The shirt — a man’s calling card. When buying new shirts, many men pay attention to colour and fabric, but rarely to the collar. The variety of collars is enormous, yet unfortunately they are not available everywhere, and so the choice of collar usually comes last.
But what collar shapes are there in the first place, and when and how should you wear them?
You will have the pleasure of deciding for yourself when you have your shirts made to your individual measurements and wishes.
In this blog post we present the most interesting shapes and how you should wear them, as an overview for your next adventure with the shirt.
1. The narrow collar
The classic American collar is a closed variant of the Kent collar; elegant, and rather forgiving of a less-than-perfect knot.
2. The Kent collar
As the name suggests, this is a classic English collar. It is always suitable for the business look, though it does look somewhat conservative and a little uninspired.
What we do appreciate about it, however, is that every tie knot suits it. The Kent collar can also be worn in the evening with a dinner jacket.
3. The cutaway collar
The cutaway is a very elegant collar; it is a cross between the Kent and the shark collar. It is very well suited to formal wear such as the morning coat, as well as beneath the classic suit. With a tie, the cutaway collar simply looks superb.
4. The shark collar
The shark collar is the classic Italian collar. It is a very elegant collar for men who love an Italian flair. Do be sure that, if you decide on a tie knot here, it is an Italian one, for the shark collar combined with a Windsor knot, for example, looks somewhat too heavily paired.
5. The button-down
The button-down is the sporty collar. It was originally made by Brooks Brothers for polo players so that the collar would not flap into the rider’s face.
The button-down should not be worn with a tie.
It is, however, very often worn in the US in day-to-day business — fortunate for us, then, that America is no measure of elegant menswear.
Anyone opting for this collar shape should also know that there is an Italian and an American version. The Italian button-down is higher and therefore far more flattering at the neck.
6. The Piccadilly collar
Unfortunately, this elegant collar is worn far too rarely. What makes it special is that it has two holes joined by a pin in the middle. The pin sits beneath the tie, so that the tie remains perfectly in place all day.
7. The vintage collar
This collar shape works particularly well with tweed suits and an English sporting style. It should always be worn with a tie. Please ensure that the tie knot is small, as this collar traditionally sits rather low.
8. The wing collar (Vatermörder)
Do not be alarmed — nothing will happen to you. Yes, the German name of this collar (“father-killer”) makes it sound rather mysterious, not least because its origin is unclear. It is thought that the collar was called parasite (i.e. “blackhead”) in France, as leftover food would easily catch on its long, upward-pointing corners; in Germany this term is said to have been mistaken for the similar-sounding parricide — “father-killer”.
Today this collar is found chiefly in formal attire and is an absolute must for lovers of interesting collar shapes. However, it is reserved exclusively for the dinner jacket and tailcoat; it is therefore worn only with a bow tie and never with a necktie.
9. The stand collar
This rather sporty collar has its origins in military dress. The stand collar is particularly welcome in the casual sphere. Shirts with stand collars are often made of linen and are therefore very popular.
10. The tab collar
Shirts with a tab collar are unfortunately not very widespread, as they are highly distinctive. The collar leaves are held together beneath the tie knot by a small fabric strap and button, thus guaranteeing the perfect placement of the tie.
https://ziadelachi.ch/masshemd-video/