Ceremonial object - Clothing, 'Jabot' style collar and cuffs Moorabbin City Council Mayoral Robes, c1960

Historical information

In clothing, a collar is the part of a shirt, dress, coat or blouse that fastens around or frames the neck and may be permanently attached to the main body of the garment (e.g. by stitching) or detachable. Today's shirt collars descend from the ruffle created by the drawstring at the neck of the medieval chemise, through the Elizabethan ruff and its successors, the whisk collar and falling band. Separate collars exist alongside attached collars since the mid-16th century, usually to allow starching and other fine finishing. Jabots made of lace and hanging loose from the neck were an essential component of upper class, male fashion in the baroque period. During the Edwardian period, and sporadically thereafter, ornamental collars were worn as a form of jewellery. Names for specific styles of collars vary with the vagaries of fashion. Jabots survive in the present days as components of various official costumes, as are those worn by judges and counsel throughout Australian courts and town mayors.
2018 Kingston City Council Mayor Steve Staikos asked CMHS to loan the Former Moorabbin Mayoral Robes and Jabot for display at KCC Office Cheltenham. These Moorabbin Mayoral Robe with Jabot are now displayed along with those of the former City of Chelsea Robe and the former City of Mordialloc Robe at Cheltenham .
KCC possesses the original Mayoral Chains of each former Council and they are displayed on each Robe for the annual Opening Meeting of KCC in February.


Significance

This set of a 'Jabot' style collar and cuffs was part of the ceremonial Mayoral Robes c1960- 94 for the City of Moorabbin 1934-94. This is the last City of Moorabbin Mayoral Robe and was worn by Mayor Ron Brownlees, (prior to amalgamation with the City of Glen Eira and City of Kingston in 1994), and donated to the City of Moorabbin Historical Society in February 2007 by the City of Kingston. The City of Moorabbin developed from the Moorabbin Roads Board of 1862, becoming The Shire of Moorabbin in 1871 and the City of Moorabbin in 1934.
November 2018 At the request of the Mayor Cr Steve Staikos this Jabot Collar and Cuffs is now on display with the Mayoral Robes at Kingston City Council Offices Nepean Highway Cheltenham .

Physical description

A detachable , white, nylon, 'Jabot' style, standing collar with a pleated, ruffled, and lace-trimmed frill down the front and 2 matching cuffs that was part of the City of Moorabbin Mayoral Robes c1960 - 94 It has a tear in corner.

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