Ruches, also known as ruffled collars, are a decorative feature commonly found on witch hats. These ruches add a touch of elegance and style to the hat, making it stand out among other accessories. The ruches are usually made of fabric, such as silk or velvet, and are gathered or pleated to create a ruffled effect. They are then attached to the brim or crown of the hat, enhancing its overall appearance. Witch hats with ruches are often associated with a more glamorous and sophisticated style of witchcraft. They are commonly seen in high fashion and costume designs, adding a luxurious touch to the traditional witch hat.
They are commonly seen in high fashion and costume designs, adding a luxurious touch to the traditional witch hat. Besides their decorative purpose, ruches also serve a functional role in witch hats. They can help keep the hat in place, preventing it from slipping off or getting blown away in windy weather.
The Casio Secret Sender JD-6000 was the *original* messaging gadget
Poor '90s tweens! They never used Facebook Messenger. They couldn't text people from their iPhones, they couldn't add GIFs to their WhatsApp messages, and they were far too young for any Twitter DMs.
Somehow, they survived. And a lucky few of them even had access to one of the most sophisticated pieces of messaging technology to come out of the mid-'90s: The Casio Secret Sender JD-6000.
This tiny purple toy, marketed to tween girls, is the messaging app's true digital ancestor.
SEE ALSO: Mom's poster asking to 'borrow an orange cat' isn't as weird as it soundsIf you're an Xennial like me, you might remember Casio My Magic Diary, an "electronic organizer" that premiered in 1993. At the time of its release, the Magic Diary was the height of technology. It had software that could store phone numbers and addresses, report local times from across the world, function as a calculator, record friends' birthdays, log diary entries, give users their horoscopes, and even allow them to "design" digital faces — ideally of their crushes
Take a look at the original commercial, which I could only find in Spanish:
Here's how the Washington Post described the gadget at the time: "Once girls even sent each other notes on scraps of paper, and were then sent off to the principal's office for doing it. No more . Childhood has gone digital."
We've seen ledes like this dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. But there was actual truth to it back in the early '90s. This was long before Blackberry became so popular. A wicked cool teen girl who owned a Casio My Magic Diary probably had access to more sophisticated technology than her parents did.
Just one year later, Casio introduced the Casio Secret Sender JD-6000, shaking up the whole electronic diary world. Using Infrared technology, Secret Sender gave users the opportunity to send each other text messages from across the room. The messages couldn't travel farther than 25 feet and couldn't be longer than four lines, each 16 characters long.
Users could choose from either a pre-written message "Meet you at [ ]" one read, or they could compose an original message.
You could even turn the television on and off by using the same infrared technology.
The Casio Secret Sender JD-6000 was the vanguard of the digital diary community. You could tell how advanced it was by its string of futuristic numbers (six thousand!) and the random letters in its brand name. Remember, this is the pre-Live Journal era. Kaybee Casio products were all my generation had.
"Kid communication has come a long way from two cans and a string," New York Magazine wrote at the time.
The Sender and its subsequent iteration, the Super Magic Diary, also had its competitors, though they're long since forgotten. There was Zender from Electronic Arts, which retailed for $47 and had a similar messaging function with an even wider range of 500 feet. Tiger Electronics had a product called Super Data Blasters, which had similar messaging technology and a uniquely horrific name (who but total nerds would think the term "Data Blasters" was cool?").
Just look at the uh, relative sophistication of the Super Magic Diary ad:
Now compare it to Super Data Blasters:
Even though Casio Secret Sender initially retailed for $119, it had what its competitors lacked: excellent branding. It had the word "secret" in the title! It had a modern (i.e., not entirely pink) palette, which catered well to the feminist-lite delia*s demographic.
And let's be honest: The Casio Secret Sender never reached a saturation in which multiple people could text. That $119.95 went way beyond what most Xennial tweens held in their smiley-face coin purses. If you had one, you were lucky; if you met someone else who also did — and who wanted to text you back — you were the exception. This was pen pal culture taken to the max.
How many tweens at the time even had friends?
What made the Secret Sender powerful was its promise: an entire digital universe, contained privately in your sweaty, hormonal hands. When you're a teen girl, privacy matters more than anything (I can't tell you the number of times tween me shouted at my parents to "Leave me alone!" even though I was just . isolated in my room, eating Cheez-Its and watching Cheers reruns). Everything feels so exposed at that age: your gross, pubescent body, your secret crushes, your dumbest, most vulnerable feelings.
The idea that you could message anyone you wanted, whenever you wanted to, without anyone looking, was revolutionary. There was no paper trail. The Casio Secret Sender belonged to you and you alone.
Alas, the Sender slowly petered out, never quite getting the respect it deserved. Cell phones and PDAs picked up the credit for messaging technology. The poor JD-6000 was left to the dustbin of history and Reddit nostalgia pages.
Apparently, people wanted to text people from more than 25 feet away. Nerds.
We shouldn't be surprised that Casio Secret Sender has been forgotten. Look at Snapchat. Technology created for teens never quite gets the credit it's owed until it's discovered and claimed by adults. Lil' ol' Secret Sender just couldn't compete when it came to the older demographic.
But let's all pay the Casio Secret Sender JD-6000 some respect for incorporating personal messaging technology before most of us knew what that was.
Janky '90s tween toys deserve so much more than what we've given them.
This is especially important when witches are out and about, performing their magical activities. In addition to ruches, witch hats may also feature other embellishments like feathers, ribbons, or decorative trims. These elements further contribute to the hat's overall look and can be coordinated with the witch's outfit or theme. Overall, ruches are a key element in creating a stylish and chic witch hat. They add personality and flair to the accessory, making it a statement piece for any witch fashionista. Whether worn for practical or aesthetic purposes, ruches elevate the witch hat to a whole new level of enchantment..
Reviews for "The Witch's Familiar: Animal Companions in Ruches"
1. Aiden - 1 star
I found "Ruches witch hst" to be a complete waste of time. The writing style was incredibly dull and the characters were poorly developed. The plot itself lacked depth and failed to capture my interest. I struggled to finish this book and felt no connection with any of the characters. Overall, I do not recommend "Ruches witch hst" to anyone looking for an engaging and well-written story.
2. Emma - 2 stars
While "Ruches witch hst" had an interesting premise, it fell flat in execution. The story seemed rushed and poorly edited, with numerous grammatical errors and awkward sentence structures. The main character lacked depth and her actions often seemed illogical. There were also plot holes that were left unresolved. Despite having potential, "Ruches witch hst" failed to deliver a satisfying reading experience.
3. Matthew - 2 stars
I was disappointed with "Ruches witch hst" as it did not live up to the hype. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others rushed by too quickly, resulting in a disjointed narrative. The dialogue also felt forced and unnatural, making it difficult to believe in the characters' interactions. The world-building was also underdeveloped, leaving me with many unanswered questions. Overall, I found "Ruches witch hst" to be a mediocre read that did not meet my expectations.