bertha
n. countablen. a large, wide collar that women used to wear on dresses that showed their shoulders. It was popular in the 1800s and again in the 1940s.
n. a deep, capelike collar falling over the shoulders, typically made of lace or silk. Frequently associated with mid-19th-century Victorian fashion and mid-20th-century evening wear.
Her evening gown featured a delicate lace bertha.
The bride chose a vintage-inspired dress with a silk bertha that draped elegantly over her shoulders.
Historical costume dramas often utilize the bertha to emphasize the sloping shoulder line characteristic of 1840s feminine silhouettes.
Definitely from Old English Berþa as a result of metathesis of h, from earlier Old English Berhte (“bright one”), influence of Latin Bercta. Alternatively, from Old High German berhta (“bright one”), which was an epithet of the goddess Frigg.
Commonly used in the context of historical fashion or bridal wear.