net/language/words-language/differences-between-ruffles-and-frills/​
6.www.thefreedictionary.com/flounce 
7.www.universityoffashion.com/blog/just-ruffles-spain-inspires-international-fashion/​
8.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffle
9.en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ruffle
10. www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/spring-summer-2018-fashion-trend-ruffles
11.www.racked.com/2017/2/13/14461300/ruffle-history
12.fashionmagazine.com/fashion/history-of-ruffles/
13.www.vogue.it/en/fashion/trends/2017/03/23/trend-spring-summer-2017-ruffles-then-and-now/
14. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frill
15.​www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ruffle
16.​www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/flounce
17. www.dictionary.com/browse/flouncing 
Picture

You May Also Like:

0 Comments

    Follow Me:

    Contact Me: 

    Share this story & Flip it! 

    Other Stories In This Section

    Author

    My name is Edīte Parute and I am a fashion historian and researcher from Latvia, association member at "The Association of Dress Historians" (UK) and author of the book "Stila un modes enciklopēdija"/"Encyclopedia of Style and Fashion" (2010) as well as author of many publications. 
    Have a look around my website to see information about the things I do, and if you have any questions or suggestions regarding fashion history themes to add to my blog, please feel free to contact me! 
    ​

    Message to Ad-Block users:

    Dear visitors,
    ​Almost nothing in this world is free, but there are still things that are original, interesting, useful for many of us and they are created by people who give them to the world for free. They create it by investing their knowledge and effort so that you can use it - to learn, to find out what's new ...
    The ads shown on this site help me to create a new content,  and they are just as useful to learn about new opportunities, goods and services. This site uses the most intelligent and polite way of displaying ads and it NEVER spams you with them! If you like the content that you can read on this page (for free), please be so kind and disable your Ad-block or just whitelist this site. By doing so, you will prove that this content is of interest to you. If not, then keep in mind that

    ad-blocking prevents me from continuing to produce the content that I do provide free of charge. Therefore a creation of a new content 
    will be slower and more difficult to implement, due to your Ad-block. Thank you for understanding!

