A stiff collar or neckpiece worn in Spain and its colonies during the 16th and 17th centuries, standing upright around the neck.
Spanish origin, possibly from gola meaning throat or neck, with the diminutive suffix -illa added. The garment emerged during Spain's Golden Age as a fashionable element of formal dress.
The golilla was so impractical—stiff, uncomfortable, and restricting—that it became a status symbol; only wealthy people could afford to wear something that made it hard to move or eat, showing off their leisure and servants.
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