Colettein French (collet - ".collar"The jacket is a short sleeveless fitted jacket or waistcoat for men. Usually sewn from light leather and worn over a shirt (doublet), in the XVI-XVII centuries. It was decorated with a high, puffy collar.

Robert Dudley in a colt from the 1560s with slits, probably leather

Women's kolet (fontana national museum)

Sixteenth-century leather kolets often had slits and openings for jewellery and other attachments (orders, chains, amulets). This technique allowed the garment to fit harmoniously. The tunic was fastened at the neck and hung loosely on the chest.

By the end of the century it had become customary to wear the tunic buttoned at the waist and open at the top, as a slim waist silhouette became fashionable.

The military versions of the kolets were sewn from bull skin and impregnated with grease. This provided better protection.

The British army used brown leather kolets to protect soldiers from the cold but still maintain freedom of movement. The brown leather jackets had four buttons, were lined on the inside with khaki wool and were very practical and highly valued for their quality.

Each kolet was unique. At the bottom, the edges were trimmed with scraps of material to prevent the penetration of dirt. The British Army relied on the use of these kolets instead of overcoats.

The kolets made in Canada were dark brown with a black wool lining and differed in appearance.

Martin Frobisher wears the kolet buttoned up at the neck and open at the bottom, 1570s.

A Dutch musician wears a kolet with straps as fasteners, 1632.

Sofonisba Anguissola. Portrait of a young lady. Meister Drucke

The Spanish kolet, which appeared as part of costume in the mid-16th century, was a substitute for a wrought armour, an attribute of a noble warrior and a personification of chivalry.

This symbolic element has ensured the kolet's long life in the wardrobe of the nobility. The main characteristics have remained virtually unchanged for a long time.

In the mid-seventeenth century the kolets acquired a high waist and long floors.

Doll. Gaston Duke of Orleans 1608-1660

The wearing of the tunic was practised until the twentieth century because the material was warm enough to keep you warm in cold weather.

In Russia the kolet was a cuirassier uniform, fastened with hooks.

Colet is still alive today.

It is part of the costume of a dancer in classical ballet.

Usually fastened at the back with hooks, and stitched by costumers for added reassurance, so that it doesn't accidentally come undone on stage. 

The clothes also come with a zip, for quick changes between appearances on stage. The tunic should fit snugly and accentuate the dancer's figure.

Text used:

The Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language / Edited by D. N. Ushakov. - M.; Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th edition.

Photos are taken from open sources on the Internet.

With love and respect, Tatiana Kalinina