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

    Categories

    All
    1780s Fashion
    17th Century Jewelry
    17th Century Rings
    1860s Era Of Fashion
    1870's Fashion
    1889
    18th Century Breeches
    18th Century Costume
    18th Century Fashion
    18th Century Jewelry
    18th Century Menswear
    18th Century Rings
    1900s Fashion
    1920s Fashion
    1950s Fashion
    19th Century Fashion
    19th Century Menswear
    20th Century Fashion Design
    Aesthetic Movement
    Aigrette
    Albert Lesage
    Alice Jopling
    A-Line
    Ambergris
    Ancient Bikini
    Ancient Crete
    Ancient Egypt
    Ancient Greece
    Ancient Greek Art
    Ancient Hairpins
    Ancient Hairstyles
    Ancient Legends
    Ancient Revival Style
    Ancient Rings
    Anglomania
    Aniline Dyes
    Animal Prints
    Apkallu
    Applique Embroidery
    Aquascutum
    Aran Knitwear
    Aran Sweaters
    Archeology
    Arlecchino
    Art And Craft
    Art Deco Fashion
    Arthur Boy Capel
    Art Nouveau
    Art Nouveau Rings
    Art Nouveau Style
    Arts And Crafts Movement
    Asia Minor
    Audrey Hepburn
    Azurite
    Balaclava
    Balenciaga
    Ball Gown
    Balmoral Cap
    Basket
    Basket Bag
    Bauta
    Beach Pyjamas
    Beau Brummel
    Beau Brummell
    Beauty And The Beast
    Beetle Wings
    Beetle Wings Embroidery
    Bell Bottoms
    Belted Raincoat
    Benzoin
    Bettina Blouse
    Bettina Graziani
    Bikini
    Bikini Girls
    Black
    Black As A Color Of Fashion
    Black As A Fashion Statement
    Black Attire
    Black Bile
    Black Clothing
    Black Dress
    Black Tie Dress Code
    Blazer
    Blue Denim
    Blue Dye
    Blue Jeans
    Bluestockings
    Boho Brides
    Bolinus Brandaris
    Border Tartan
    Botanical
    Botanical Jewelry
    Bouquet De Corsage
    Bouquet Holder
    Boutonniere
    Breakfast At Tiffany's
    Breton Shirt
    Bridal Veil
    Bucket Bag
    Calathos
    Cannes 2017
    Cannes International Film Festival 2017
    Cardigan
    Carl Wilhelm Scheele
    Carmel Snow
    Carnival Masks
    Carole
    Castellani
    Cecil Beaton
    Chalk Stripes
    Chandelier Earrings
    Chanel
    Chanel Handbag
    Chanel No.5
    Chanel Suit
    Chapelet
    Chaplet
    Charioteer Of Delphi
    Charles Baudelaire
    Charles Frederick Worth
    Charles Macintosh
    Cheetah Print
    Chintz
    Chiton
    Choker
    Choker Necklace
    Christian Dior
    Christmas Traditions
    Circle Dance
    Classic Pattern
    Cluster Rings
    Coachella Flower Crowns
    Cochineal
    Coco Chanel
    Collier Du Chien
    Colombina
    Color Green
    Color Orange
    Color White
    Color Yellow
    Comma Heel
    Cornucopia
    Corolla
    Corolle Line
    Corona
    Corona Civica
    Corona Obsidionalis
    Corsage
    Corseted Bodice
    Costume Jewelry
    Court Dress
    Coverchief
    Crakows
    Cravat
    Crinoline Era
    Cristobal Balenciaga
    Crossed-loop Knitting
    Crotalia Earrings
    Cubist Sweaters
    Cuff Links
    Culottes
    Dandyism
    Dangling Earrings
    Decolletage
    Decollete
    Dog Collar
    Domino Costume
    Domino Mask
    Dress Code
    Dress History
    Druidism
    Earrings
    East India Company
    Edwardian Fashion
    Edward Steichen
    Ellen Terry
    Elsa Schiaparelli
    Embroidery
    Embroidery House
    Emerald Green
    Emile Pingat
    Empress Sisi
    Ernest Beaux
    Eugene Grasset
    Evening Dress
    Evening Jacket
    Faience Ring
    Fair Isle
    Fair Isle Sweaters
    Fairy-tale
    Fashion Brand From Latvia
    Fashion Design In Latvia
    Fashion Engravings
    Fashion History
    Fashion Journalism
    Fashion Trendsetter
    Fede Ring
    Femme Fatale
    Festons
    Fillet
    Finger Rings
    First Corsets
    First Fashion Reviews
    Flamenco Dress
    Flammeum
    Floral
