Fashion Fix: Ruffs and Ruffles

As a costume designer I have long been drawn to ways of framing the face. Doing a lot of work in period costume certainly has led me to be a bit of a ruff connaisseur but it has been the more fantastical designs that have really excited me when it comes to accentuating the jawline. 

Back in 2010 I designed the set and costumes for the Tobacco Factory's Christmas Show The Adventures of Pinocchio. There was plenty of scope for wild fantastical designs, but my favourite had to be the two imprisoned circus acts, below. I was keen to use costume, whilst looking impossibly elegant and fantastical, to  act like an imprisoning force.

photo by Farrows Creative

my costume design for The Adventures of Pinocchio

I again used the Elizabethan Ruff out of context when designing a Clockwork Orange-esque troupe of Fairies for the Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory 2010 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In fact, that is where the frill lace collar in this Fashion Fix also first came into being.

photo by Farrows Creative

my costume drawing of The Fairies in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' SATTF 2010

Gareth Pugh brought the truly Elizabethan armour -like ruff back to the catwalks of late but it has trickled down to the highstreet and inspired crafters and artists to come up with their own take on the great neck adornment.

Here is a slightly softer, more wearable Fashion Fix for you.

You will need:

• a bundle of vintage lace. 6m is good depending on how many layers you want
• cotton blazer
• thread
• needle
• pins
• scissors

How to do it:

1. working your way along the outisde of the upturned colar, pin the lace, pleating as you go.
2. hand stitch a running stitch along the bottom eadge of the lace, removing pins as you go.
3. keep going until all the lace is used up or that you are happy with the fullness of the lace collar.

You wa bundle of vintage lace. 6m is good depending on how many layers you want

• cotton blazer
• thread
• needle
• pins
• scissors

How to do it:

1. working your way along the outisde of the upturned colar, pin the lace, pleating as you go.
2. hand stitch a running stitch along the bottom eadge of the lace, removing pins as you go.
3. keep going until all the lace is used up or that you are happy with the fullness of the lace collar.