▁st arch ▁allowed ▁r uff s ▁to ▁be ▁made ▁wider ▁without ▁losing ▁their ▁shape . ▁Later ▁r uff s ▁were ▁separate ▁gar ments ▁that ▁could ▁be ▁was hed , ▁st arch ed , ▁and ▁set ▁into ▁elaborate ▁figure - of - e ight ▁fol ds ▁by ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁he ated ▁cone - sh aped ▁go f fer ing ▁ir ons . ▁R uff s ▁were ▁often ▁col oured ▁during ▁st arch ing , ▁veget able ▁d yes ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁give ▁the ▁r uff ▁a ▁yellow , ▁p ink ▁or ▁m au ve ▁t int . ▁A ▁pale ▁blue ▁colour ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁obtained ▁via ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁sm alt , ▁although ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁took ▁against ▁this ▁colour ▁and ▁issued ▁a ▁royal ▁pr er og ative : ▁" Her ▁Majesty ' s ▁pleasure ▁is ▁that ▁no ▁blue ▁st arch ▁shall ▁be ▁used ▁or ▁worn ▁by ▁any ▁of ▁her ▁Majesty ' s ▁subjects , ▁since ▁blue ▁was ▁the ▁colour ▁of ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁Scotland   ..." ▁ ▁Setting ▁and ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁struct ured ▁and ▁vol umin ous ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁r uff ▁could ▁be ▁extremely ▁difficult ▁due ▁to ▁changes ▁in ▁body ▁heat ▁or ▁weather . ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁they ▁could ▁be ▁worn ▁only ▁once ▁before ▁losing ▁their ▁shape . ▁At ▁their ▁most ▁extreme , ▁r uff s ▁were ▁a ▁foot ▁or ▁more ▁wide ; ▁these ▁cart w heel ▁r uff s ▁required ▁a ▁wire ▁frame ▁called ▁a ▁support asse ▁or ▁under pro pper ▁to ▁hold ▁them ▁at ▁the ▁fashion able ▁angle