    Floral Cloth Pattern
    Floralia
    Floral Patterns
    Floral Print
    Flounces
    Flower Basket
    Flower Children
    Flower Crown
    Flower Power
    Forget-me-not
    Francisco José De Goya Y Lucientes
    Francois Lesage
    Francois Pinet
    Freedom Monument
    French Fashions Of 17th Century
    French Jewelry
    Frills
    Gabardine
    Gaelic Culture
    Gangster Suit
    Ganseys
    Garconne
    Garland
    Giardinetti Rings
    Gimmel Rings
    Gingham
    Gingham Fabric
    Gingham Pattern
    Giraffe Print
    Girandole Earrings
    Glamour Style
    Goddess Flora
    Golden Diadem Of Troy
    Golden Jewellery
    Goth Fashion
    Grande Mademoiselle
    Grande Parure
    Grandes Cocottes
    Grand Habit
    Grass Crown
    Green
    Habit A L'anglaise
    Hair Accessories
    Hair Comb
    Hair Jewelry
    Half-crinoline
    Half-mask
    Hand Knitting
    Hans Christian Andersen
    Hat With A Veil
    Haute Couture
    Heart Rings
    Heinrich Schliemann
    Helmut Newton
    Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec
    Henri Vever
    Hidden Treasures
    Highland Dress
    History Of Cloth Patterns
    History Of Color
    History Of Costume
    History Of Fashion
    History Of Footwear
    History Of Handbag
    History Of Jewelry
    History Of Medieval Shoes
    History Of Menswear
    History Of Purple Dye
    History Of Red
    History Of Rings
    History Of Ruffles In Dress
    History Of Shoe Design
    History Of Swimwear
    History Of Textile Patterns
    History Of The Stripes
    H-Line
    Horseshoe Rings
    Houndstooh Check
    House Of Balenciaga
    House Of Dior
    House Of Givenchy
    House Of Worth
    Hubert De Givenchy
    Iliad By Homer
    Indienne
    Indigo
    Iniohos
    Innovative Shoe Design
    Intarsia Sweaters
    Iveta Vecmane
    Ivy League
    Jabot
    Jacobins
    Jacques Joseph Tissot
    Jaguar Print
    James Tissot
    Jāņi
    Japonisme
    Jean-Baptiste Colbert
    Jean Patou
    Jersey Costume
    Jewel-beetle
    Jewelry Hair Comb
    Jingling Earrings
    John-singer-sargent
    Jugendstil
    Jumper
    Kathleen Newton
    Kilt
    Kimono Coat
    Kissing-Bough
    Kissing Under The Mistletoe
    Knitted Fabric
    Knitted Garments
    Knitted Socks
    Knitted Stockings
    Knitting
    Knitting History
    Knitwear
    Knossos Palace
    Labdanum
    Lace Workshops
    Lady Macbeth
    Lapis Lazuli
    Latvian Fashion Brands
    Laura Selecka
    Laurel Wreath
    LBD
    Legends Of Troy
    Le Mercure Galant
    Leopard Print
    Lesage
    Le Smoking
    Liberty Cap
    Līgo
    Lilacs
    Lillie Langtry
    Lily Of The Valley
    Lily Of The Valley Embroidery
    Little Black Dress
    Lotus Blossom
    Louise Jopling
    Louis Reard
    Louis XIV
    Luxury Consumption
    Madame De Pompadour
    Maison Lesage
    Maison Vever
    Mantilla
    Mantua
    Mariano Fortuny
    Mariano Fortuny Y Madrazo
    Marine Style
    Marlene Dietrich
    Mask
    Masquerades
    Matelot
    Mauve Color
    Mauveine
    Mechanical Knitting Machine
    Medieval Dance
    Medieval Dance Costumes
    Medieval Dances
    Medieval Dress
    Medieval Fashion
    Medieval Feast
    Medieval Life
    Medieval & Renaissance Goldsmiths
    Medieval Rings
    Medieval Shoes
    Melancholy
    Memento Mori Rings
    Michonet
    Midsummer
    Military Style Fashion
    Minoan Snake Goddess
    Mistletoe
    Moretta
    Morocco Leather
    Mourning Dress
    Murex
    Musk
    Mustard Yellow
    Nalbindning
    Nankeen
    Nankeen Cloth
    Navy Blue
    Neo Classical Style
    Neo-classical Style
    Norma Smallwood
    Nosegay
    Nostradamus
    Opera Coat
    Orange
    Orientalism
    Orientalism In Fashion
    Oriental Shoes
    Orpiment
    Out (film)
    Panniers
    Pantalone
    Paris Green
    Pastel
    Pattens
    Paul Poiret
