It is believed that The Reverend Donald Mcleod invented the detachable clerical collar as reported in 1909 Who's Who of Glasgow where he was a minister at the time. Anglican clergy had developed a sense of separation between themselves and the secular world in 1840.

How old is the cassock?

It probably originated in Dalmatia (now in Croatia) and was a commonly worn outer garment in the Roman world in the 3rd century and later. Gradually, it became the distinctive garment of deacons.

What is the origin of the cassock?

The cassock derives historically from the tunic of classical antiquity that in ancient Rome was worn underneath the toga and the chiton that was worn beneath the himation in ancient Greece. In religious services, it has traditionally been worn underneath vestments, such as the alb.