Tag Archives: Women’s Collars

Costume History

Hand Drawn Collar patterns of Early 20th Century Detachable Collars Pt6: a Feminine Style Woman’s Embroidered Collar

I have two sizes of this collar, and the drawing tries to show the two sizes at right (though it rather confuses the button hole placement. This collar would be worn over a high necked dress but likely does not button to it. The embroidery goes at front. Again, the collar is made of thinner material then men’s collars.
One of the collars as scanned now.
The reverse of the collar.
Costume History

Hand Drawn Collar patterns of Early 20th Century Detachable Collars Pt5: two Masculine cut Women’s Embroidered Collars

Here are yet more drawings I made c. 1980 of my beginning collar collection. These are women’s collars that evoke the shapes of men’s Early 20th Century collars but have embroidery on them to make them less masculine looking.

The first vintage celluloid-covered collar box I ever purchased with some of the women’s collars I had collected by the early 1980s.
Ladies Floral Embroidered Collar, with a lock front. The fabric is lighter than is standard for a man’s collar, with no internal stiffening in between the layers of the band. The collar section is a single layer of thin material with an embroidered edge. All is starched to a rigidity that allows it to appear to be made of heavy stiff paper.
When closed, it makes a near tube shape.
Note the extra fabric at left. This “lock front” cut allows the tube to stay rigid at front with a single stud, preventing a pinch at the neck.
Ladies Embroidered Dot Collar with a lock front, very similar to the above but with two layers on the collar part. The dots are satin stitched.
Costume History, Sewing

Searle Manufacturing Co. Sorosis Woman’s Detachable Collar c.1900

Detachable starched collars were also popular for women in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries.  Typically they were more expensive than men’s models, had embroidered or lace decoration, were lighter weight, and were more varied in style.  This one has hand fagoting insertion.  The name of the collar seems to refer to the Sorosis Club of NYC, the first club in the US for professional women.