The story of how a practical and elegant wardrobe detail killed people (10 photos)

Fashion is a capricious young lady. And sometimes her whims get completely unimaginable shapes. And sometimes even dangerous to health and life.





It's amazing, but back in the last century this stylish element the male image in the literal sense also killed. But the men continued stubbornly use him, despite the fact that the Germans even gave him frightening nickname - patricide (vatermörder).



In the 19th century, men's shirts looked like shirts, they were worn through the head. And for their tailoring, white muslin was used - the thinnest plain weave fabric predominantly of cotton, and wool, silk or linen.

Today, a white shirt does not surprise anyone. She is part of the uniform and office dress code. Back then it was a status symbol an indicator of belonging to the elite. Why? Dirty industrial city the air of which is saturated with smoke, soot, soot. Naturally, shirts should be changed frequently. And for the care of the wardrobe needed staff servants. Hence the conclusions about the status and financial well-being.





As for the simpler people, they did not have a staff of servants. Clothes were washed by hand. And not every day, but it's good if once a couple weeks. First, things were soaked, then washed, starched, ironed and ventilated. The action turned into almost a week-long quest.



This long, tedious and difficult process has pushed the usual housewife Hannah Montague to separate the collar from her husband's shirt, wash and starch it, then sew it back. Everything is faster than a week suffer over a whole pile of laundry. Moreover, the collar and cuffs are the only parts that were visible were from under the clothes.



The idea spread, and it was adopted American businessman. Around the 1830s, the production of shirts began, collars to which were fastened with buttons.



Among the white-collar middle class, office workers met the novelty favorably. Wash one collar, while looking neat and saving time and money - this is Great!

Fathermorder: Birth of a Paricide



After 40 years, a novelty went on sale - collars from celluloid. They did not even need to be washed and starched, enough wash well with soap and water. And you're done.

But it's still plastic. And it has its own properties which, in the case of clothing, have become a serious drawback: the collar is tight wrapped around the neck and did not stretch.

The first case of death was recorded a year after the release novelties. The boy ran out to meet his father, who returned from work, hugged moreover, and accidentally poked his eye into the sharp tip of the collar. Wound became inflamed, and the child died from complications.



In the obituary of one John Cruzi, who died in 1888, meant that the man died because he fell asleep on the bench, being in drunk, and the celluloid collar cut off the blood flow and literally suffocated poor fellow.

A similar incident occurred already at the beginning of the last century. William F. Dillon, an Englishman, overdid it and fell asleep in a bar. He didn't wake up again. the unfortunate man was also killed by a hard collar.



But not only plastic, but also ordinary starched collars killed people. There have been cases of allergic reactions. Men died due to swelling of the neck as oxygen access covered the collar.

In the 30s, the Prince of Wales personally recognized this tradition. outdated and barbaric. And the society gradually moved to the usual shirts with attached collars. Moreover, life has improved washing and buying new clothes no longer had such problems - thank you progress.



By the 40s, detachable collars had finally become a relic past, and classic shirts with turn-down collar, which are now aboutbecome the business standard dress code all over the world.