- se vent e enth ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁round ▁and ▁flat ▁variation ▁is ▁often ▁called ▁a ▁mill stone ▁col lar ▁after ▁its ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁that ▁object . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁r uff , ▁which ▁was ▁worn ▁by ▁men , ▁women ▁and ▁children , ▁evol ved ▁from ▁the ▁small ▁fabric ▁r uffle ▁at ▁the ▁draw string ▁neck ▁of ▁the ▁sh irt ▁or ▁chem ise . ▁They ▁served ▁as ▁change able ▁pieces ▁of ▁cloth ▁that ▁could ▁themselves ▁be ▁la under ed ▁separately ▁while ▁keeping ▁the ▁wear er ' s ▁double t ▁or ▁g own ▁from ▁becoming ▁so iled ▁at ▁the ▁neck line . ▁The ▁st iff ness ▁of ▁the ▁gar ment ▁forced ▁u pr ight ▁post ure , ▁and ▁their ▁imp ract ical ity ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁wealth ▁and ▁status . ▁ ▁R uff s ▁were ▁primarily ▁made ▁from ▁lin en ▁camb ric , ▁st iff ened ▁with ▁st arch ▁imported ▁from ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries . ▁Later ▁r uff s ▁were ▁also ▁sometimes ▁made ▁entirely ▁from ▁la ce . ▁However , ▁la ce ▁was ▁expensive ▁since ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁new ▁fabric , ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁six teenth ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁r uff ▁increased ▁as ▁the ▁century ▁went ▁on . ▁" T en ▁yards ▁is ▁enough ▁for ▁the ▁r uff s ▁of ▁the ▁neck ▁and ▁hand " ▁for ▁a ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁gift ▁made ▁by ▁her ▁ladies ▁for ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁in ▁ 1 5 6 5 , ▁but ▁the ▁discovery ▁of