What exactly is a "collar"? I'll spend some time now pondering a question that, at this point, is "neither useful nor beneficial." The prototype of "clothing" in Japan was the "kantoui" (a simple garment). If we consider the cloth of that time to have been made on primitive looms, the fabric width was probably narrow, around 30 cm. The "kantoui" was taught as being "a single piece of cloth" with a hole for the head to pass through, and the edges of the front and back fabric sewn together, leaving openings for the arms. However, the more recent understanding is that it was made by sewing together two pieces of fabric woven to about half width, leaving openings for the head and arms, which seems to be the more accepted theory. In the subsequent transition to Japanese clothing, the "kimono," the more recent understanding is more natural and rational in considering it as the prototype of the kimono's structure. What about in other parts of the world? Ancient European weaving was also primitive, but fragments of wide fabric have been discovered at archaeological sites, suggesting that they wove fabric wide enough to make garments like the "tunic," the prototype of ancient European clothing. In South America and Taiwan, the poncho is a similar type of garment. "Collars" did not yet appear in ancient clothing. To examine the history of "collars," I will focus on the history of Western clothing at this point. It is said that collars began to be devised and used from the 14th to the early 15th centuries, with the appearance of stand collars for the purpose of warmth and reinforcing clothing. It is said that the prototype was made by gathering the edges of the neckline of the garment itself. In the mid-16th century, the gathered collar evolved, and the "ruff," a form of collar worn around the neck as a separate accessory, was devised in Spain. The ruff took on a fashion aspect that displayed status, from its practicality of protecting clothing from dirt, and evolved into an exaggerated form from the late 16th to the 17th centuries, becoming a huge trend among nobles and the wealthy, both men and women. Today, the Elizabethan collar, which is attached to the necks of cats for hygienic reasons, is named after Elizabeth I of England, who loved the luxurious ruff. In the late 17th century, the wave of popularity subsided, and the ruff became more modest, with the "cravat," the ancestor of the tie, coming to the fore. In the 19th century, modern folded collars became widespread, and detachable replacement collars were invented to reduce the burden of washing. With the invention and spread of washing machines, collars once again became part of the garment itself. Thank you for reading.