Chérusque

The Chérusque collar is a type of stand-up collar that was popular in the early 19th century, especially at the court of Emperor Napoleon. Empress Josephine was most often depicted wearing this collar in her portraits.

The Chérusque collar comes from the “Medici collar”, we had a separate post about it. The Chérusque collar is slightly smaller, sometimes fan-shaped, but sometimes the part above the sleeves – on the shoulders – stands out more. The collar was part of a chemise, chemisette or was sewn directly onto the dress.

The origin of the name is not fully known. The Chérusques are a people (Latin: Cherusci) who lived in the territory near the Weser, which was ceded to Napoleon under the agreement of the Confederation of the Rhine (French: Confédération du Rhin 1806). It is difficult to say how this is connected with the name of the collar, which came into fashion in the 1790s.