    Perfume Cone
    Perfumery
    Phoenicians
    Phrygian Cap
    Pigaches
    Pikes
    Pilgrim Pumps
    Pinstripes
    Plaid
    Poesy Rings
    Pointed Shoes
    Poison Rings
    Polka Dot
    Polka Dot Pattern
    Polo Collar
    Polo Neck
    Polo Shirt
    Pomander
    Pomme D'ambre
    Pomona
    Porte Bouquet
    Portrait Of Tadea Arias De Enríquez
    Possamenterie
    Posy
    Poulaine
    Poulaines
    Preppy
    Preppy Dress
    Printed Cloths
    Promenade Boots
    Pullovers
    Purple
    Purple Dye
    Realgar
    Red
    Red Carpet Event
    Red Dye
    Red Heels
    Redingote
    Red Ochre
    Red Pigments
    Renaissance Rings
    Rene Lalique
    Retro Style
    Riding Coat
    Rings
    Roaring Twenties
    Robe A La Francaise
    Robert Piguet
    Rockabilly Look
    Rococo Fashion
    Roger Vivier
    Romano-Egyptian Burials
    Roots Of The Fashion Industry
    "rose Tablet"
    Royal Purple
    Ruff
    Ruffled Skirts
    Ruffles
    Saffron
    Scallops
    Scarab Rings
    Schweinfurt Green
    Scottish Clan Dress
    Scottish Tartan
    Sculptural Style
    Seal Rings
    Sentimental Rings
    Shoe Design
    Shoe Designer
    Shoe Maker
    Shoulder Bag
    Signet Rings
    Silk Cape
    Sir Arthur Evans
    Sisi's Stars
    Sleeve Buttons
    Smoking Cap
    Smoking Jacket
    Snake Goddess Figurines
    Snake Rings
    Sofia Lark
    Spanish Farthingale
    Spanish Maja Costume
    Sporran
    Stage Costume
    Stiletto Heel
    Stockings
    Stomacher
    Striped Cloth
    Striped Cloth Pattern
    Stripes
    Strophium
    Subligaculum
    Sumptuary Laws
    Sweater Season
    Symbolism And Meaning Of Tulip
    Symbolism In Art Nouveau Fashion
    Symbolism Of The Color Green
    Talented Company
    Tartan
    Tartan Cloth
    Tartan Pattern
    The Bustle
    The Cardigan Sweater
    The Civic Crown
    The Column Type Dress
    The Delphos Gown
    The Dinner Jacket
    The Egyptian Blue
    The Falkirk Tartan
    The Floral Language
    The History Of Knitting
    The Little Black Dress
    The Mistletoe
    The New Look
    The Origins Of Knitting
    The Pleated Skirt
    The Red Shoes
    The Shoulder Plaid
    Thigh-high Boots
    Thomas Burberry
    Tiger Print
    Tight Lacing
    Timeless Fashion
    Toga Virilis
    Tontillo
    Tournure
    Travis Banton
    Treasures Of Helen Of Troy
    Treasures Of King Priam
    Trenchcoat
    Trojan War
    Trompe-l'oeil
    Tulip
    Tulipan
    Tulipes Hollandaises
    Tulip Mania
    Turkey Red
    Tussie-mussie
    Tussie-mussies
    Tuxedo
    Tyrian Purple
    Ultramarine
    Ultra-Violet
    Uncertain Regard
    Valentino Red
    Veil
    Veiled
    Veiled Dancer
    Victorian Fashion
    Victorian Rings
    Villa Romana Del Casale
    Vintage Fashion
    Violet
    Visard Mask
    Vita Radziņa
    Vivienne Westwood
    Volto
    Waistcoat
    Walking Boots Of The 19th Century
    Wardrobe Essential
    Wasp Waist
    Watch-ring
    Waterproof Materials
    Wedding Rings
    Wedgwood Jasperware Rings
    White
    White Bridal Dress
    White Clothing
    White Collar And Cuffs
    White Dress
    White Tie Dress Code
    Widow's Weeds
    William Henry Perkin
    William Lee
    William Morris
    Woad
    Wooden Clogs
    Wreath
    Xmas Traditions
    Xystis
    Yellow
    Yellow Gold
    Yellow Journalism
    Yellow Nankeen
    Yellow Pigment
    Y-Line
    Yves Saint Laurent
    Zebra Print
     1960s Fashion

    RSS Feed

Picture
Copyright © Edīte Parute and Fashionologia Historiana, 2019
Picture
  • Home
  • About
  • Get in Touch
  • Costume History & Fashion Legends [Essays in English]
  • Žurnāls (modes vēsturnieka piezīmes, jaunumi, dažādas tēmas un stāsti. Arhīvs)
  • Modes vēstures blogs (vēsturiski tērpi, tērpa piederumi, modes aksesuāri & rotas tuvplānā)
  • Kostīmu vēstures leģendas (senāki laiki)