A ruff is an item of clothing worn in Western Europe from the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century. The ruff which was worn by men, women and children, evolved from the small fabric ruffle at the drawstring neck of the shirt or chemise. They served as changeable pieces of cloth that could themselves be laundered while keeping the wearer's doublet from becoming soiled at the neckline. In the twentieth century, the ruff inspired the name of the Elizabethan collar for animals.