Jabot

A white linen or cotton neck scarf, often trimmed in lace, the jabot worn by men during the eighteenth century added a bit of decoration to a man's outfit. Tied loosely around the neck, the jabot concealed the closure of the shirt, leaving the lace of the jabot to decorate the opening of the waistcoat and the justaucorps, or suit coat. By the end of the century, simpler neck cloths of silk without frills were wrapped around the neck and adorned with a gold stickpin in front. Military men wore black neck cloths while other men wore white ones.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Bigelow, Marybelle S. Fashion in History: Apparel in the Western World. Minneapolis, MN: Burgess Publishing, 1970.

Payne, Blanche, Geitel Winakor, and Jane Farrell-Beck. The History of Costume. 2nd ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.

ja·bot / zhaˈbō; ja-/ • n. an ornamental frill or ruffle on the front of a shirt or blouse, typically made of lace.

jabot frill on the bosom of a shirt, etc. XIX. — F., ‘bird's crop’, ‘shirt-frill’.